YONEX ASTROX 99 (AX-99)

Both CW and momota will be using the actual model this time, for China Open, at least that’s what yonex says.


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Wasn't that what yonex has always said everytime they comeup with some new models? They should just start making good their claims on their product and stop fooling people by using pro players.

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wow 13 astrox models!

 

I mean CW has been using an repainted ax in Malaysia open, so it’s natural that he moves on to the actual colorway this time
If it’s gonna be a repainted I guess that will be momota? But momota has been using all sort of rackets, so I guess he’ll move on too?


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So he was using a racket painted to look like a racket painted to look like a racket he doesn't use.

 

Is this going to be singles oriented racket? Not double oriented like the 88?

 

Well with the players they have marketed and associated with this racket , you can guess that ...

 

what was he actually using in the past?


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His signature Duora was a repainted Z-Force 1.

 

And now an Astrox-xx painted like D10 Questioning whether Momota actually is using 88D, I mean if it is already known that he is going to use xx for the world championships, wouldn't it be logical to practice with it long before and become familiar with it? What do you guys think?

 

I think that even for some pros, despite their being skilled enough to adapt to any racket (or shoes), they still have their preferred rackets for their games. It's always something personal. And it's gonna be kind of risky career wise for a player if he/she would be forced to adapt to a racket that he/she is not really that comfortable with. So this is probably the reason why there's this disguised rackets phenomenon in the sport, just so there's a sort of compromise between abiding by the player-sponsor agreement to market whatever racket model needs to be promoted to the public even if it is only by looks (probably thinking most people won't know anyways if it's the real thing or not), but at the same time, the player being really comfortable with his/her tools (racket, shoes or both).

So it's not just a matter of practicing but more a matter of preference.

 

my coach was a top player and knows all the English pros well and he said that they all play with their preferred rackets but they are painted over to look like the newest models of rackets to try convince us casual players into believing the newest rackets are always better than the ones before it. This way when we see chris adcock (for example) using the 88D, then in reality he is still probably using the ZF2, to try make us buy the new one because it is good enough for him. Don’t know how this applies to the players from elsewhere around the world but I can imagine it would be a similar story

 

Lets standby our pocket first

 

But its a different story for LCW..paint new racket with old Duora 10 design..I cannot brain this...

 

Easy.

The new AX marketing campaign hasn't kicked off yet, so right now's the transition period for him to try the new one while showing the world he's still on his own signature Duora 10. That's about it.

The Jewel Blue Duora10LCW is the real baffling one. Released to market but never used by him, ever.
Even in a custom frame.

While I believe some players stick to their same old frame (eg. Ahsan's ARCFB is 2+3, Chou Tien Chen's Duora10 has the 2+4 pattern...), pictures by courtside photogs show otherwise. String pattern is quite obvious for one (eg. Kevin's current racket is 2+4, instead of the old Arc11 2+3, Ratchanok's current AX77 is 2+4 instead of her 70ETN at 2+3....), etc etc. Hence I take the side that a certain population of pro players DO move on. And quite literally, no manufacturer is so free to keep repainting stuff unless that said star is a established player (TTY, LCW, LD).
Can't be having everyone wanting their favorite color or manufacturer preferred series on their usual frame, madness would ensue.

Yonex's type 0 (zero) production line is already making QC as tight as possible for the top ranked, that I do believe.


Not every player is like LD; take a ZF2 and walk until the end of the world with it (pun very intended)

















TL;DR : it's all marketing, while making sure the player feels comfortable.

 

I still think this is quite a dishonest marketing scheme by the companies. Well for that matter, which successful companies has not resorted to some level of lying to its market? If a product is really good, it might not even need to be endorsed by a star player but unfortunately, we're now living in a culture of crass commercialism.

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There's nothing wrong with endorsement provided that the product endorsed is the actual product being sold to the customers.
Good products still need honest marketing

 

so it is quite clear now who will win WC