I currently string my racquets at 20lbs for the past 6 months (went through 3 strings already) and I've been thinking of increasing my string tension to 23lbs. Is this a good idea or should I try a lower tension like maybe just 22 or 21lbs? Need some advice!
Hmmm... I believe it really depend on ur own experience. Consider string + labor should not cost too much in ur region (I think?), maybe just take a shot at it? Then, u can tell us how u like it. Personally, I jumped from 20 to 22 in one step, and it took me about a week (8-10 hrs) to get use to it. Overall, not too much trouble for me.
If you are confident you have the power to utilize such a string tension, go for it. But like LB mentioned, you do have to take some time to adjust to such a huge jump of 3 pounds. Apprantly from a stringing guide, you should be stringing higher since the weather down there is really warm and moist therefore you'll lose tension alot faster than you would in North America or Europe where it's cold and dry. Yodums
Ok, my AS-1 just came in and its strung with BG68 Ti with an unknown tension. I think its somewhere between 22-24 lbs since my its stringbed is slightly stiffer than my other racquet with 20lbs. (Then again, maybe its because of the Ti string...) The next time I change my strings, I would try 22-23lbs of tension on it.
I have 20lbs on my MP99. Been playing with 20lbs for the past 6 months and I think its time to shift to the next level.
Don't they say that it is better to play with rackets which has a strong tension, depending on how much tension the racket itself can take?? I don't really know how much tension is put onto my racket, i just tell the old man at my club to just re-string them as hard he can go with it. Haven't noticed much difference from one tension to another, besides the fact that the sound of the shot are always more crisper and that the shuttle moves faster when smashing it. Is there more than the two points I have stated then?
I really don't think that's the case. Various brand of rackets can take high tension (25+, even 30), that does not mean even a beginner should start with 30lb and tries to masterize it. As for myself, I think my limit (as for now) is around 22-24, higher than that, feel like swing a baseball bat. To me, the tension should be the optimal combo of: 1. ur own comfortable "range" 2. racket's ability of hold tension (even though, still think Yonex rec. tension is way too low for a lot of int. + players)
i just restrung my racket today to 25 tension, before it's only 20lbs. i can say that i'm a little bit dissapointed, my smashes and overhead shot are somewhat stale. There's no snap to it. but the power is still there and no prob. to my net games. Maybe the string is just too hard, everytime my racket hits the birdie its kinda like hitting the shuttle with a brick wall. Could someone comment to this? maybe that's why Yonex always suggest the 20-22 lbs. maybe that's the balance or the right tension to have the optimal performance of it's rackets. again could anyone comment on this? I would also like to ask if anyone out there knows the string tension Pros usually string their rackets. thank you. by the way im using Bg65 titanium
BG65 Ti is very much like that at higher tensions. Titanium in strings may not be such a wise choice if you want something that will give you more feeling, especially at a high tension such as that. Of course it's really about preference in the end.
I prefer the BG-66 out of all the BG series really.... But i'm always snapping the strings within a month or two if I play hard at it. Might have to go back with BG-65Ti then.....
Eh up Kenny! Long time no see! (haven't played for about a month now) Frictionman: Jumping from 20-25 is quite a leap. It'll take time to get used to it. To get the best from a higher tension you need to hit the shuttle a lot cleaner as the "sweet spot" tends to shrink. Also finding the "Snap" as you call it will require a higher racquet speed. The strings deformation profile changes & you need more speed to get the "trampoline" effect. The other thing about Higher tensions as kenny mentioned is String/racquet life. I play at 24lb & probably break them every month during the season. I broke a Ti10 when I switched up as well as it was old & the frame had a few scratches & dents. Make sure you use a stringer that knows what they're doing & they have the right equipment. Some of the "Part-timers" that I know don't use all the frame clamps or the stringing machines don't have them. That can create uneven stress in the racquet at high tensions & cause them to break earlier. The guy who does my racquet recommends that you cut all the strings from your racquet as soon as you break them as it puts uneven stress on the frame.
I agree with everything mindfields just said. graphite, the string type is also important, jumping from bg65@20lbs to bg65@23lbs won't make as much of a difference as jumping from bg65@20lbs to say bg80@23lbs. Thinner strings tend to feel tighter at high tensions because they get stretched more during stringing. You should read the ashaway stringing guide, it explains everything about strings and the effects of high or low tensions. Do a search for ashaway in the equipment forum, I think it was posted by someone named Neil, if that doesn't work just search for ashaway and strings. The best answer to your question, however, is still to try it out yourself, everyone is different, what works for others won't necessarily work for you, this depends on your swinging technique and strength which determines your racquet swing speed. frictionman, everything you experienced is right, that is what you're suppose to feel when you start stringing your racquet at higher tensions. And I don't think it has anything to do with the Yonex recommended string tensions either, as long as the racquet doesn't break, it should be ok but know that the higher you string your racquet the more likely it is to break when you clash with another racquet or hit something.
Probably me... and the link would be to Steve Crandall's Badminton String Articles http://www.ashawayusa.com/pages/BadTipINDEX.html and heads up, everyone, I think there are some new articles there
thanks a lot guys... Anyway i'm thinking of buying a new racket this month i was thinking of choosing between mp100 and the ti-10. i might string it around 22-24 tension. have you notice the shaft of the ti-10 is longer than Carlton's Magaflex F series?
frictionman, the shaft of the Ti 10 is longer than the Megaflex series because Carlton just shortened the cone of the racquet to make the shaft 14% longer. They didn't add any extra length. Just shortened the cone. to the other guys, I have been using BG85 (0.67mm) at 20lbs before I used the BG68 Ti (0.68mm) at some unknown tension (but higher that 20lbs). Now I wan't to go back to the BG85 because BG68 Ti doesn't give me control as good as the BG85 does. So is shifting from BG85, 20lbs to BG85, 23lbs ok? Or maybe I should try it on 22 or 21 lbs?
I strung my racket at 23lbs with bg65Ti strings and I must say it felt a whole lot better than when I was using a 20lbs gut. I liked the way it felt on my short game and felt very solid on my smashes. It only took a short while to get used to it. You should try different tensions for your racket coz there's really no substitute for the actual experience of using the racket with the new tensions. Restringing doesn't cost that much anyways, around Php500, give or take a few pesos. I've heard a lot good things from the Ti-10. A friend of mine actually owns one. He's had it for a long time (the guy's been playing for 10 years so he's tried a lot of rackets) but keep in mind certain rackets go with certain types of games so if you can try it out first that would be better. 'Bout the MP100, I can't remember for sure but, I think my friend commented that the MP100 breaks easy. not so sure if it's the MP100 or the MP99 though.
Don't see why not. As long as u feel comfortable, u can adjust ur tension. If u think 25 is way too hard to masterize, playing well with 23 is a nice step.
