i own a 2u-ti10 and a sticker on the shaft indicates "18-22 lbs". does this mean that it can only be strung between these tension or its just a "manufacturer recommendation"? is it still safe to string beyond this tension? sincere thanks to those who may provide valuable info!
It's not a recommended tension, it's Yonex warranted maximum tension. If you string it higher and break it, the Yonex warranty is voided. I think that's only a 3-month warranty anyway, so Yonex are really sneaky. The racquet will if course take higher tensions, the higher you string, the higher the risk in a racquet clash or frame hit. "Normal tension", say in the interval 18-25, is quite safe. A pro player might string the Ti-10 to 30+ lbs, but remember they're sponsored so they can afford both string breakage and frame breakage!
My brother broke my ti10 when it was strung at 24lbs, but that's due to a clash. Well anyway, if you're not playing tournament, just string it at 22lbs. Helps to develop your game play a lot. My sch badminton coach strung his rackets at about 17lbs I think and he can still smash better than me He says he only strings his rackets at 24lbs for tournaments.
But if you think stringing your racquet within "recommended tension" just for the warranty sake, you maybe disappointed as Yonex still won't replace it if you clash your racquet. In fact, it would be a rare case that a broken racquet is qualified for replacement under Yonex's term. I think most players just string their racquets to the tension they want.