My previous rackets are Z-Force 2 (3U/4U) and Arc 10 (3u). I loved the ZFII (first the 3u then a 4U) but the stiffness and getting to much sholder problems I switch back to Arc 10. Because I wanted something more in between, so i bought the 88s (4u). I play singles and doubles clublevel. First impression of 4h playing with it: - It feels head heavier than my Arc 10 but less the the Z-FII (4U). - It feels less stiffer than my ZF II (4U), but the 88s it's really solid. - My forehand clears are better than hitting with my Arc 10, it's really solid and almost the same as the ZF-2 (4u). - My backhand clears i have to do more effort then on my ZF-2, it's a bit the same as Arc 10. - Swinging in middle court (drives) en front court are better on the 88s I have more control and easy to play trick shots then ZF 2. And I find it better then my Arc 10. - I find it comfortable playing spin netdrops then with the Arc 10 and for me it's the same as the ZF-2. - Smash power is less then my ZF-2 but better then the Arc 10, so it's in the middle ;-). But I have now less pain in the sholder when smashing with the 88s then on my ZF2. That's for me a win ;-). - I must say in defense , I have to get used to the racket i have had many mishits in the 4h sessions, then on the Arc 10 or ZF2. I think this is just some adjustments that takes longer. - About the grommet strips I must say also as a stringer I find the ZF-2 strips very handy and it's to bad that Yonex didn't put it in the 88s. My conclusion's the 88s is very good racket but for I do not have the insane improvements as some comments/reviews above ;-). It's for me to bad that I couldn't master the ZF2 (4U) because my sholder problems, i would have played with that racket instead. For me it's the better upgrade then my Arc 10, a nice racket in between (ZF2/Arc 10).
After 8 hours in two sessions with my 3u 88s (bg66um @ 26 lbs), I can share some feedbacks on some differences to the 4u that I felt, aside from the obvious weight difference of course . I felt that the 3u did output a tad more power in my smashes, but just a tad, which to me can be very negligible. It’s definitely not a n9ii versus 88s kind of difference. To say this in numbers, if the 4u smash power is 6, the 3u can output 6.1 to 6.5, with the timing of the smash being the catalyst that alters that number. Front court interceptions and mid-court smashes were still the star players in the power department. I did notice a bit more juice in my back-court smashes, but really not by much in my opinion; my n9ii is still my best choice to get that job done with flying colors. Speed wise, the 3u did feel slower than the 4u, which was expected. However, that little speed difference, consequently became the caveat of a noticeable difference, which affected the feeling of my drive shots (at least for me). With the 4u, that split second difference in speed, albeit it might only be measurable with a sport timer, provided me with not only more time to plan my shots, but a faster reach to the shuttle, which in turn enables me to do my deadly offensive defensive drive shots with more venom, hence better quality drives at my opponents. I do blame gravity for this complication in my feelings . I’m not, by any means, saying that drive shots were bad with the 3u; it was far from that. Drive shots are still one of the best performing qualities of the 88s, whether it was my 4u or 3u; the drive shots that I was able to execute were amazing. I just personally liked the feeling of the drive shots firing from the 4u, so it’s very subjective, and again I blame gravity for having something to do with that . Drop shots, however, felt better with the 3u. As a long time 3u racquet user, executing drop shots with the 4u 88s didn’t give me the feeling that I liked with the 3u, albeit drop shots from the 4u were also great. It’s a very complicated feeling; I felt better drop shots coming from the 3u, but at the same time I liked the drive shots coming from the 4u better. It’s not an easy feeling to describe, how I wished my arm could’ve done the talking . Net play was a more neutral ground for me. I was able to do excellent steep angle net shots with both the 4u and 3u, with the 3u needing a little bit more wrist and finger, which was something that I adjusted easily. Accuracy was spot on, after adjusting myself back to my 3u using self. Accuracy is also something that I find it to be better than my n9ii. So besides the different feelings that I have with the drop shots, drive shots, weight, and also that tinny bit more power, the 3u and 4u pretty much play similarly, with excellent performance in all departments, and possessing every aspects that made the 88s an exceptionally wonderful all-round racquet, a definite worthy upgrade to my beloved n9ii as an all-round racquet in my honest opinion. However, I still feel that my n9ii is the choice for an all out attack gameplay. Though the 88s lacks a bit in the power department to be used for a full blown attack gameplay, it is definitely a top choice for a controlled style gameplay to overcome your opponents with placement rather than with power. In regards to defense, the 3u performed beautifully like its lighter brother. After adjusting myself back to my 3u using self during warmups, I was able to defend against most attacks from my opponents. Block defense, push defense, and flat drive defense were just as good as the 4u. But like I said earlier, the cross-court defensive drive shots felt better when executing with the 4u. Nonetheless, with my subjective feelings aside, the cross-court defensive drive shots were very good with the 3u, and certainly felt amazing comparing to my n9ii. Overall, the comparison chart that I did in my previous post for the 4u 88s versus my n9ii still stays for the 3u 88s as well. Well @badmintony I hope your mr. potato can get some sleep now ! Beginners who are thinking about getting the 88s might want to think twice before making that decision. As the “S” in the model name suggested, skills are definite requirements for harnessing the full potential of the racquet. There are plenty of other more forgiving racquets in the market to choose from. And if you are only reading about reviews of what this racquet can do and quickly jump ship on the racquet, thinking that this racquet will be an instant boost to your skills and games, it will not be a wise choice. Badminton is not a massive online multiplayer game with micro-transactions where you can just buy the best equipments and gears as a shortcut to win.
It’s hardly going to be similar. The head weight distribution is completely different between the two. With just that one difference is enough to make the feeling of the two racquets feel like from two worlds.
Konquerian.. . If you were to choose 88s 4u and 3u as your to go racket, which one will you choose? As I'm coming from even balance 3u duora 10. I find 88s 4u too light and 88s 3u too heavy. Probably it's their head heavy characteristics. The 3u is super nice for my 1st game but really fatigue me as the session progress. I don't have fatigue issues with the d10.
@Ch1k0 Yeah strips are not an absolute necessity of course, but hey... anything that protects the underlying frame, guides/forces the stringer to thread the lines nicely, helps maintain string tension (debatable?) and improves its overall appeal are good in my book. I'm sure those guys can work out the engineering details for the frames. And yeah, I don't get the E-tune system either. Half-baked as far as I'm concerned. @swsh Those strips are much more hardy than el cheapo spokes and thus last much longer. I've got ZF2 in my collection too and the strips are still serviceable after all these years. If say, you gotta change them strips often enough, then yes the cost adds up, especially for high tension users. Long time use 1-2 time servicing? Not so much especially for that one special racquet you consider your true partner on court. I'm sure you understand, our kind are prone to selling kidneys in search of/maintain our better equipment. But to each his own. Personally I feel manufacturers should implement as such, something practical that protects our little investment. Experienced all sorts of non-clash catastrophe with frame cracks due to grommets stripping, sinking, etc... And my very 1st ZF2 is still seating pretty there *touch wood*.
Sweet Kon, thanks very much for the AX 88s 3U & 4U comparative reviews. This gives me additional insights into the racket apart from what the others have already shared in this thread. With that said, I've finally decided to just get another N9II the Tontowi Ahmad one Kidding aside, I'm gonna give the 3U a try unless at the last minute I get swayed by the 88D
Love these lines to caution those players who think that the sport is a clash of clans, gears of war kind of game
Wondering the same thing haha from what I read I feel like Kon prefered the 4U but I’m curious if it’s just my own interpretation haha
I don't think whichever Kon chooses would benefit you at all as you seem to have reservations on both weights. If duora was more forgiving to your arms and user friendlier for you, better stick to something like that rather than just being influenced by other's preferences. Sent from my SM-J320F using Tapatalk
Haha. Did I say I will follow what he choose.? Since Kon has give both 3u and 4u a review I'm just curious to know what he prefers. As for me I always use the most comfortable weapon I'm confident with in competitive matches. For leisure play I'll like to explore the different characteristics of different breed.
It's weird, but for the first time I kind of like the 4u a little bit more. I'm sure many would argue that the 4u doesn't make sense, and lean towards the 3u right away. I would've been one those people on that boat, but for other reasons. But after playing with the 4u first, I was surprised at how much I liked it. And then after playing with the 3u to compare, other than the obvious weight difference, at the end, they are just really 88s. I'm a long time 3u user, and I thought I would like the 3u more before I tested it, but it wasn't the case. It's definitely a personal preference. However, I still feel that my relationship with both the 4u and 3u is still young at this stage, and I will continue to play with both, alternating between them in my upcoming sessions.
Thanks for the reply. Agreed with you. Me too more liking on the 4u over the 3u. 3u kind of weird and tired out easily. 4u easy to play with but too light for me and may cause injury to my arm as I'm used to 3u weight. Guess 88s will not be my go to rackets. On a side note. Give duora 8xp a try .Its a marvellous and impressive breed. In no time we will see more top players using it .
Viktor Axelsen is going to switch to Astrox 88S, just like Jan Ø Jørgensen did. From the concept I expected the D version to be better suited for mens single players. Guess I was wrong. Perhaps, the Danes prefer the tactical advantage of the Skilled, instead of Dominating the game. Let's see whether that's going to be a wise decision or not.
Actually, it does seem that way by many people, with the concept of S and D versions, and people would think the D version might be better suited for men’s singles. But let’s not forget that quite a few men’s singles players used the arcsaber 10 with great success, and the 88s does have reminiscent to it, it feels like a slightly beefed up arcsaber, so it might not be such a crazy choice after all in choosing the 88s over the 88d. However, we have yet to see if that is really the case.
On yonex’s site, the ax77 is listed as medium stiff, and the 88s is stiff, so perhaps maybe that’s the reason why .
They're rated for the same stiffness, but with the 77 being more head heavy on their charts. Wonder if the 88S-Long is coming.
Lol , was it that obvious in my writing? Micael, you’re reading me like a book . At the moment, my feeling tells me that I like the 4u a little bit more. It’s a strange feeling. I’ve always preferred 3u over 4u, but in this case I’m actually enjoying that breath of new air . However, I would say that my relationship with both of the racquets is still young at this stage, and only spending more time with them will I be able to get my feelings settled. Many people just don’t spend enough time with a relationship before jumping ships .
