Never thought that professionals would actually restring their own rackets but if you skip to 4:30 on this video you can see Andrew Ellis stringing his own http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXtJJ348I_8
And then he puts 31lbs on each cross! :\ Also, he seems to be saying 31lbs is a very low tension on the professional circuit, comparing the highest tensions to tennis tensions :\
Yea I was watching this thinking it definitely didn't look right, however I never pre-weave so wasn't sure!
What the heck pattern was that? Start at the outside for crosses? Also "hit it with the sweetspot at all times" - I thought in those FedEx videos cai yun said use the top/outer strings for serve. Looks to me like lin dan uses off centre shots at the net too.
I had the chance to have a look at the racket Chris Adcock threw into the crowd during the 2011 worlds when I think after he won his mixed semi finals. The strings felt quite soft, about a 25/26 with 66-Ultimax and I suspect this was how it's done. It wouldn't surprise me if the racket came out at 25/26 when its strung like that. Its a shame that the guys don't pay more attention to these minor details. Or maybe they didn't know?? But when everyone is training as hard or even harder than you are, its these little details that make the difference. It might be between making it or breaking it.
Yea, I wouldn't be surprised if this came out with such low tension, not sure if just using those flying clamps helps keep the tension either, i personally prefer to use my fixed clamps for just about all the strings this may be why you never see these guys breaking strings? however surprised at that level (10th in the world) that his coaches etc have not taught him other ways of stringing unless this is the way he prefers
I think the flying clamps are fine. Especially Yonex ones, I think they're the best ones out of the lot. I personally use fixed clamps as well. But if you look at how badminton is coached even at grass roots level and upwards, i doubt that there are sessions where the coaches explicitly discusses about the impact of using the right strings at the right tensions for the player. It has always be technique, fitness, strength, conditioning and more training. Thus it is easy to neglect that as there has not been much coverage about it even in coaching. Even when you attend coaching conferences, there is very little if not none mentioned about strings and tensions and yet, every single player plays with it. A simple example would be F1, all cars uses tyres and all the fuss about tyres is because whoever uses them best gets an outright advantage. The difference being that they all use the same tyres, whereas us badminton players get to pick and choose but still, most of us do not get it right or just doesn't know. it really saddens me when I hear stringers say that they've been stringing for how ever many years or have done however many thousands of rackets or how quick they can string one. If it's not done right, it is all pointless. So hopefully BADMINTON England invests in a really good stringer like the chinese national squad or get someone to teach the players HOW TO DO IT properly. Maybe this will be the difference when Chris Adcock/Andy Ellis/Gabby Adcock and co become world champions / Olympic champions in the near future.
I am rather surprised he tensions the mains from one side first. However, pulling two strings at one time and using the same tension for cross strings - isn't that a preference? I think he did refer to it in the video he'd prefer to do them himself so he's pretty used to it and that machine's individual characteristics. I reckon he said the thing about the sweet spot just to keep things simple.
I also have yonex flying clamps as well however just rarely used, i'm surprised that badminton england doesn't already have good stringers? As who would be stringing at say places like the all england? They would have quite a few ES5's there as well Yes Cheung, tensioning two strings at once and crosses at the same tension is just a preference and probably what he is used to! However judging from the video it sounds like he does it this way cause he thinks it is a lot faster? But i'm not sure as i'm not him haha I was surprised that when he was asked what tension he uses he had to check the machine though? Surely someone at that standard stringing 11 rackets for a tournament would know that his tension is 31lbs?
That machine is in the players lounge at the NBC, and I think most players training there uses it. Regarding the ES5 at the all england's, I think they belong to Yonex or the stringers themselves. They're brought in just for the event. I'm sure the great kakinami who I've had the pleasure to meet there can shed a bit more light on that.
Yes. It is faster. I used to do the same with my racquets when I had my own machine. I couldn't feel any difference in adding 1-2 lbs cross tension. Then again, I am not that good. A singles player may be more discerning with the tensioning as they need to pull off more precise shots. I am also a little surprised he didn't say his tension straight off. Tell you something funny. I had sets of strings of 0.75mm thickness given to me by a friend (bought by mistake). I don't use those strings. But a local coach said he can use them. This coach used to be a top ten world ranked player and said the thicker the better (so he doesn't have to restring so frequently). He uses them for his matches as well. So I don't get surprised at what players/coaches do with strings now
You also used to pre-weave? I can understand pre-weaving say waiting around for courts which allows it to be a lot faster when you're just pulling tension on the strings after without weaving Oh right at first I thought that was at his own house and not the players lounge, which is why i was surprised it was just a crank but for speed a crank like that would be a lot faster than say a WISE 2086 I would find the stringers bringing in their own machines mad as my machine weighs something like 50kg?
[MENTION=108053]henrychenn[/MENTION], I don't preweave. except for maybe 96-holes rackets, then I preweave only the mains after mounting the racket on the machine..
I am yet to restring a 96-hole racket but one of my friends does have one and one day might haha, then maybe I will also preweave it too When he tensions two mains at the same time would both the mains tensions be at 31lbs? or would one not be less tension and his rackets "sweet spot" just be all over the place?
Zheng Bo used to do it as well - better control on serves because you're hitting off the least bouncy part of the bed.
I had a go with pulling two mains at once. Seemed a fair quicker, tendon seems ok so far as its constant pull and I wiggled the strings to hopefully get them both at the right tension.
Constant pull doesn't matter in that situation, you will still end up with much less tension on the second string. My guess is you'll be able to reach 75% of your desired tension on the second string at best.