Can anyone shed some light on this...... I notice whilst I was at the All England and more recently the Masters in Preston that when the pro's get a new shuttle they rub it against their strings a few times as if they are 'roughing' up the cork. Can anyone explain the reason behind this? What do you gain from doing it? Is it something we should all do? It baffles me......
I have not seen any 'roughing up of cocks'. On the courts that is. During the all England. With or without strings. Oo er. :innocent face:
ooo, eeer!! I didn't think of the rude connotations when i titled the thread!! haha Well Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms both did it at the Yonex and the Masters. If my memory serves me correctly I think Rasmussen did it at the Yonex along with numerous others who I can't remember as I didn't pay much attention to it at the start. I wondered if it is something to do with giving the shuttle more grip against the strings? maybe to aid control/slices or something? I get the feeling its a relatively new concept!
LOL In reply I have seen some people brush the cork with their shirts prior to serving, apparently to give a cleaner contact between the cork and strings. I think it is more psychological than anything else.
there is a clause in The Laws: so tempering is definitely illegal. however, whether just rubbing the shuttle on one's racket is considered tempering, it will have to depend on the umpire. but if one wants to be strict, then i can see it being considered tempering.
In all major and secondary tournaments, players are not allowed to tip the feather. There is always a "Shuttle Quality Control" area where the umpires pick up the shuttle for the match. If a player tips the feather, the umpire will get the player to change the shuttle immediately and a warning will be given. I have seen this in PanAm Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba. By rubbing the tip of the cork, I cannot see how it can change the flight characteristic of the shuttle. If it is for "traction" purposes, the contact area of the string is so small, I do not think it will make a difference.
i agree. However, i think umpire reserve the right to give warning if the other team complain about it.
By the laws the shuttle has to land in between the two guidelines at the back of the court so if the shuttle was fast it can be "tipped", shuttles can also be tipped if both parties agree and if no other shuttle of a slower speed can be found. I am of course refering to normal competitions where shuttles are bought in only one speed and you have to make the best of what you can. Or am I slightly old in my application of the laws? Also the rubbing of the shuttle could be to clean it, I have noticed on some new shuttles just out of the tube there can sometimes be some glue residue on the leather on the cork and it might be to remove it by way of friction.