Yonex AI 98 Regular and Lite

[chikoo]

I was wondering if anybody knew what the difference between the Yonex AI 98, and AI 98 Lite were.
Looking at the specs on TW, It "appears" to be only a difference in the handle weight. Is that true? Any ideas?

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Yonex_EZONE_Ai_98/descpageRCYONEX-YAI98.html
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Yonex_EZONE_Ai_98_Lite/descpageRCYONEX-YAI98L.html

 

[1990's Graphite]

Weight, swingweight, balance, to name a couple...
plenty of reading in the ai98 thread
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/yonex-ai-98-tell-me-more-about-her.487845/

 

[chsu74]

You really have to demo the racquets. I tried both. Thought I may like the lite but no way after hitting with the two..

 

[bageldog]

The lite is pretty unstable and gutless. The dr98 lite is a great solid racket racket tho. Adding 3 grams total at 3/9 and as much in the handle as it takes to get your desired balance sort of corrected for me what the ai98 was lacking, namely a consistent response throughout the string bed, especially upper hoop. I never got along with the regular dr98 on my forehand, it swung much heavier than the ai98 deslite what the specs say. From that line, these were my preferences: dr98 lite> ai98 > dr98 > ai98 lite

 

[chikoo]

Weight, swingweight, balance, to name a couple...
plenty of reading in the ai98 thread
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/yonex-ai-98-tell-me-more-about-her.487845/

Thanks. My impression was that the balance and static weight changes could be because of a heavier handle. Could it be just that?

 

[chikoo]

You really have to demo the racquets. I tried both. Thought I may like the lite but no way after hitting with the two..

I have one lite on the way. But academic curiosity made me ask these questions in advance of finding out how it feels in my hand.

 

[1990's Graphite]

Thanks. My impression was that the balance and static weight changes could be because of a heavier handle. Could it be just that?

You will find a lot of lite racquets and tweeners have even balance and have low static weight. I guess the weight distribution in the regular ai98 is dispersed as oppose to it's lighter counterpart. The regular ai98 is a beautifully balanced racquet!

 

[chikoo]

You will find a lot of lite racquets and tweeners have even balance and have low static weight. I guess the weight distribution in the regular ai98 is dispersed as oppose to it's lighter counterpart. The regular ai98 is a beautifully balanced racquet!

Yes. I have seen the others esp Wilson change the total layup between their Pro, regular & lite versions. In this case however the weight difference and shift in balance point was just too eerie to not suspect, also given that the hoop dimensions are exactly the same.

 

[drak]

Bageldog your post is very pertinent as I have been demoing the DR98 for a few days now, I love it on serves and volleys but having ground-stroke issues especially on forehand. I demoed a 4 1/4 and added a shortened leather grip and overgrip to bring it up to my 4 3/8 size and now the racket weighs 11.8 oz (337 grams) and is 9 pts HL. That is just too heavy and HL for my taste - I usually like about 11.2/11.3 oz and 5-6 pts HL. So I am thinking about getting the DR98 lite in a 4 1/4 and by the time I add a leather grip (w overgrip) and maybe a little weight at the hoop I will end up with the specs I prefer. Thoughts? Curious if you thought the modded DR98 lite served and volley as well after your mods?

 

[chikoo]

I have modded the Ai98 lite to now weigh 317g strung, and balance point is roughly 325mm. Will be testing it out later this evening.

 

[drak]

I have modded the Ai98 lite to now weigh 317g strung, and balance point is roughly 325mm. Will be testing it out later this evening.

be interesting to hear your thoughts as well, even though it is the "AI" vs the "DR" liye

 

[Torontolon]

Bageldog your post is very pertinent as I have been demoing the DR98 for a few days now, I love it on serves and volleys but having ground-stroke issues especially on forehand. I demoed a 4 1/4 and added a shortened leather grip and overgrip to bring it up to my 4 3/8 size and now the racket weighs 11.8 oz (337 grams) and is 9 pts HL. That is just too heavy and HL for my taste - I usually like about 11.2/11.3 oz and 5-6 pts HL. So I am thinking about getting the DR98 lite in a 4 1/4 and by the time I add a leather grip (w overgrip) and maybe a little weight at the hoop I will end up with the specs I prefer. Thoughts? Curious if you thought the modded DR98 lite served and volley as well after your mods?

When you say adding a leather grip, do you mean replacing the original with a leather one, or adding a leather one on top? If you replace the entire grip rather than put it on top of the 4 1/4, will you still increase the size? I still haven't tried the heavier DR, but I liked the 98 lite DR, and was thinking of having a leather grip on the handle to increase weight but wasn't sure if it would make the size bigger - because when I demoed the 4 3/8 I liked the size exactly as it was. But do want to add a little to the handle!

 

[bageldog]

I'm sure he means replacing the stock grip with leather. On a yonex it will increase the grip size, you'd need to use a 1/4.

 

[Torontolon]

I'm sure he means replacing the stock grip with leather. On a yonex it will increase the grip size, you'd need to use a 1/4.

Thanks for clarifying that. I didn't know leather actually increases a whole size.