AX88S-4u (BG85 27 lbs) Very fast, high initial shuttle speed,excellent front-mid court, poor backcourt (suitable for doubles) AX88D-4u (NBG98 30 lbs Ion65 30 lbs) Fast speed, high stability, good control,long shuttle travel distance,high initial shuttle speed, very good power in the mid-back court(not good enough at baseline), Shaft lag @ 30lbs (suitable for doubles all Azimuth, partial defensive control of singles) AX88S-3u (BG66UM 31 lbs.) It is very balanced. Despite high swing-weight,there is still enough speed to catch the ball in the frontcourt. Smash at baseline is good enough. The consumption is high (suitable for all-round doubles, singles should be very good). AX88D-3u (BG80 30 lbs) Speed is still sufficient to survive in doubles, with good backcourt offense (improvements in shaft lag issues), good control, and a relatively low initial shuttle speed , good long-distance drive and high consumption (suitable for doubles backcourt, mixed doubles) Cross Compare Manuverability 4u-S > 4u-D > 3u-S > 3u-D Initial Shuttle Speed 4u-S > 4u-D > 3u-S > 3u-D Frame stability 3u-D > 4u-D > 3u-S > 4u-S Control 4u-D > 4u-S > 3u-S > 3u-D (3u-D has a slower speed and still has a negative impact on control) Baseline Smash 3u-D >> 3u-S > 4u-D >>> 4u-S Half Smash 4u-D > 3u-S > 3u-D > 4u-S (4u-D has a higher grip) Front-mid Court 4u-S > 3u-S > 4u-D > 3u-D Mid Court Drive 3u-S > 4u-D = 4u-S > 3u-D Baseline Drive 3u-D > 3u-S = 4u-D > 3u-S Btw, 88S has lower sweet-spot and the weight tend to concentrate at T-joint area.
Fortius tour itself is quite similiar to 88d 3u right? I myself use an 88d 3u and I find it suitable for my single play. As a fellow head heavy user, would you recommend a 3u 88d or 88s for single?
Fortius tour is most similar to DZS. for singles, I think 88S 3u is suitable for aggressive players & 4u 88D is suitable for defensive players. 88D 3u is suitable for those who demand extreme performance.
Hi foo.tw, I have read U Mizuno fortius tour 3U review both in Chinese and English. I am interested in buying both astrox 88 and fortius tour when I visit Japan next month. What will U recommend between the two 88S and D 3U and 4U vs fortius tour 3U and 4U. I play double most both feather and plastic. Occasional single for fitness with my son 16 who is a county player for England Lancashire. My current go to racquets are N9ii 3U and Nanoray Glanz. ZF2 3U is too much racquet for me. I have a chance to try 4U astrox 88D and I must say I quite like it. Very Good in smash power and is still fast for double. Is fortius tour 3u similar racquet? Can U do a comparison between the two? Namely 4U astrox 88D and 3U forttius tour that U both own. Many thanks for U insight. Best wishes. Braveswordfan.
Fortius Tour 3u is even faster & more powerful than AX88D 4u. However, Fortius Tour 3u is less forgiving. That's why I would recommend AX88D 4u for most users. If you like to play trick shots often, AX88S 3u & Fortius Tour 3u is the way to go. These 2 rackets are wonderful yet demanding.
Btw, there are some things you should know about AX88D 4u. 1. It's powerful yet not powerful enough to post threat from base line. 2. Net shots are not it's best. 3. Shuttle travel distance & placement & stability are where it shines.
Hey @braveswordfan, sorry for not being able to help with your question. But since you have experience with the n9-II and have also played the ax88D, which of the two is easier to play with? Thinking of easy power to generate and bigger sweetspot.
Many thanks to foo.tw. U insight is invaluable. May I ask what do U mean by less forgiving for fortius tour. In your chinese article, you reference it to nanoray Z speed which is a fast racquet, small head and stiff shaft. A lot of people I gather from reading the forum don't like it. Unfortunately, I don't have friends that own that racquet to try. I have a ZF2 3U and I will describe it as unforgiving. Your arm aches after a night playing and even with a small head too slow for double. However my 16 years old son loves it and is his go to. Also to my friend Genkz in Germany, I managed to have half an hour play as warm up with astrox 88D 4U UK version. My impression as a lot of others have said is it is a very easy racquet to play, fast enough and still very powerful. I am a chinese live in UK passed 40's reasonable good amateur level double, in the sense that I do play technical flat game chasing the first lift to attack. I have owned many racquets including my son racquets to my wife dislike. I have moved completely away from head heavy racquet like ZF2 and Voltric 80Etune too much racquet for me for the reason mentioned. I must say I like my N9ii a lot. I have no scientific measurement and it is all feels. When U first picked it up, it felt very heavy (I was using 4u jetspeed 12 just prior) and stiff. However, it is fast and powerful in smash when U are actually using it. I will only use it for double. For double, I will happily use N9ii 3U, Jetspeed 12 4U and I suspect Astrox 88D 4U will be a great addition. Other factors come into play for me to buy a racquet like the look and durability. For example my victor jetspeed 12 is not very durable and chips very easily when clashes with other racquets. Next month my family and I are visiting Japan Osaka no doubt will visit shuttle house. For me I can easily get an SP code Astrox 88D from HK in great price. So my focus is on buying an astrox 88S 3U JP code and fortius tour from Japan which makes my trip kind of special. But I must say I love the look and play of 88D 4U even though the other Astrox 88 thread is focusing mainly on 88S 3U by the majority of BCer's no doubt for very good reasons. Best wishes to both my friends. Braveswordfan.
What I mean by less forgiving is that your technique has to be very precise when using FT. For AX88S-3u, it's heavy yet fast. Such character puts a lot of stress on your fingers.
Many thanks foo.tw. I do realise that there are racquets for the pros and they are demanding to use. U won't get the full benefit for general users like me. For example I found my nanoray Glanz a very fun racquet to use big light head with huge sweet spot, although it is flexible. Your advice is very honest and useful. Looks like 4u 88D is what I need. Once again thank u for taking u time to explain. Best wishes. Braveswordfan.
