Description
Yonex Astrox 77 Pro summary
If you’re a typical intermediate player like me, the stiffness in the Yonex Astrox 77 Pro will take some getting used to and the question is if you’re ready to work on your technique enough to take advantage of it.
The Yonex Astrox 77 Pro feels challenging to master as an intermediate player, but more fun on shots that aren’t as easy to mess up as a smash. The slight head weight feels more noticeable to me here than in the Play-model. Despite that, Play and Pro don’t feel that different, which is an impressive feat for the Play considering just how affordable it is.
In fact, the Astrox 77 Pro doesn’t feel like it’s worth the money unless you’re an upper intermediate player moving into the advanced level and prefer stiffer rackets anyway. Instead, the Arcsaber 11 Play costs less than half and feels similar to play with.
The difference between the two rackets is that where the Astrox 77 Pro offers that bit of extra power, the Arcsaber 11 Play gives slightly more control instead. Some players might not even notice the difference.
Who this racket is best for
The Astrox 77 Pro is well suited for upper intermediate players and above – it’s popular among many professional players on the World Tour as well.
Besides the skill level, it’s a good fit for a creative, versatile playing style that isn’t overly dependent on power smashing your opponents in the ground, for example.
Who this racket isn’t suitable for
If you’re a beginner or low-mid intermediate player, you’ll likely find this racket too unforgiving as it requires you to be on your A-game constantly. Don’t get this racket too early in your badminton “career”.
Besides, if you love power there are also better-suited options out there, like the Astrox 100 Game.
Yonex Astrox 77 Pro’s pros and cons
Pros
- Good all-around and easy to play with in all aspects of the court
Cons
- No superpowers in any one area of the game
- Can feel too stiff for intermediate players, requiring good technique to get clean hits consistently (especially when smashing)
Yonex Astrox 77 Pro reviews
I tested this racket on court for ten hours before reviewing it.
