Hi I'm new on this forum but I'm as avid a badminton player as anyone :) .
I normally play with an old school Carbonex 8200Light, but after 3 years of use (amazing I know), 2 sets of strings and 3 new grips; I decided to get a new racquet. After trying out my friends, I decided upon a Nanospeed 8000 as my budget was high enough and I was amazed at the power of it, seeing as I've been playing with a very soft hitting oval light racquet before.
However, i find that it is sometimes TOO hard to control, so I want to try use a control oriented string along with it.
My question would be "Should I?"

After doing a lot reading on this forum, I came across the Yonex Strings and Racquest Comparison chart, and I'm not sure whether the type of racquet should match the type of string. For example based on this: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30885 chart, should a MP100 go with a BG-80 string because both are for Smashing/Hardhitting or would it be wise to give a string like CBG-100 to maybe tone it down to a more of a happy median between control and hard hitting styles?

With my NS8k I remember on another thread it was somewhere in the middle between the center and hardhitting on a graph (ignoring singles/doubles part). I play a control style but recently learned how to smash very effectively, and I'm considering changing my style. Plus I could almost never clear the bird from baseline to baseline unless i hit the sweetspot on my CAB-8200LT but with this new racquet its suprisingly easy. Problem is i cant dropshot as precisely and nets sometimes go too high and result in kills.

To make this long post short; what string should i get for my NS8k if I'm an all around player who smashes and drops/nets equally often?
and
Should a control orientated string be matched with a hardhitting orientated racquet? Would it 'tone down' the effectiveness of the smash in favor of better control providing a happy median?

Thanks in advance

what string suits one player to the next is hard to call. it may take some trial and error on your part untill you find what suits you best. personally i like bg 80 and bg 85 in the yonex strings.

dont forget that string tension can be a big factor too, i string my ns8000 in bg 85 at 24lbs and it works well for me.

Agree with snoopy. Higher the tension, better the control. Also, string surface makes a big diference. In my experience, BG85 and BG80 strings have rough surface and it grab the shuttle very well. Good for slicing shuttle. BG68ti has ti coating, it makes the string slippery. Harder for trick shots.

whoa, ns8k hard to control?! lol thats the first time i've ever heard that, anyways i got bg-80's @ 25lbs on mine and the control is amazingly good, i reccomend it if you want a balance of power and control, unfortunately mine only lasted me for a month so beware of the durability. but then again i was constantly doing drills and matches everyday for 4 hours each day so maybe thats why :p . but if you like any other string better, i think you can get very good control with it by just simply stringing at a higher tension, there may be some power loss though.

Thanks for your replys :o
I completely forgot about tension, that was dumb of me. However, I also had Bg-80 in mind, and since i DONT play 4hrs a day i dont think it'll break that fast for me :). I'll probably have it strung at 24/23lb, factoring in some tension loss.
Could anyone give me an opinion on BG-66 string?

If you are a hard hitter, I would stay away from BG66. I tried it once at a fairly low tension, perhaps 20-21lbs on a Cab 20 Power and it broke (the string, not the racket) almost immediately. My string of choice is BG 80 @ 22-24lbs and I have found it to be an excellent string.

If you are a hard hitter, I would stay away from BG66. I tried it once at a fairly low tension, perhaps 20-21lbs on a Cab 20 Power and it broke (the string, not the racket) almost immediately. My string of choice is BG 80 @ 22-24lbs and I have found it to be an excellent string.

I know BG66 is not known for durability, but if it breaks right away after being strung, something must be wrong. Such issues could be a broken gromment, bad string job or mis-hit. I believe LD (or BCL) is also using BG66, and their tension is surely much higher than 21lb. They do break mult. string within a game, but surely not like 1 shot a racket. :cool:

Thanks for your replys :o
I completely forgot about tension, that was dumb of me. However, I also had Bg-80 in mind, and since i DONT play 4hrs a day i dont think it'll break that fast for me :). I'll probably have it strung at 24/23lb, factoring in some tension loss.
Could anyone give me an opinion on BG-66 string?

BG80 is a great all around string, which offers good power with very nice control feeling. I usually strung my cab30ms with BG80 (22x24lb), and it usually last me about 3 weeks back then, when I packed in at least 10-15 hrs per week.

Perhaps BG70 is also a good choice for NS8K, the durablility is quite good (at least for some). Too bad I don't have the budget for the 70s, have to lower myelf to 65Ti. :p

with bg 80 I go up until 15kg ,few monthes ago!
but bg 85 is better but last a little less longer,
MING

BG80 is a great all around string, which offers good power with very nice control feeling. I usually strung my cab30ms with BG80 (22x24lb), and it usually last me about 3 weeks back then, when I packed in at least 10-15 hrs per week.

Agree, BG80 is my favorite overall Yonex string. However, the best control string I have tried is Ashaway PG66 (0.66mm) and PG65 (0.70mm) Neon. It has the roughest, most textured surface I've experienced in a string, called Power Filament Technology (PFT), which provides the most control. It's also an excellent overall string.

Perhaps BG70 is also a good choice for NS8K, the durablility is quite good (at least for some). Too bad I don't have the budget for the 70s, have to lower myelf to 65Ti. :p

Yes, BG70 is probably a good string for control. But, its not as powerful as say BG80,85 or 68Ti etc...

Agree, BG80 is my favorite overall Yonex string. However, the best control string I have tried is Ashaway PG66 (0.66mm) and PG65 (0.70mm) Neon. It has the roughest, most textured surface I've experienced in a string, called Power Filament Technology (PFT), which provides the most control. It's also an excellent overall string.

Between PG65 neon and PG66, i think i prefer PG65. PG66 gives a bit stiff feeling (thinner string?), which tired out my arm faster it usual. PG65 is a bit softer, and gives good performance. ;)

i've never really considered ashway or gosen strings, only yonex ones. Are they better or is yonex usually the safer bet?

btw i already got yonex bg-80 so no more experimenting for me :p

Was it a one-piece string job? What type of machine was used? Drop weight or crank or electronic?

with bg 80 I go up until 15kg ,few monthes ago!
but bg 85 is better but last a little less longer,
MING

i've never really considered ashway or gosen strings, only yonex ones. Are they better or is yonex usually the safer bet?

btw i already got yonex bg-80 so no more experimenting for me :p

Ashway and Gosen are also reputable manufactures. However, whether it's better or not, it depends on ur own preference. BG80 is definitely a safe bet. ;)

Sounds like you're having the same dilemma as me =p I've been playing with my ns9k strung with bg 68ti at 23 lbs for couple of weeks now, and I still can't seem to control my shots as well as I used to. My drops go too far up and over the net now, and a lot of my clears go from baseline --> almost-wall. Obviously, I'm not the best player ever, but nothing in my technique has changed so I'm 90% sure it's the string/tension that's affecting my play.

humm i hope i made the right decision in getting my new NS9kS strung with BG-80 @ 24lbs, i hope i dont loss any power, or hit my clears to far either.

humm i hope i made the right decision in getting my new NS9kS strung with BG-80 @ 24lbs, i hope i dont loss any power, or hit my clears to far either.

You should be OK. :)

thanks, hey off the topic i read ur grip conparisson dink, very helpfull thanks, i really like wilson xtra tack, much better then super grap

thanks, hey off the topic i read ur grip conparisson dink, very helpfull thanks, i really like wilson xtra tack, much better then super grap

You're welcome. Since, I've tried about 10 more grips. I'll update the file pretty soon. :)

You're welcome. Since, I've tried about 10 more grips. I'll update the file pretty soon. :)

Hooray!
Btw are you ever going to finish that ashway string review or is it indefinetely postponed?

Hooray!
Btw are you ever going to finish that ashway string review or is it indefinetely postponed?

Postponed definitely because I don't have the time. My conclusions: MicroPower and Power Gut 65 Neon are highly recommended, Power Gut 65 Power highly recommended for power players who want a durable string. Micro Legend and Micro Legend XL = very different, powerful but the feel is not for me.

PG Neon is a soft string, great for people who want minimal vibration, control is superb. MP is closer to a Yonex string like BG80 but not quite as powerful and lively but durability is excellent.

Back to my Original question, i found out that my NS8k was fake, so maybe thats why i was having a little trouble :crying:
o well, it still feels nice and is better than my 8200LT so ill use it :)
i suppose that racquet i got was worth about as much as i got it for (off ebay) anyways.
thanks for all your recomendations guys

Agree, BG80 is my favorite overall Yonex string. However, the best control string I have tried is Ashaway PG66 (0.66mm) and PG65 (0.70mm) Neon. It has the roughest, most textured surface I've experienced in a string, called Power Filament Technology (PFT), which provides the most control. It's also an excellent overall string.

PG65 doesnt break that easily either which is a bonus.