Do you wax your strings???

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by Kelvin, Mar 20, 2001.

  1. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    Hehehe... interesting topic, don't you think?
    Actually this topic is about the strings themselves, as I'm trying to acquire more knowledge about them...

    This is the first time that I've actually encountered anyone doing this, was earlier last night, at a local social club.

    I asked the guy what he was doing to his strings... apparently, he was applying a layer of candle wax to his badminton strings... it's supposed to help coat the strings, so that they don't cut into each other as much, and help prolong the life of the strings.

    I know the topic has been discussed in earlier discussions.. I think.
    But do any of you actually practice this?
    I'm giving it a try, to see if it actually makes any difference, but it could turn out to be as bad as sticking that yucky ink on my racquet strings the way I used to?
    Who knows, at least it doesn't appear as messy right now.

    Anywho... I also know that a few stringers practice something like this out there... Cooler, you said that you would run the string through wax, before you string sometimes?
    How does this affect your client's strings?
    Does it help in the stringing process, or help the client more with having slightly more durable strings?

    Also... doesn't Yonex do something similar with the "hydrotitanium coating" around the BG 65ti, 68 ti, and now the 88ti???

    What do you guys think about this?
    Is it all a nice marketing ploy, following the Titanium craze, that we're all trapped in right now?
    Or is there a benefit to have the Titanium on the strings?

    Just want your opinions... and lastly to remind you of the topic question...
    Do you wax your strings???
    Or will you in the future after reading this?

    I'm trying it just for the hell of it to see if there are any benefits.
    Thanks for reading. :)

    :) :( :eek: :D ;) :cool: :p :? :X
     
  2. Magic

    Magic Guest

    waxing the strings?? Never heard of that! Just with the end of a candle?
     
  3. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    Just like that my friend.
    Apparently this is supposed to coat the strings, like the factories coat them with some sort of plastic... and this will help to fill in the little grooves, near the string crosses, so that they don't cut each other apart from the high tension stringing.
    I'm not sure if it really works, but if it's going to help prolong string life, I might as well hell give it a try, I mean everyone has candles in their house right?
    Why not put them to a good use, while there's no black outs? hehehe :)
     
  4. Marcel

    Marcel Guest

    hehehe there'a point.

    But do you do it before the stringing or afterwards (I'm not stringing myself so...) I can imagine that the shuttle might "stick" to the wax...... or.... you just hit off the wax!

    Actually I had Toalson strings for a while and it had some sort of wax to it....(as I recall) but they broke very very fast!
    I went back to the Yonex BG 70 pro and everything is fine.
     
  5. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    Apparently we're supposed to beat off th wax while we're playing.
    No, the shuttle wont stick to it... I thought it might, but then I remembered that wax, is kind of slippery, so we should be okay there.

    The guy told me to apply wax after all you're done playing for the night.
    Kind of like how we wash our hands before we eat?
    We can't just wash them once a life time, cause that's just nasty. lol.

    Back to your problem with the strings... hmm...
    I'm thinking it could have been the string type or brand...
    As I can't imagine you would string to some crazy tension of 30lbs+
    So actually a number of factors could have caused that.
    I know someone who broke their strings tonight, because the strings were of a lower quality... and thus, when the person hit the shuttle at the wrong part of their strings, it just snapped, it right away.
    I'm not surprised.

    I'm sure string quality matters, just like our racquets as well, if they weren't designed well, then they wont play well either.
    Of course, this is just my opinion.
     
  6. Marcel

    Marcel Guest

    over the night hmmm I'll try it to. Hé I even wash my hands often so... ;) ;) And that can be done with every string?

    The guy who strings my rackets is sponsored by toalson so he has to string with that brand. I didn't like the string at all (it was strung at 9,5 Kg (??lbs) Like you said they broke at mishits. But with the Yonex I've no problem at all. (strung by the same guy, the string is provided by me ;))

    Sure stringing quality is essential that's why I have my rackets strung by the Toalson guy. He plays competition at a high level (for dutch standards ;)) so he knows how to do it. My regular sportshop really flipped when I came with the request to string at 9,5 Kg!!! I didn't askes further! ;)
     
  7. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    hehehe... that's really smart of you to do that.
    Some places think that the tension is too high... 9.5kg works out to roughly 20lbs here, so that isn't out of the question.
    Yes, I've coated my strings with wax, it made a big mess... hehehe... :eek:
    Try it over top a garbage bin, or on newspaper, so you don't get everything all messy.

    Aren't you glad that you know people in high places of badminton? :)
    Apparently with most strings, this waxing technique should help, but I imagine if it's a really bad string, then there's no way to save it anyway. :(

    However, if people learned to play properly, and hit the shuttle in the center of the strings, then they wouldn't break the strings as much.

    I think I've seen some people with such good stringing jobs, that they didn't break until, they actually took a knife to go cut them.
    They just kept getting looser, and looser, and looser, until you can literally use it for a sling shot, and shoot something from it. hehehe... kind of like the old wooden badminton racquets from those backyard badminton sets.

    Those strings never break!!!
     
  8. Marcel

    Marcel Guest

    It's always a advantage if you know someone on a higher level >:)

    tonight it's my clubnight, so afterwards I'll start waxing my strings.
    I'll let you know if it works out for me. (maybe the answer has to wait a few years! ;))

    Good old wooden racquets...... ;')
     
  9. Mag

    Mag Moderator

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    I have heard this before, but I thought it was to facilitate the stringing process itself, to decrease the risk of "nicking" the string when running it through the grommets. If you wax the strings before you play, wouldn't it just result in that they start to slide about? Like the Ti coated strings tend to do?
     
  10. jayes

    jayes Guest

    Yes, I waxed my strings during my tournament days. Now, I no longer wax my strings.
     
  11. richard

    richard Guest

    Actually it's quite popular among the some Indonesia players. They wax the strings to prolong the string's life. In some places there are people who repair shuttle. Yes, they actually replace the broken feathers and use it again and again till it's all broken.
     
  12. Marcel

    Marcel Guest

    And what was the advantage?
     
  13. jayes

    jayes Guest

    During my tournament days, I was using high tension and the tiniest string diameter there was. Also I seldom used the racquet sweet spot to hit the 'lil birdie. With these criteria, "rumor" has it that applying the wax would prolong the string. :)

    Nowadays, I string my racquet at a lower tension and using a larger string diameter than before. I just restring the racquet whenever the tension is not acceptable anymore (usually about 9 months or so) or broken.
     
  14. Don

    Don Regular Member

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    I've talk to my stringer about that, and she says if you don't do it properly then you could do more harm than good. The plastic coating ont he strings are very sensitive to heat so weakening may occur. This is something I don't plan on doing. I say the more you play the more you have to replace you strings.
     
  15. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    The Ti strings slide the shuttle???
    I didn't notice this!
    Can you tell me what happened?
    I would like to know more about this...
    Thanks.
     
  16. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    shuttle repair?

    Wow! they repair feather shuttles???
    Doesn't this affect the quality of the shuttle's flight though?
    Please do tell me more.
    I'm sure it would save some money over here. ;)
     
  17. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    Wow, thanks for the tips Jayes.
    I appreciate this coming from the more experienced knowledgeable crowd.
    See you guys help me learn, I help you out, if I can. B)
     
  18. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    I see... but when I was talking about waxing the strings... I meant, just rubbling candle wax over it, not melting it...
    Do you have any experience with this as well?
     
  19. Mag

    Mag Moderator

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    No, no, the strings slide around more. Even though I use 25+ tension. BG80's, which I normally use, sure don't behave like that.
     
  20. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    Oh... hehehe... gotcha.
    Hmm... I haven't noticed that with my strings though...
    However, I can't site one reason for string movement on the face...
    Poor stringing.

    I believe if the string is at a constant tension, when being strung, the strings technically should stay at the same places... or is it the other way around?
    Cooler? any suggestions, or insite on this matter?
     

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