First impressions
The Astrox 99 badminton racket is quite striking and exudes power. The version we looked at was the 4U/G5 and even that felt quite solid. Unless have extremely strong wrists and shoulders, we don’t recommend going to the 3U/G5 version. Extremely stiff and head heavy, the Astrox 99 has a definitely more solid feel compared to the Astrox 88D, the racket most male international singles players were using until the Astrox 99 was introduced. That said, it may not be the best option for everyone. The Astrox 88D or even the Astrox 88S/Astrox 77 may be more suitable options for players seeking an all around badminton racket. Here's a deep dive into the Astrox 99 badminton racket!
Smash - 10
The verdict is unanimous. BW experts agree that the smashing ability with
this racket deserves a 10. During testing, they were able to send smashes
thundering down to the opponents' court with ease. In fact, one of our
experts clocked 300km, beating his earlier record of 275km.
Drop - 8.5
Getting precise drops took a little bit of practice and adjustment. During
the first week of testing, BW experts achieved about 60% accuracy for drops. By the 2nd week though, they were able to get to 80% accuracy. All of them
agreed that because of the heavier feel of the Astrox 99, it took more time to
master the drop.
Clear - 9
Clears are an important element of the game both for attacking and defending.
A flat clear, if executed well, can be as effective as a smash. Overall, our
experts liked the crisp feeling of clears and were able to achieve a high
level of accuracy with respect hitting the shuttle to the opponent’s back line.
Drive - 7
Our experts felt it was a tad difficult to achieve attacking drives with the
Astrox 99 badminton racket. While a singles player will prefer the Astrox 99,
an attacking doubles player may consider the Astrox 88D a better option for attacking drives from the back of the court.
Defensive Lift - 9
The Astrox 99 provided excellent control to execute precise defensive lifts
on opponents sharp drops. They felt the stiff shaft contributed to quick snap
action resulting in lifts deep into the opponent’s backcourt.
Net Kill - 7.5
Net kills are quite often tricky and difficult to execute requiring
incredibly fast racket speed and swing. The Astrox 99 badminton racket, with its heavy head, is not ideally suited for perfect net kills. You can still achieve
excellence with the net kill but with extended use. Our experts gave the
Astrox 99 a score of 7.5 for net kills.
Summary
The Yonex Astrox 99 badminton racket is an obvious choice for intermediate
and advanced singles players who value power, speed, and precision. In the
opinion of the expert staff here at Badminton Warehouse, the Astrox 99
badminton racket is on par with the Yonex ZForce2 badminton racket, a long
time favorite of the attack-minded badminton player. Like the ZForce2, the
Astrox 99 badminton racket takes a little bit of getting used due to head heavy feel. Namd, a uniquely flexible graphite designed to increase frame torque. From the baseline the Astrox 99 racket feels comfortably crisp on contact. It also feels significantly stiffer than the Astrox 77 and the Astrox 88S and also a tad stiffer than the Astrox 88D. Full swings find their mark with ease, and there is more than enough velocity to bring the shuttle down hard. The Astrox 99 feels solid, with plenty of power in addition to touch for dropping the shuttle short.
