Is it true that strings degrade after about three months? A lot of badminton shops say this but i strung two rackets in Bg85 (one string a year old and the other brand new.) The rackest are different (MP99 at 23lbs and Victor TI99 at 27lbs- the older string for some reasons) but i cant hear of tell any difference between the strings except the tensions. Any comment is appreciated.
The strings dry up after a period of time which makes it more brittle. Remember Jackie Chan said, "When shirt gets wet, it doesn't break." in Shanghai Noon. Moreoever the tension goes too. The strings are made of nylon, I don't think they are biodegradeble, so decaying is not a question. I reckon its more of the playability, feeling, response, hence the "degrade" or downgrade.
Yes strings degrade, I would say about a year is as long as you want to keep the same strings in a racquet if your interested in keeping the performance level consistent. 3 months is perhaps a bit pessimistic.
The tension and feeling definitely going down over time. However, whether you consider this more important than your wallet or not, depends on each individual. If you are a very competitive player, and don't mind to re-string often, then, I think 3 month (or even shorter) is the time to change for a new string. If you just play recreationally, or on a tight budget, then let the string last until it snaps. There's no universal answer for this issue.
LB is right. Unles you are rich and use natural gut string, there is no degrading issue. My suggestion: If you have a racquet you have not play over a long time, (ie. more than 6 mo) just give it a try. If you feel it is playable and good enough, just keep going. If you play bad and don't like the feeling of the racquet (nobody like the feeling after lost a match), restring the racquet. Also, depend on the string, BG80 and BG85 hold tension better than other YY strings. Listen to LB, there is no universal answer because every one plays differently with different racquets also.
