Recently when I visited Shuttle-House in Osaka to buy new badminton equipment, they were selling racquets from a brand called Air-Shuttle.
It looks quite like a copy of an AT800 but I realised that it had so many extra grommets and when it's strung, it has 30 crosses.. :rolleyes:

Available in 4U2, 3U5 and 3U4.
Price: 18000yen ( 150USD, approx 200SGD ).

http://shuttle-house.com/page_top_JAPANESE/yw_overseas_racket/R_AirShuttle_S.jpg

http://shuttle-house.com/page_top_JAPANESE/yw_overseas_racket/R_AirShuttle_PB.jpg

Interesting, but how do these extra crosses benifit the user/racquet ?
Does it make the strings feel tighter/harder ?
Increase string durability?

And oh yeah.. their strings are 11.5m long to compensate for the extra crosses, whereas the others made by Yonex, Ashaway, etc are 10m long. :eek:

hmmm..interesting.Prob it was to create a larger sweet spot size?But the price is so expensive for a brand that's quite new.

meaning we have to use their strings instead of other brands?

meaning we have to use their strings instead of other brands?

I don't think so... Strings are 10m long, so it doesn't matter if you use yonex, ashaway... it would only cost you more a longer part of the string

And indeed... I to think it is expensive for a new brand of rackets...

There is a minor problem. That racquet has 30 crosses. That means the standard 10m pack might not be long enough to string and tension the entire racquet. If entire length of a Cab30ms with 22 crosses is about 8.5~8.6m with extra 8 mains near the center, that will be about 1m extra needed. that means a standard stringing machine might not be able to tension the very last cross...

There is a minor problem. That racquet has 30 crosses. That means the standard 10m pack might not be long enough to string and tension the entire racquet. If entire length of a Cab30ms with 22 crosses is about 8.5~8.6m with extra 8 mains near the center, that will be about 1m extra needed. that means a standard stringing machine might not be able to tension the very last cross...I usually have 215 cm to 270 cm of string leftover per 10 m packet, depending which method/tension and/or racket type i use to string a racket.

that is deffinetly different would like to find out more about if theres a benifit to having all those extra corsses. Well if you have a roll of string then you dont really have to worry now would you since you can cut the lenght you want its when you have individual packs then you might be a lil screwed. But yeah that price seems pretty high if the brand/racquet is pretty new i havnt heard of them before.

The denser string pattern in the middle reminds me of Babolat Pulsar and Comet.

With the extra holes in the head frame, I wonder how's the durability about this racket's head. :rolleyes:

Has anyone ever tried this before ? O_o

As far as I can say, these types of rackets are only fun to play, might run into problems in tournaments (check the badminton rules book; the string density should be uniform)

The overwhelming number of crosses in the sweetspot will reduce the 'contact area' between the main strings and the shuttle.

As a result of the 'reduced contact area' slicing the shuttle strokes I believe will not be as good if compared with a racket with normal stringbed.

Anyone willing to put this theory to the test and post their findings here???

TBBMBB(N)

isn't that illegal with the denser stringbed, as bluejeff bought up?

you wont' have to stop using your favorite brand of string... you'll just have to stop using pre-cut 10m packages... reels are the only alternative.

The stringing pattern is legal because the rules say the stringing pattern shall be generally uniform (what do they mean by this?) and, in particular, not less dense in the centre than in any other area.
I would think the dense area at the sweetspot is for better control and speed, not unlike the effects of very high tension or proportional stringing. The increased shuttle speed is due to a reduced trampoline effect. However, the extra strings will increase some air resistance as there is more air "filter" effect.

good luck clamping off those crosses when stringing... must be hell...

In tennis its one of the latest fads, an " open stringing pattern". If I understand correctly it's denser in the center (sweetspot) and less dense outwards.. It is supposed to aid with slice shots, or increase the trampoline effect...

In theory, this should create more air resistance while maneuvering, which would mean that this racket is purely an offensive racket!!!!

i agree with jerby about it being a pain to string and weave all the crosses...could the high price be due to the # of additional non-shared cross grommets?

and yes Pete it does somewhat remind me of the the babolat satelite rackets..but their crosses are still spaced a decent amount around the sweet spot.

In my opinion, AOTBE, the dense pattern of the strings around the sweetspot will increase its playability at the cost of a slight increase in air resistance. It will be similar to what a high tensioned racquet is capable of-less trampoline effect, more control, and the shuttle will leave the stringbed faster.

The overwhelming number of crosses in the sweetspot will reduce the 'contact area' between the main strings and the shuttle.

As a result of the 'reduced contact area' slicing the shuttle strokes I believe will not be as good if compared with a racket with normal stringbed.

Anyone willing to put this theory to the test and post their findings here???

TBBMBB(N)

When you play badminton, irregardless of slicing the shuttle inadvertently or on purpose... it is most likely that the Main String will be the one that moves out of place. Not the crosses. (This is not 'how well a racket is strung' discussion)

Therefore, Contact area between the mains are more important to produce 'higher spinning' shots.

When you have a greater number of crosses at the sweetspot area, you can see that the mains have 'zig zaged' a-lot more times around the crosses.

also, the greater number of crosses will have more area of contact with the shuttle and thus dominate. This is not good because the flow of the string from side to side will act like highway for 'torque slippage' and result is less shuttle spin.

I have no way to quantify this theory. Please note there is also a possibility that the opposite could be true. The super grip from the increased number of crosses could make crazy spins!!!

Either way... someone who has it needs to put it to the 'slicing test' against another racket.

Cheers

isn't one of the hart racket model got the same pattern or characteristic?

Hi,
I was just surfin' around a bit looking for something from the AT-800Def, and suddenly I found a picture of a racket named "Airshuttle".
This racket had such a weird stringing pattern that I didn't want you guys to miss:D.
click here (http://shuttle-house.com/page_top_JAPANESE/yw_overseas_racket/R_AirShuttle_B.jpg)(sorry the image is a bit large)
Has anyone seen this before.
Is it real?
What would the pro's of such a pattern be?
Probably: Not as much chance that the strings wil break?
But seems to me it will have much more disadvantages...

Could someone post a picture of such a stringing pattern if he has it to?


Cheers,

Pat!

That is cool!=x

I guess, the feel would be much stiffer. Because the strings are all so close to each other that they are locked together.

Intriguing! From my experiences in squash, it seems to me that denser patterns offer more power but less control than open patterns, and vice versa. Were it not illegal:D, I would have done it the other way around and had tighter grouping towards the OUTSIDE of the frame, which offers better support to the vulnerable, shorter outer strings.

Come to think of it, is this pattern itself legal? I recall something about the stringed area not being allowed to be less dense in the centre than at the edges, but how about the other way around?

I don't know whether it's illegal or not...
I didn't even know there were rules about stringing :o:p

Where to find those rules?:confused:

I saw them before. It actually feel much tighter than regular patter. However, the power is very weak. I think it will be good for very strong player who is looking for control.

I don't know whether it's illegal or not...
I didn't even know there were rules about stringing :o:p

Where to find those rules?:confused:

Rule 4.2.1: [The stringed area] shall be flat and consist of a pattern of crossed strings either alternately interlaced or bonded where they cross. The stringing pattern shall be generally uniform and, in particular, not less dense in the centre than in any other area;

I knew I hadn't imagined that Law! Doesn't look like that racket's going to make an appearance at any ranking tournaments in the near future...

if u look at any strung rackets, especially the oval frames, the center is LESS dense than in any other area of the frame. Hmmmm..;)

Haha.. this racquet's string pattern has been discussed about before:
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51386

The price is quite ridiculous for a racquet from an unknown brand.

Rule 4.2.1: [The stringed area] shall be flat and consist of a pattern of crossed strings either alternately interlaced or bonded where they cross. The stringing pattern shall be generally uniform and, in particular, not less dense in the centre than in any other area;

I knew I hadn't imagined that Law! Doesn't look like that racket's going to make an appearance at any ranking tournaments in the near future...

But the Airshuttle is more dense in the centre, not less dense. I don't see why it will be disallowed.

a denser bed will harden the feel. 1 of my rackets has the mains in the center very close together, and thats wat happens

meaning we have to use their strings instead of other brands?

Why?? No problem to buy a 200m string of NBG95.. I guess that would be long enough for ya..

/T

Why?? No problem to buy a 200m string of NBG95.. I guess that would be long enough for ya..

/T

an average player wouldn't buy a 200m reel for personal use though.

an average player wouldn't buy a 200m reel for personal use though.

The average player would just leave his racket to the stringer at the shop, and not buy strings separately :-) .. And probably the avg player would not buy an expensive special-string-pattern racket at all ;)

/Twobeer

The average player would just leave his racket to the stringer at the shop, and not buy strings separately :-) .. And probably the avg player would not buy an expensive special-string-pattern racket at all ;)

/Twobeer

if you want to put it that way then i would re-phrase. i would not buy a 200m reel of a particular string. i bring my own strings when i go to the stringer. i would buy an expensive special-string-pattern racket.

i was just wondering if there's an extra cross, would you need a slightly longer string since all 1-pack strings are around 10m. i dont know why all this fuss about my question.

if you want to put it that way then i would re-phrase. i would not buy a 200m reel of a particular string. i bring my own strings when i go to the stringer. i would buy an expensive special-string-pattern racket.

i was just wondering if there's an extra cross, would you need a slightly longer string since all 1-pack strings are around 10m. i dont know why all this fuss about my question.

No fuss, just didn't see a big problem with using sligtly longer strings than a standard 10m single package, thats all :-)

/T

You can string it with one pc stringing. No problem with a single 10m long string.