Why +2lbs On The Cross?

Well around here they request that you don't cut the string - cutting it is apparently enough to void the guarantee, as they'll just assume you strung it tighter than warrantied. Compared to ANY other racket company I've had experience with, their replacement service is absolutely the worst - I haven't gotten a single one and neither has anyone I know (I train in 4 clubs, so....that's quite a few ppl).

All I can say is that they certainly don't lose money from replacing rackets in Germany

 

My stringer said that +2 should be on the main and not on the cross?? so he strung my racket at 26/24.. would this be bad for my racket?

 

That's a first. I wonder what his theory behind that logic is.

 

He didnt explain to me why +2 is done on the cross.. so i just allowed him to do the stringing.. i just hope it wont break the racket..

 

+2Lbs Cross or main?

The extra 2lb is usually on the cross. Your previous reply on this thread stated that your stringer was stringing the mains with an extra 2lb tension? Either way unless your rackets are strung at extremely high tensions there is no danger of the frame breaking from such a small variance. Personally, when I string badminton rackets I tend to either string both mains and crosses at the same tension or add 2lbs to the crosses but I really do not know what the benefit of adding 2lbs to the crosses has.

 

As a quick question, is +2lbs needed on a Victor C-7031? I couldn't find the information online.
(And no, I do not own one of these things.:crying: The only stringer close to us has one.)

 

I'm playing at 28lbs. (4knots)
I'm string for myself all the time. (6PT MACHINE)

Which I put 28lbs for main string, last string before knots (+1lbs) which is 29lbs.
26lbs for cross string. did the same, (+1lbs) which is 27lbs for last string before knots.

May I know is that the right way ? Or i should change 26lbs for main string n 28lbs for cross ?
Thanks.

 

Hi all

Very sorry if this has come up in previous posts but 22 pages is a lot to read...

I have recently had a problem of tension loss in my main strings following the stringing of the crosses....something that seems to be contradictory to everything written on here...

I have strung around 150-200 rackets and recently started adding +2 lbs to the crosses as is suggested but i started noticing quite serious loss in tension in my mains afterwards (especially in my centre mains)...this is despite them seeming to be nice and tight before starting my crosses.

Can anyone explain what im doing wrong?

I never had this problem before starting the +2lbs on crosses, am i just going crazy?

I use a Pro Pilot machine with a Wise 2086 electronic head....usually stringing around the 24/26 lbs region.

At first i thought it was my main tie-offs causing a drop in tension, but surely they'd be equally bad for the cross tie off if that was the case?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated....

 

When was the last time the Wise was calibrated?

 

Hi Visor, thanks for getting back to me.

I got it in summer 2014 and it was calibrated then.

Would it need calibrated again?

Could it be causing this, as surely it means my crosses are losing tension as well? yet they seem to be nice and tight afterwards and don't move out of position easily.

 

ELI5/TLDR: You may not need additional tension on the cross when stringing. The goal is to string a racket and have it as close to the original shape unstrung. How to determine this is dependent on the stringing machine and stringer.
----------------------------------------

Dink has said this before and he is gonna say it again (but hopefully this one is etched in stone):

Adding additional tension on the cross strings is not always necessary. The question should be, what tension does the stringer need to use to maintain the original shape of the racket? That's what stringers (generally) try to do when they are adding 2lbs. to the cross.

Ideally, the stringer strings a racket and afterwards, the shape is identical to the same unstrung racket.

For most, it is adding 2lbs. to the cross but NOT all. Dink will explain...

There are three variables to this:

1) The stringing machine's side supports
2) Stringer experience
3) And a very minor variable, the racket

We will remove the racket out of the equation because it's very minor when comparing premium rackets. Premium rackets have quality 30T-50T graphite so dynamic changes in the frame shape are relatively minimal.

+Stringing machine's side support: less expensive, lesser quality side supports, will not hold the racket shape as well as expensive, premium stringing machines with better side supports. This is why many stringers add 2lbs. to the cross, it try to even out the racket frame shape, to try and get it back to the original shape.

Again, however, not all side supports need the additional 2lbs. (or 10% or whatever increase is used). Some stringing machines have very good side supports and no additional tension on the crosses is needed to maintain the shape of the racket.

How do we know this? That's where # 2, Stringer experience comes in. If you are an experienced stringer, you will know on your machine. Even on a stringing machine which is unfamiliar, after a few string jobs, you will know.

The easiest way is to determine this is to string a racket and match it to an unstrung one afterwards (ideally if you can, wait 48 hours to let the string and frame to set).

If your strung racket is longer and frame shape is more narrow, then the cross is too much and you don't need additional tension. If the racket shape is right on, then whatever you did is correct on that specific machine.

*Usually, right after you string, the 1 to 3 o'clock and 9' to 11 o'clock positions will be a bit more narrow than the original racket shape. That's OK, it's normal and will bow back out to the original shape at after time.

Finally, there are other factors; some like a 2lbs. or 10% difference, they are used to it or feel it plays better. A minority few prefer a rounder racket and go tighter on the mains and less on the cross. All of this is personal preference and subjective.

Examples:

Dink's current machine with the latest Michal Chudek Uber Side Supports: does not need an increase on the crosses to maintain the original racket shape. So 30lbs. would be 30lbs.(main) x 30lbs. (cross).

Dink's old ST-250: would need to add 10% to the crosses to get the original shape. So for a 30lbs. string job, it would be 28.5lbs. (main) x 31.5lbs. (cross)

Yonex ES5Pro: no change, 30lbs. = 30x30
Yonex ES5ProTech: no change, 30lbs. = 30x30
Gamma 8800: need to add 1 to the crosses so 30lbs. = 29.5 x 30.5

 

Alternative thought about stringing mains vs cross:

If you can ignore the frame distortion it should be better to string main harder than the crosses. You may can do an extra cross string for frame restoration.

My theorie for mains > cross:

For a defined "plucking depth" (from shuttle impact) on the (long) main strings you need less force compare to the (short) cross strings when both the same string and have the same tension.

Which would result (when main < cross) that you play mainly on your short cross strings. But the short strings have less elastic potential energy than long ones (at same plucking depth) so you should lose potential power: Long bows (Mains) are more powerful the short bows(cross).

If my theory is correct than you should string the mains harder then the cross for a livelier string bed and a better synergy between mains and cross. But if you sting the mains too hard it will result shuttle sliding on the string bed.

My former trainer (a former pro player now still regularly in then top 3 of the world in his age group) used to string the mains 1lbs higher than the cross. But in this forum it is all about mains = cross or cross > mains even for the current pro players. (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...nd-tension-do-current-professionals-use/page6)

I tested both and for me I have more power and better "feeling" when mains > cross but less net control compare mains < cross but it can also be because of my cheap stringing machine.

 

Hi Kwun

I notice that i can move the mains very easily with my fingers...i can bend them out of straightness and i thought i might be imagining it, so i picked up one i'd done previously (without adding the 2lbs on cross) and it was nowhere near as easy to move the mains out of position despite being strung @ 1lb less tension...

And when i say the mains are moving out of position i mean after i play a rally and look down my mains are all skewed and bent out of their normal straight lines...i pluck them back into place, play another rally and look down and same thing...

I am also pre-stretching by 10% on all my pulls...could that be effecting it?

Perhaps i should try calibrating my machine again and also stringing the mains and crosses at the same tension to see if that fixes the issue?

Starting to drive me mad for my own stuff and im also putting off taking customers rackets for a few weeks till i sort it out because i dont like giving bad service...

 

Thanks for the advice Greblu

I might try doing the mains>cross or at least go back to my mains=cross and see if it helps...before when i was doing mains=cross i had nice tension in both when trying to reposition with my fingers and no movement of strings after rallys either...just thought it was the right thing to do (cross>mains) so i started doing it...

 

Hi Dink

I also have the Chudek supports....could that be my problem? im adding 2lbs to cross when i dont need to and its resulting in a loss of tension on my mains?

 

No one can know for sure, best you try a racket with even tension, see how that goes for you.

 

Many thanks Dink

Ill give that a go and see how i get on.

 

Get your digital hanging scale out first.