yonex game vs tour

Yonex Astrox 88D Pro, 88D Game & 88D Tour Badminton Racket Video Comparison

This video explains the differences between the three versions of the Astrox 88D called the Astrox 88D Pro, 88D Game and 88D Tour

The new Yonex Astrox 88 series was launched in March 2021. Surprisingly, in addition to the D and S models, Yonex has introduced “takedown” versions with identical colourways but slightly different features to reflect the price.

How do they feel and more importantly, how do they play?

(If you would prefer a written version of this video, there is a transcript further down)

Individual Full Written Reviews

Here are the quick links to my individual written reviews of the Astrox 88D Pro & the original 88D.

Yonex Astrox 88D Pro, 88D Game & 88D Tour Comparison – Video Transcript

On this video, I am reviewing 3 88Ds.

These are the Yonex Astrox 88Ds that were launched in March 2021.

So the intention of this video is to give you a comparison between the Pro, the Tour & the Game in terms of physical properties & also playability.

If you enjoyed watching these videos, please press the Subscribe button below, so you will receive notifications of further videos to follow.

So, let’s get on with the reviews & let’s compare the 88D Tour & the 88D Pro.

The Pro is now stable in my bag at the moment & it’s going to be a racket I’m going to use a lot with the Astrox 100ZZ to compare other frames to in the future but I found it’s an absolutely brilliant racket. There is a full review already on my website which is www.badminton-coach.co.uk. There is also a video on YouTube with a comparison to the original Astrox 88D.

So you’re pretty aware that this is a great racket very very maneuverable, lots of power & I’ve really enjoyed using this racket over the last few months. So now we want to compare it to the other 2 rackets that I’ve been testing over the last few weeks.

So let’s start with the Game.

The Game you will already see has a different head shape, although colour scheme is absolutely identical, the only difference being the decal here says Game whereas on the D Pro, it just says Astrox. Racket length is the same, handle length is the same, shaft length is the same. But you will notice, there is a difference here in shape of the ferrule. There is also a difference in the thickness of the shaft. You’ll also find that this, the Game is a little bit more flexible compared to the D Pro you see that doesn’t bend quite as much. D Pro is manufactured in Japan, & the Game & the Tour are manufactured in Taiwan. So this is probably the furthest removed in terms of specs that we’re going to have compared to the original D Pro, but still a very very good racket in its own right.

We’ll talk about budgets later, but this is still a head heavy racket, this is got a balance point of 310 so it’s still good, it’s still head heavy. But again what we have noticed is the weight isn’t at the top of the head but there’s definitely weight here that carries the racket head through really, really well. It’s still quick, not as quick as the D Pro but it’s still a fast frame. But this is a budget racket.

One thing I will mention, this is a G5 grip, this is a G5 grip. For some reason the G5 grip on the Game & the Tour is slightly bigger than the Japanese model. No idea why, but it is ever so slightly bigger, not too much that it becomes a G4 but it’ll probably fit in somewhere in between, but just that’s just a quick little thing I did notice.

So we know that playability is good with this racket. Good in defense, good in attack.

Budget price for this racket, this is retailing for around about £80 in the UK whereas the D Pro is retailing for around about £150. So you more or less can buy two of these, for one of these. And for the intermediate player, this (the Game) could be an absolute bargain at £80. It’s a really really good racket. And as I say with it being slightly more flexible, not quite as heavy as this one, so therefore a little bit more forgiving, and a lot more familiar in feel to other Yonex rackets compared to the new head shape & the stiffness of this one. So you might actually find that this is going to be an absolute star for you in club badminton & you’re going to get a lot of value for money with the Game.

So well, worth a look at, if you get a chance to test it against this one then please do, you will feel the difference but it’s not going to be absolutely huge but it’s well worth testing. But as I say, you can more or less buy two of these for one of these. So in terms of going to club night if you get 2 of these if you break a string go & get your replacement, fantastic can’t do better than that.

Let’s have a quick look at the Tour.

Now, the Tour is a closer copy of the Pro. The head shape is the same & if I line them up, we’ll see the handle size is the same, ferrules are the same, they are both stiff shafts they are both the thinner shafts, so very, very close copy indeed. What you will see there is a Tour logo on this racket the same, we’ve only got the Astrox logo on this one.

Again, not quite as heavy as this, although the BP on this is 308. So it’s still a good head heavy racket. This is a stiffer shaft compared to the Game that you saw before and you’ve already seen me flex that one already.

So you got a good idea that this is a lot lot closer in terms of playability. Yes it’s a touch lighter in the head, but still maneuvers really really well. Yet again that G5 grip is slightly bigger than the Japanese version, but ever so slightly. So it just means you just going to have to watch it if you’re going to change your grips at all & watch the thickness a little bit, if you like to be a lot more specific. Aside from that 2 brilliant rackets, love the Tour as well. This is going to retail for around about £115 against £150. So saving there for you. Identical in looks apart from the one decal. So very, very good value for money, plays brilliant, nice quick racket as you would expect, still got power, still got maneuverability, which is what we’re really looking for. So that’s the Astrox 88D Tour.

So, there we have it, we’ve had the Game, we’ve got the Tour & we got the Pro, all three really good rackets in their own right.

Three different price points, so £80, £115 & around about £150 for the D Pro.

Really, really good value. I think they’re all great rackets as I said before, all maneuverable, one’s a little bit more forgiving with that medium flex shaft on the Game & is probably going to a suit a lot more plays of intermediate standard. But all three great rackets & well worth testing if you get a chance.

So there you are, look out for my website where I’ll do individual reviews of the Tour & the Game very soon. Please do subscribe to the channel so you can get further notifications on the next video where I will probably be reviewing the Astrox 88S comparing the Pro & the Tour & the Game. But for now three great Astrox 88’s.

I hope you enjoyed the video & I hope to see you again very soon.

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ASTROX 100 TOUR

Cross start, cross tie off.

Start from top center, keep on stringing until B9 (skip A8 & A10). Go through B12, directly to A15, and then straight to A13, down to B10 and tie off at B8. (Opposite side: the same procedure.)

Make a knot at B6 and start crosses from B9. Keep on stringing until A8 (skip A11 & A9), then directly to A5 and tie off.

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2021 Yonex Astrox 88S/D PRO & GAME versions

Discussion in ' Badminton Rackets / Equipment ' started by Vivek Bagadhi , Jan 7, 2021 .

Vivek Bagadhi Regular Member

Release in March 2021, PRO variant for professionals and GAME variant for intermediate level, that was all I could understand. If anybody could translate from the website below, will update it accordingly Source GOAL Badminton FB https://www.yonex.co.jp/sp/badminto...5FleceKoT0mcyiAHC5_UaekWDfv2bOVnmOoNvXjHmtpAE Sent from my SM-G985F using Tapatalk  

Ok, so likely a new tech VOLUME CUT RESIN, which allows larger diameter holes to be put in the frame, will be coming to 88 series. Sent from my SM-G985F using Tapatalk  

pughon Regular Member

Global site has updated the news: https://www.yonex.com/news/badminton/performance-enhanced-astrox-88-s-d-pro/  

I hope the rated tensions will go up to 30 lbs this time, also a wider frame and more squarish design, might differ significantly from the xurrent ones Sent from my SM-G985F using Tapatalk  

ChocoChipWaffle Regular Member

I understand what the pro line is, but how would the game line be different from the originals?  

ChocoChipWaffle said: ↑ I understand what the pro line is, but how would the game line be different from the originals? Click to expand...

Budi Regular Member

Rommel Alastra Regular Member

hmmm i dont like the color  

Rommel Alastra said: ↑ hmmm i dont like the color Click to expand...

Talk about the new feature. What is Volume Cut Resin anyway? Less material, so it would weaken the structure which easier to break? But more durability, hhmm.... So far Yonex are known to had the lowest max tension, so would we can expect they will had higher max tension? Less weight, so it would be lighter overall? Refined RGS.... Typical of Yonex i guest.... The best marketing ever & nothing to be expected. New iso frame. So another new frame or a 100 frame? But from the picture, it seems the frame would be more thicker.  

Budi said: ↑ tho its personal taste, but i think the color is better than Astrox DG series. Those DG series color are very ugly. & if dont like it, you could just wait. Pretty sure Yonex would release new color. Click to expand...

Martynas Regular Member

Vivek Bagadhi said: ↑ Yep, can't wait to see that gold color 88D Pro Sent from my SM-G985F using Tapatalk Click to expand...

Just hoping all 3 variant Pro, Tour, Games had different color or at least not 99% the same like their old series 88,68,38. Kinda anoying to own the same thing while its actually not the same.  

Martynas said: ↑ yep for me as well the new pro versions look simply amazing, really the best designs lately of all brands, just there is no were to be found images of whole rackets - even on yonex site. Click to expand...

Vivek Bagadhi said: ↑ I m imagining an 88D with gold frame and emerald green shaft Sent from my SM-G985F using Tapatalk Click to expand...

pughon said: ↑ Emerald blue to be exact Click to expand...

boby Regular Member

I'd like thin frame like the 88d original, and don't like when it's gonna be thicker (wide) like arc11. i feel not to confident when alternated ax88d, even with aero frame like tc75ex, it's just slightly thicker frame, especially when i look from side during service.  

boby said: ↑ I'd like thin frame like the 88d original, and don't like when it's gonna be thicker (wide) like arc11. i feel not to confident when alternated ax88d, even with aero frame like tc75ex, it's just slightly thicker frame, especially when i look from side during service. Click to expand...

fufu27 Regular Member

pughon said: ↑ Global site has updated the news: https://www.yonex.com/news/badminton/performance-enhanced-astrox-88-s-d-pro/ Click to expand...

fufu27 said: ↑ Such a good news. 88 pro will have wider sweet spot than before. Click to expand...

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Yonex Astrox 88S Game vs Astrox 88S Pro: Which Racket is Right for You?

Yonex is known for producing some of the best badminton rackets on the market, and the Astrox series is no exception. The Astrox 88S Game badminton racket and Astrox 88S Pro Badminton Racket are two popular models in this series, but they differ in terms of materials used, playability, technology, and price. In this article, we'll compare the Astrox 88S Game and Astrox 88S Pro in all these aspects to help you decide which racket is right for you.

Materials Used

One of the key differences between the Astrox 88S Game   and Astrox 88S Pro is the materials used in their construction. The Astrox 88S Pro is made of higher quality materials compared to the Astrox 88S Game. The Astrox 88S Pro uses a premium graphite sourced from Japan, which is stronger and more resilient than the graphite used in the Astrox 88S Game. The Astrox 88S Pro also features Namd and NAMD NEO technology, which are advanced graphite materials developed by Yonex to increase the elasticity and power of the racket. Additionally, the Astrox 88S Pro is equipped with the Rotational Generator System and Solid Feel Core, which provide better balance and vibration reduction respectively. On the other hand, the Astrox 88S Game is made of high modulus graphite, which is stiffer and stronger than regular graphite. The Astrox 88S Game also has tungsten-infused grommets, an isometric head shape, and a Control Support Cap, which provide a good balance of power, control, and comfort for intermediate-level players.

Playability

Both the Astrox 88S Game and Astrox 88S Pro have their own unique playability characteristics. The Astrox 88S Game provides a good balance of power and control, making it suitable for intermediate-level players who want a racket that is easy to use and comfortable to play with. The Astrox 88S Game has a moderate flex, which allows for a good amount of control over shots. The racket also has an isometric head shape, which increases the sweet spot of the racket and makes it easier to hit accurate shots. The Control Support Cap provides a comfortable grip and helps to increase control during play.

The Astrox 88S Pro, on the other hand, is designed for professional and advanced players who demand the highest level of performance from their racket. The Astrox 88S Pro has a stiff flex, which provides more power and allows for faster swings. The Namd and NAMD NEO technology increase the elasticity and power of the racket, resulting in a faster and more powerful swing. The Rotational Generator System provides better balance and faster swings, while the Solid Feel Core reduces vibration and provides a more solid feel on impact.

The Astrox 88S Game and Astrox 88S Pro both feature some of the latest technology from Yonex. The Astrox 88S Game has tungsten-infused grommets, an isometric head shape, and a Control Support Cap, which provide a good balance of power, control, and comfort for intermediate-level players. The Astrox 88S Pro, on the other hand, features Namd and NAMD NEO technology, which are advanced graphite materials developed by Yonex to increase the elasticity and power of the racket. Additionally, the Astrox 88S Pro is equipped with the Rotational Generator System and Solid Feel Core, which provide better balance

Astrox 88S Game:

Nanomesh Neo: This technology helps to increase the racket's repulsion power and control.

Isometric Head Shape: This technology creates a larger sweet spot, which improves the accuracy of shots even on off-center hits.

New Grommet Pattern: This feature reduces air resistance, which results in faster swings and greater repulsion.

Solid Feel Core: This technology helps to reduce vibrations and provide a more comfortable feel upon impact with the shuttlecock.

Astrox 88S Pro:

Namd and NAMD NEO Technology: This technology involves adding nanomaterials to the resin in the graphite frame, which enhances the frame's flex and increases the repulsion power of the racket.

Rotational Generator System: This technology involves counterbalancing the weight of the frame and grip, resulting in a more efficient transfer of energy from the player to the shuttlecock.

In summary, the Astrox 88S Pro incorporates more advanced technologies, such as Namd and NAMD NEO technology and the Rotational Generator System, which give it a higher level of performance than the Astrox 88S Game. However, both rackets share similar technologies, such as the Isometric Head Shape, New Grommet Pattern, and Solid Feel Core, which enhance the overall playability and comfort of the racket.

The price is a significant factor to consider when choosing between the Astrox 88S Game and Astrox 88S Pro. The Astrox 88S Game is a more affordable option compared to the Astrox 88S Pro, making it an attractive choice for intermediate-level players who want a good balance of power and control without breaking the bank. The Astrox 88S Pro is more expensive due to its premium materials and advanced technology, which make it a top-performing racket for professional and advanced players who demand the highest level of performance.

Both the Astrox 88S Game and Astrox 88S Pro are excellent rackets that cater to different player levels and preferences. The Astrox 88S Game is a more affordable option that provides a good balance of power and control, making it suitable for intermediate-level players. The Astrox 88S Pro, on the other hand, is a premium racket that delivers superior performance and power, making it an ideal choice for professional and advanced players. The Astrox 88S Pro is equipped with advanced technology and materials, such as Namd and NAMD NEO technology, Rotational Generator System, and Solid Feel Core, which make it a top-performing racket on the market. Ultimately, the choice between the Astrox 88S Game and Astrox 88S Pro will depend on your skill level, budget, and playing style.

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Yonex Astrox 99 Play review: smash heaven for beginners

• October 13, 2023
• 8 minute read

Before diving into the Astrox 99 Play review, let me clear up any confusion about similar rackets.

Yonex’s original Astrox 99 has been replaced with a new range that includes a Pro, Tour, Game, and Play edition. Astrox 99 Play is the beginner and budget-friendly edition of Kento Momota and Kodai Naraoka’s preferred racket, the Astrox 99 Pro .

Compared to other modern attacking rackets, this is a classic powerhouse for beginner players.  It’s a beast and if it resembled a comic book character, it would be The Hulk.

In this Astrox 99 Play review, I tested the 4UG5 version and had it on court for about fifteen hours. I immediately got it restrung to my usual Yonex BG80 string, which is a power (repulsion) string to keep my reviews consistent and better compare with other rackets.

Table of Contents

Yonex astrox 99 play review, yonex astrox 99 play marketing and technology, best player types for yonex astrox 99 play, astrox 99 play compared to other popular rackets, astrox 99 play specifications, my first impression.

Before testing, I made sure to play a game with the Arcsaber 11 Play I had just gotten used to, as it’s as all-around as rackets come and the most recent one I tested.

With less raw power than I usually prefer, I noticed that I had developed more creativity on court as my smash wasn’t as powerful and it made for some interesting gameplay. 

Right from the first few shots, I realized that my task was to control the power rather than attempt to extract it. I kept hitting far beyond the backline, to the point that my partner began joking about what I had for breakfast that morning.

First, let’s look at how this racket stacks up in net play for beginner players.

Netplay isn’t the easiest part of the game with the Astrox 99 Play as it’s the most powerful beginner racket Yonex offers.

It’s strong but slow rather than swift and nimble. At the net, I often found myself sending the shuttle back over the net in a slow arch, even with the slightest whip, that gave my opponents far too much time to think.

It results in the shuttle flying just too high up over the net and offering your opponent an easy kill if they are quick on their feet.

To avoid selling yourself or your partner out on a return near the net, you’ll be forced to touch the shuttle gently while guiding it around which is tricky if you’re late and moving explosively to get it.

On the other hand, when I was late getting a shot in the front court I found that I could often just put the racket on and it would fly back over the net without much work. I’d live to fight another day. 

If you’re a beginner player that’ll make the game more fun as you’ll be able to build longer, intense, rallies in doubles rather than those short five-shot rallies where you’re simply trading points back and forth.

Yonex’s Astrox 99 Play is not particularly suitable for net game and you’ll have to be gentle to keep up here. Using a string that offers control over power might help (see the end of this review for suggestions).

Midcourt and defense

When it comes to defense, the Astrox 99 Play is a mixed bag.

Lifts are effortless and you’ll have to be careful not to send them beyond the backline, while drive duels in doubles games can feel challenging if you aren’t well-prepared. This racket is slow so it’s easy to send the shuttle back with plenty of power, but being precise is tricky just like switching grip and adjusting when the shuttle comes to you.

On the other hand, blocking a power smash is fun as I was often able to simply put the racket on the shuttle and send it back over the net without effort. If you’re well-prepared, you might even be able to turn it into a deadly weapon by guiding the shuttle around the front court and forcing your opponents to work hard on the follow up.

While the Yonex Astrix 99 Play isn’t the most suitable for other areas of the game, it’s in the power segment where it really comes alive. 

There’s not much to say about your smash other than it will be powerful.

Flat attacking clears are easy and can win you a good chunk of points in doubles. I noticed that as long as you can keep the shuttle in the court and play it down the middle to cause miscommunication among your opponents, you’ll often win the point outright or get a poor return you can kill.

An odd part of the game where I regularly got in trouble was on flick serves. The Astrox 99 Play’s power makes it easy to clear the shuttle out of the court as you’ll often be around the mid-court when returning a flick. 

Granted, I’m not the world’s most skilled flick serve returner.

In general, you’ll give away a bunch of free points if you aren’t hyper-aware of how far up on the court you are when hitting a quick overhead stroke with this racket.

On the other hand, I had no problem getting plenty of power in the shuttle even when I was taking shots late. Shots that are hard to send back beyond the midcourt and often end up offering a free kill if we don’t perform a fast net drop instead.

If I was a betting man, I’d guess that beginners are especially intrigued by this racket. The raw power is fantastic and despite it not being the most flexible racket in the beginner spectrum, I believe many beginners that play badminton regularly and love power, will have fun with this racket. As with many power-based rackets, it can feel a bit like sledgehammer-y but I didn’t find it too bad.

This is as close to a 100% power score as I’ve experienced with a beginner racket thus far. The reason it doesn’t get the full score is due to the flexibility it needs in order to cater to beginners. That takes a bit of the edge at the very top in exchange for making it easier to use.

Control and shuttle hold

The Astrox 99 Play is marketed as a racket with a longer contact point between the shuttle and racket during a hit, as we know it from the Arcsaber 11 Play . The intention is to increase shot precision.

I have to admit that I didn’t notice this much. I didn’t find this racket any easier or more precise than others, but also not harder and that’s the secret. 

Power usually comes at the expense of control and since this racket has loads of power, the control and precision would typically be worse if it didn’t wasn’t built with improved shuttle contact.

I found myself misting shots ever so slightly, which is likely because I’m used to stiffer rackets. It wasn’t as much as when I tested the Astrox 77 Play, which is an even more flexible beginner racket.

Overall, this is a fun beginner racket. Especially, if you haven’t honed in your power-generating technique as it’ll enable you to hit the backline more easily and open up new avenues of gameplay to move your opponents around. And of course, you’ll be able to produce a powerful smash.

But. It comes at a cost.

You’ll need to control the temptation of wanting to hit with full power unless you’re far back on the court or confident your next shot will finish the rally.

Yonex Astrox 99 Play offers a one-sided game as it’s not the easiest racket to control during soft hits like net play or drive duels. It feels heavy and slow but nothing out of the ordinary for what you’d expect with a super head heavy racket and I doubt you’ll notice unless you’ve tried higher-end rackets.

Yonex Astrox 99 Play: the verdict

The Astrox 99 Play is a fun beginner racket with loads of power. The trade-off is that it can feel one-sided as it isn’t strong at soft, precise shots near the net. Overall, it offers good value for money and is a good choice if you know you’d like help generating power in your game.

Usually there’s no marketing material specifically for the Play-edition rackets and as far as I’m aware, this one is no exception.

Yonex usually only prepares that for their high-end Pro rackets, so I had to dig into the catalog to figure out what’s advertised there and still built into the more affordable Astrox 99 Play as some parts are stripped away from the Pro.

This is what’s advertised in the Pro.

Next, let’s look at which player types this racket is ideal for and who should avoid it.

The ideal player type

The ideal player type for this racket is a beginner player who plays regularly and is working on improving their technique and timing. 

If that’s you and you find yourself struggling to hit backline to backline or just love power and want to win rallies with hard smashes, you’ll like this racket.

The non-ideal player type (you might not like this racket if…)

That being said, if you’re an entry-level player who hasn’t had much time on court and struggles to hit the shuttle in general, this racket might require too much technique. 

If that’s you and you’re still intrigued, I’d only consider getting it if you’ve scheduled training with a coach so you know you’ll rapidly be improving your timing when hitting the shuttle. Otherwise, I just don’t think you’ll have fun with it.

On the other hand, if you’re a regular beginner player and often find yourself getting shoulder fatigue when playing from hitting a lot of overhead strokes, you might prefer a racket that’s even balanced or even head light instead. The same is true if you prefer to play the front court in doubles games.

Finally, if you’re an intermediate player, you’ll likely find this racket too flexible for your liking.

Before looking at the specifications as the final part of this Astrox 99 Play review, let’s compare it to other similar rackets you might be considering.

Yonex Astrox 99 Play vs. Astrox 99 Game, Tour, and Pro

The 99 Play is the beginner and budget-friendly version, whereas the Game is suitable for intermediate players. The Tour and Pro are for advanced players and above due to their stiffness.

Technically, this racket is categorized as medium in the flex scale, which can seem misleading because the medium bracket includes rackets on both sides of the middle: medium-flexible and medium-stiff. This one is on the medium-flexible side.

All four rackets are similar with the key differences being in technology, pricing, and that they are built for different skill levels.

Astrox 99 Play vs. Astrox 100 Game

The reason I’m comparing these two rackets is that the Astrox 100ZZ is popular and in the same ballpark but doesn’t come in a Play edition for beginners. The Yonex Astrox 100 Game is the one that comes closest in terms of skill required from the series.

The power in the two rackets felt similar and you’ll be working to contain it rather than extract it with both rackets.

The Astrox 100 Game feels sharp and fast like a lightsaber compared to the Astrox 99 Play which resembles a classic sledgehammer. I’ve found the 100 Game to be a smoother racket all-around, as it feels swift and faster in other aspects of the game like quick soft shots near the net or even during drive duels in doubles games.

The Astrox 100 Game feels more like playing Fruit Ninja as it slices through the air but it isn’t a fair comparison as it’s more expensive and much stiffer, meaning it requires more skill to handle, than the Astrox 99 Play.

Recommended Strings

• Yonex Astrox 99 Play is a strong and heavy power racket for regular beginner players 

I explore how badminton gear for can help improve your skills.

Really love your review, can’t wait for you to review other mid/lower end of other brand like victor and lining.

Thanks for the kind words, Andrew. Me too – it’s surprisingly challenging to get a clear understanding of the differences between their intermediate rackets

Glad I’m not the only one then ????. Will continue to wait for your reviews of other intermediate racket cheers.

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• Feb 20, 2022

Yonex Arcsaber 11 Pro, Tour and Play Review: 10 Things you need to know

Updated: Oct 4, 2022

Well well well.. this is an interesting one.

I spent some time trying to come up with a comprehensive description of how I felt playing with the new Yonex Arcsaber 11 series, and I would certainly say the feel, and up to a certain extent, the performance, of all three rackets in this series are within the same ballpark. And this is pretty unusual.

Take the Astrox series, for example. The Pro, Tour, Game and Play models of the Astrox series each move down a step on the ladder in terms of feel and performance, like how the performance of racing cars move a step down from F1, to F2 and F3 in motor racing.

But for this Arcsaber 11 series, Yonex has certainly done an impressive job, and I would put all three rackets of this series within the same top-notch category. In other words, if this was motor racing, all three rackets would be in F1, just perhaps different teams within F1. The Pro would be equivalent to the best F1 team last year, Mercedes; the Tour would be equivalent to, say, Ferrari or McLaren - behind Mercedes with some gap, but definitely still top class. The Play certainly has some catching up to do, probably be like a Williams or even Haas. Still F1 but not at the front.

So you all know I love my Arcsaber 10 so I was super excited at this launch and was even more excited when Yonex UK was able to send me some demo rackets, all in 4UG5, to test out, so thank you Yonex!

So here are the 10 things you need to know about the new Arcsaber 11 rackets.

1. There are three models at three different price points

As before, Yonex has split the Arcsaber series rackets into multiple prices ranges, similar to what they’ve done with the Astrox series. Although many of the Astrox series have four price ranges - the Pro, Tour, Game and Play - the Arcsaber 11, however, have only been split into three models: the Pro, Tour and Play, missing out the Game. Why? I’m not sure.

Not all regions will be stocking in all three models. For example, I've been told that the UK will only be having the Pro and the Play models, and will not be selling the Tour. So do check with your local dealers for more info on what models they’ll be bringing in.

2. They come in red, with matte finish

In terms of looks, the Arcsaber 11's are all painted similarly on the outside, fiery red with a super classy matte finish, and I certainly love the red. I have to admit when I first saw some leaked photos, I wasn't exactly drawn to the design and colour scheme. However, after having the actual rackets in hand, they certainly look better than what I’ve seen online. The Pro model’s red is just a touch darker than the Tour and the Play, it looks closer to maroon and not bright red.

3. 'Arcsaber 11' wording is upside down on one side of the shaft

On the shaft, the 'Arcsaber 11' wording is the right way up on one side, but is upside down on the other. Funny.

Another visual characteristic that you’ll notice is the 'Tour' and 'Play' wording are painted on the frame of the Tour and Play rackets, but there is no 'Pro' wording painted on the Pro racket. I really like the silver colour for the wording decals, looks good.

4. They have a different frame design

Moving on to the racket frame, the Arcsaber 11 Pro and Tour has adopted a new frame design which has four recessed sections on the frame. All areas, except the 2 to 4 and 8 to 10 o'clock regions, are recessed. On the other hand, the Play only has the top half section of its frame recessed, but the depth of recession looks more shallow than usual. For a quick comparison, the Arcsaber 10’s recession depth measures at 1.1mm; the Astrox 88D Pro 's recession depth is around 0.7 - 0.8mm; the Arcsaber 11 Pro's recession depth is around 0.7mm; whereas the recession depth of the Arcsaber 11 Play is only 0.5mm.

All three models have the same head frame dimensions as the Arcsaber 10 , but they are slightly wider and longer than most top-end Astroxes and Nanoflares. For example, the Nanoflare 800 and Nanoflare 800LT are both 1cm slimmer in terms of frame width and 0.5cm shorter in terms of frame height. No wonder those rackets are rapid!!

All three models of the Arcsaber 11 series have control assist bumper at the top of the racket heads, which is similar to the Astrox 99 series.

Most of the top-end Astrox models do, such as the Astrox 88S , the Astrox 88D and the Astrox 99 have four rows of slightly larger grommets around the 3 and 9 o'clock sections. This helped provide a larger sweet spot for the rackets. However, all the Arcsaber 11 models do not have this feature. Instead, they have reverted to the traditional design of consistent spacing between the strings. Perhaps Yonex really wanted a consistent feeling throughout the strings for stability and control, which is what the Arcsabers were famous for.

5. String tensions, string grip and handle grip

Recommended string tensions for the Arcsaber 11 series are 1lb lower across the board with the 4U models having a recommended string tension of up to 27lbs, and 3U of up to 28lbs. Compare this to the Astrox models which have a recommended string tension of 28lbs for 4U and 29lbs for 3U.

When I first got the rackets, I had to restring both the Tour and Play as they came factory strung at very low tensions with mediocre strings that don't even have any branding on them. Yonex, if you’re reading this, please stop doing this as it's such a shame to ruin the feel of these nice rackets. It's like buying a nice, decent car but putting really poor budget tires on. So if you are getting the Tour or the Play, you will need to restring the rackets with your preferred strings and usual tension, and I guarantee it will completely transform how the racket feels and play.

Fresh grommets on the Arcsaber 11 Pro, especially the control assist bumper, grip the mains of the Aerobite string so hard which makes stringing slightly frustrating but that’s a really good sign, to be honest. If you’re someone who loves grippy strings like the Aerobite , treat your stringers well. All three rackets I got were strung with my favourite string, the Aerobite, at 26 by 28lbs.

The factory handle grips for both the Pro and the Tour are very good and grippy. They even have some squishiness to it, which is nice. Unfortunately for the Play, it isn’t great. It's a tad thinner than the other two and is pretty slippery. You’ll need to use an over grip on the Play.

6. They are great even-balanced rackets

For playing performance and feel, Arcsabers are pretty easy to use rackets. They are not crazy stiff, head-heavy power rackets. They are also not too light or hollow. They are what we call 'even-balanced' rackets that have a bit of everything you want on a racket. If you want power, there’s power, though not as much as the proper head-heavy rackets. If you want speed, they’re pretty quick too, though not as quick as the head-light rackets like the Nanoflares. They are really the best if you prefer control more than anything else.

For me, there was a period when my Arcsaber 10 was my off-day racket as it was much easier to play with compared to the Z Force 2 which I was playing with at the time. I only started using Arcsaber 10 completely about 5 years ago, but by then I was already feeling the Arcsaber 10 ’s age as newer models were smoother and faster to play with. I never transitioned to the Arcsaber 11 though as it felt just a bit too soft for my liking. Hence, I stuck with my Arcsaber 10 until the Astrox 88D Pro was released.

7. The Arcsaber 11 Pro has an incredible hold time

Whilst we are on the Pro model, let's talk about hold time. Hold time is the amount of contact time which the shuttle has with the string. Yonex has been consistently trying to improve on the hold time with their recent rackets and this one certainly is the best so far.

Back when I was testing the Astrox 99 Pro , I was extremely impressed with the hold time of that racket, and I was curious why Yonex did not release it as part of the Arcsaber series since it would certainly fit in nicely just based on its shuttle hold capabilities. Perhaps because of how head-heavy it is, it went into the Astrox series instead.

With that said, the Arcsaber 11 Pro has even more hold time compared to the Astrox 99 Pro . You can certainly feel a step up from the Astrox 99 Pro . If you love the Astrox 99 Pro ’s hold time, and want more of it but prefer less head weight, then the Arcsaber 11 Pro is for you. It has less head weight compared to the Astrox 99 Pro , but still retains some punch.

8. Potential timing issues with the Arcsaber 11 Pro

The Arcsaber 11 Pro has a softer hitting feel compared to the Astrox 88D Pro . The sweet spot of the Arcsaber 11 Pro is normal. It doesn't feel as large as with the Astrox 88S Pro or the Astrox 99 Pro but it's pretty consistent which certainly reminds me of my Arcsaber 10. Lifts and net shots feel good too on the Arcsaber 11 Pro.

The hitting timing however isn’t as crisp as the Astrox 88D Pro . I had some timing issues initially on my punch clears for some reason but everything else was fine. It might be the bigger head with standard sweet spot hence I'm mistiming my shots, or it just means I’ve been spoilt by more forgiving rackets.

9. The Tour feels almost the same as the Pro

This is the closest Tour model that I’ve ever tested compared to the Pro. Thus far, the Tour models of various series that I've tested felt very different to their respective Pro counterparts. This was apparent in the Astrox 100 series, the Astrox 88S series, the Astrox 88D series, and even the Astrox 99 series.

However, the Pro and Tour models of the Arcsaber 11 series feel almost identical. I am surprised how similar they are in terms of feel and performance. If I'm being really picky, I would say the Tour feels a touch stiffer compared to the Pro, perhaps due to the Rexis shaft, and a touch more demanding as well. But the difference is extremely small that you will hardly notice it.

10. The Play is pretty good too!

Bearing in mind the Play’s price point, I am very impressed with its performance. In fact, it performs and feels very similar to the Pro too. This is the fifth racket series that Yonex released with multiple price points and for the first time, all three played and performed very similarly to each other.

The Play uses more affordable materials and adopts a basic frame design but it certainly plays well. I would also again say the Play feels stiffer compared to the Pro and it is the slowest out of the three models, but definitely not by much. For its price point, this is an impressive racket.

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The Arcsabers aren't designed to be the most powerful or the fastest rackets out there. They’ve got an unusual niche of being able to do everything above average, I would say an 8 out of 10. If it's hold time you’re looking for then these (or at least the Pro model) certainly score 11 out of 10. If you’re already an Arcsaber user, you’ll probably love this updated model. If you’re someone who loves the Astrox 99 Pro but wants a lighter head, this is for you. If you’re someone who outright prefers either power or speed, you might have to manage your expectations a little. However, in terms of value for money, I cannot recommend the Arcsaber 11 Play enough. It's just impressive!

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