Li-Ning Axforce 90 Dragon Max vs Yonex Astrox 88S Pro (3rd gen)
Two head-heavy rackets from Li-Ning and Yonex, lined up spec by spec from the makers' published figures. Rows marked in red are where they differ; the notes underneath say what each difference means on court.
Axforce 90 Dragon Max
A head-heavy racket (307 mm balance) with a stiff 6.2 mm shaft, built for players who want a solid, heavy smash with a slightly more stable feel than the Axforce 100. Best for advanced attackers with a full swing.
Full specs →Astrox 88S Pro (3rd gen)
The front-court sibling of the 88D: mildly head-heavy but quicker through the air, aimed at doubles players who live at the net and mid-court. Suits advanced players who want fast drives and interceptions with enough weight to finish.
Full specs →Where they differ
- Both are head-heavy frames with a stiff shaft, so neither asks for a faster swing than the other and the differences below are what separate them.
- Li-Ning Axforce 90 Dragon Max is rated to 31 lbs against 28 lbs for Yonex Astrox 88S Pro (3rd gen). That only matters if you string above the mid-20s; see our string tension guide.
- Play style tags differ: Li-Ning Axforce 90 Dragon Max is listed for singles play, Yonex Astrox 88S Pro (3rd gen) for speed. The tags come from the maker's positioning and the balance and flex above, not from our own play-testing.
- The materials listed by the makers differ (frame: Carbon fibre (box wing frame) versus HM graphite, CSR, tungsten, 2G-Namd Flex Force; shaft: Carbon fibre, 6.2 mm shaft versus HM graphite (ultra slim shaft)). Material names are marketing terms as much as engineering ones, so treat them as a tie-breaker rather than a reason to choose.
- Li-Ning Axforce 90 Dragon Max is typically around US$60 cheaper (≈ US$230 against ≈ US$290; prices vary by region).
- Yonex Astrox 88S Pro (3rd gen) is the newer design (2024 against 2022).
Balance, flex, weights, grips, tension and materials come from the manufacturers' published specifications; the level, play-style tags and typical prices are our own database fields and are labelled as such. We do not rate rackets we have not measured. Shaft flex and balance are the makers' own categories, so compare them within a brand with more confidence than across brands. Our head-heavy vs head-light guide and string tension guide explain what the categories mean on court.
Specifications side by side
Rows with a red mark are where the two rackets differ. Open in the comparison tool to swap either racket for another.