Question on stiffness

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by jerby, Sep 27, 2005.

  1. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

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    hi there,

    I've already learned what the balance point of a racket can do. but what is the exact function of stifness? I'm still growing in power, and my racket dealer advised against me using a very-stiff, since it will soemhow limit me in my stroke, i guess...
    and another Q is: for power should on always try to go as stiff as he can? (i mean: if i ahve the skills i can get more power out of a stiff, than a medium?)

    and: hwo does the stiffness of the at500 compare to any of the NS's?
     
  2. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Hi jerby,

    It is like when you wake up in the morning, your back is stiff. You can't get very much power out of the body. Latter on in the day, you workout, walk around and your back is more flexable. You can put out more power. OK, enough joking around. There are many post here about this subject. In "GENERAL", stiffer shaft give you more control and flexable shaft generate more power. Same as the string bad in "GENERAL". Please do a search in the equipment forum about the racquet and string stiffness.

    THis is my opinion and the other member please object if I make any mistake here. Often time, cobination of stiffness of shaft and string tension can make a lot of difference. For example, Cab30ms is has a stiff shaft and good for advance players because they can generate enough power already. However, I would like to get a little more power without changing my racquet. One option for me is to lower the Cab30ms tension by 2 lb. It gives me a bigger sweet spot and little more power. My suggestion to you is to try out as many racquets as possible from your friend as possible. Don't just fix on one brand or one type. Good luck on your search.
     
  3. Neosakai

    Neosakai Regular Member

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    Stiff racquets would benifit more if you have a fast swing
    Flexible racquets would benifit more if you have a slow swing


    If your arm is very strong and have a fast swing, then a stiffer racquet will bring you more power than a flexible racquet. Vice Versa... da da da.

    I don't know how AT500 compares to the NS's... But if you want a stiff racquet, go for AT700 :D
     
  4. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

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    ok.
    well i'm developping a very short stroke.I can pull it off to do a clear without really moving my elbow.
    i quite actually don't have a muscular swing arm. so you mgiht say i got a fast swing...

    and somehow, i feel like flexible rackets are for amateurs..dunno why..
     
  5. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    A key point between stiff and flexible rackets, ceteris paribus:

    An extra stiff racket would only generate more power than a flexible racket if you can flex the shaft. If you cannot flex the shaft on an extra stiff racket, then it will generate less power for you.

    I know some "A" and "B" players with powerful smashes and they use medium stiff rackets. They told me they weren't strong enough to use extra stiff rackets. :eek:

    So I think it's best to experiment, try different rackets and find which one is ideal for you. It's not necessarily your skill but your overall wrist/body power. The power and speed you can generate from the racket. For instance, a beginning player with a tremendous swing would benefit from an extra stiff racket because he can flex the shaft. An "A" player with a lessor swing would benefit from a racket less stiff.
     
  6. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    In general you're correct because Beginners don't have fast swings and cannot utilize the benefits of a stiff shaft. That's why they should start off with flexible rackets.

    Case and point, there were a few Beginners and they wanted to try my AT800OF @ 28lbs. because it appeared to be very "powerful". But once they swung the racket, they could barely clear to half court. They were puzzled why I could clear so easily and they could not. I smiled and let them try my Kason Lepton F2 @ 24lbs. which is a flexible racket. Instantly they added almost 10' to their clears. They thought the F2 was a much more powerful racket then my AT800OF and wondered why I didn't use it. :p

    So it's all relative. :)
     
  7. storkbill

    storkbill Regular Member

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    Hi,

    Could it be the difference in the tension rather than the stiffness of the shaft?

    I'm asking cos' i tried recently 2 diff racquets, MP88 (medium) and Ti-10 (stiff) but both @24lbs. With someone feeding me shuttles, I hit about 20 forehand clears with each racquet and looked where the shuttles landed (they landed short becos i'm still a newbie :) ) and there was no significant difference in the length of the clears. Definitely not a 10' difference :p
     
  8. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    I've also tried this with the same rackets strung at 29lbs., same string, it was about a 6'-8' difference.
     
  9. ribroy

    ribroy Regular Member

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    I've noticed the difference between MP28 (Medium Flex) and MP23 (Flexible) both strung at 23lbs by the same stringer and string. I can get more power with the MP23. So Shaft flexibility IS crucial for me when choosing a racquet if I wish to pick higher string tensions. I don't have the swing speed for a less flexing racquet.
     
  10. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

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    so stiffness would be: stiff as possble without losing power.

    any quick tests when you have a fast-swing?

    I'm 1.93(m) tall, and have a very thin build (i weigh 65Kg) and my biceps(rightarm) are 28cms tightened.
    and while being so skinny, i can still easily clear without using force, but more use of swing...

    any test i can perform on myself, or anythign you can read out of the stats?
     
  11. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Get a radar gun... Ask a policman to check your swing speed...
     
  12. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

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    :D sounds tempting
     
  13. Matt

    Matt Regular Member

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    I don't think a radar would work thou - more like the laser gun would work, or use the Simen's timing system.
     
  14. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Racquet stiffness is a more complex property than most people think. For most players their perception of stiffness is how stiff a racquet feels when they hit a shot. But stiffness in the design of the racquet is looked at and engineered in modulus terms. High modulus, ultra high modulus, vectran, kevlar, and nano have very high stiffness or high modulus. The stiffer the materials, the higher the modulus, the greater the repulsion power. An ultra high modulus racquet can be designed to feel less stiff, simply by having a longer shaft or a thinner shaft. But it is still a stiff racquet. A low modulus racquet can be designed to be very stiff by having a fatter and shorter shaft. It will feel stiff but would be considered low modulus in the more correct definition of stiffness-it would have no power.
    I am sure you can easily spot some Yonex racquets that are nano or ultra high modulus racquets that feel less stiff than the lower modulus of the Yonex Tour 800 although they actually have stiffer materials. When choosing a racquet words like nano, vectran, ultra high or high modulus, or kevlar are more important.
     
  15. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    This is only true if a person can flex the material. If a person cannot flex the material, it won't give you higher repulsion power. Agree?
     
  16. Dreamzz

    Dreamzz Regular Member

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    Flex?

    I'm a bit confused by the use of this term 'flex'. What exactly do you mean by that? And I suppose, more importantly, how would someone increase his 'flexing' abilities?
     
  17. ribroy

    ribroy Regular Member

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    I can't specifically answer how to increase your "flexing" ability (because I find that a flexible racquet suits me atm). but by the term "flex" we mean the ease at which you can transfer kinetic energy from your momentum/body/arm/wrist motion to the racquet. This motion causes the racquet to bend and hold the energy and finally to whip and transfer energy to the racquet head. :D
     
  18. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    Flex = flexing of the racket, more specifically the shaft. If you cannot maximize the flex in a racket (or come close), you are not maximizing power. An example, two bows. If one bow has a draw of 70lbs. and another a draw of 90lbs. The 90lbs. draw will give you more power assuming you can fully draw it.

    This is why some people can get more power out of a medium stiff or stiff racket versus an extra stiff racket. With the medium stiff or stiff racket, they can maximize the flex of the shaft. Whereas with the extra stiff racket, they may not be able to flex the shaft fully.

    :)
     
  19. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Flex, just like stiffness or modulus, of a material is different from the flex that you feel when you hit a shot. A very stiff flex material like ultra high modulus or vectran can be designed to feel very flexible. A low grade carbon racquet can be designed to be very stiff but it will lack power. Do you know why they never come out with a 100% ultra high modulus racquet? It would not be playable. The purest racquet, technically, cannot be 100% fiber. At least 40% is matrix or epoxy glue in layman language.
     
  20. Midget_Boy

    Midget_Boy Regular Member

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    Learned something new about badminton today :cool: .
     

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