Paul has also been playing badminton for decades. His thinking on tension may not be the most up to date. We know by fact that pro tension is around 30 and that already show inaccuracies in Paul's recommendations.
Optimal string tension are NEVER fixed, they always varies according to each individual preferences. To make matters worse, there are grotesque tolerances on most stringing machines, esp. non-digital/electronic ones. But Paul's suggestions are quite reasonable, even in Indonesia's humid n hot climate. Sonny Dwi Kuncoro strung at my favorite stringer's once n he only asked for 25/26 on his IP Yonex racket. Higher than that, you better have very good swing+stroke techniques to compensate for "boardy" string beds. For me, even if I have the techniques to swing that fast I would rather save my energy for other aspects of the game. If your accuracy suffers at 25/26lbs then something else is definitely the problem, maybe yr swing technique or ??? Just my 2cents.
Maybe 1 out of 20 stringing requests at the tournaments are that "low" if we are talking about the players on the tour (probably less even). And these are usually strung on ES5 Pro and upwards so no "fake" tensions there ... Vladimir Ivanov and his partner Sozonov play BG80 with 14.5 and 15KG which is about 32-33lbs. Minimum with a few exceptions is at least 27-28lbs for international players so in that regard the tensions mentioned are ridiculously low ... 9-11KG is probably the range of most stringing requests/recommendations around here a couple of levels down from national best (maybe 8 at minimum for the nylon and beginners). Perhaps has a lot to do with the warrantied tensions, as well as finding a 15-20 euro restring fee on a regular basis too costly. 2-2: GAME ON!
May the hawks rule As for the pros' tension, I tend to categorize them in 2 different groups. The best (Asians, Indonesians, Denmark, etc.) and the rest of the world. The first usually play with much higher tensions from what I could see anyways. The County/International category (I'd say more County than International) aren't the same as pros in that regard.
In UK, badminton stringing and racquets are more expensive. Stringing at high tension (above 25lbs) may not really bring benefits and we have the climate factor as well. High tension may cause racquet damage so therefore traditionally, in UK, tensions are lower. Historically, high tensions came about in the late 80's with Park Joo Bong. He was requesting 30lbs tension and the stringers were going 'wow!' (I got the story from a stringing firm). The racquet then was a carbonex 9 (metal frame). The string that was used then was BG65. BG 65 stretches a lot, like way more than the offerings of Hy sheep, Hy O Sheep. Then in the late 90's, professional wannabe's like me start experimenting with higher tensions (26-30lbs). Luckily, where I live has cheap stringing and it's easy to find badminton racquets off the shelf. You'll have to ask Paul why he recommends those tensions. I suspect it's in line with the recommended tension that racquets can handle. It's a 'safe' tension to recommend when you don't know anything about a person who might be reading your website. I think they are pretty reasonable. I have asked other people around me what tensions they use and standard seems about 24lbs. Not many are willing to spend that much cash to keep buying new racquets! BTW, my preference is BG65 at 30lbs, NG98 at 28lbs and BG66 and 26lbs. So there are many different variables. My racquets don't break (!) so I am in a bit of a special situation.
I think Paul's main concern is players' safety. Read the full article; he explains his position pretty clearly. I strongly agree with Paul that many players are using string tensions that are far too high for them, and it's mainly because of ego. How do I know it's about ego? Because it's always the boys, never the girls. Personally I feel the string tensions Paul recommends are a bit low. My (very rough) suggestions would be: Young children: 18 -- 20 lbs Beginners: 20 -- 22 lbs Experienced club players: 21 -- 24 lbs Very strong club players: 23 -- 28 lbs Professionals: 25 -- 40 lbs But really, it's not the numbers that matter, it's the attitude. That's the message you should be taking from Paul's article, instead of fixating on the numbers. Actually, the numbers are completely irrelevant. All you need is a starting point -- say, 21 lbs -- and then honest experimentation. Increase the tension 1 lb at a time, until power reduces. Then cut the strings and go back 1 lb. You have found your ideal tension (for now). I believe the best approach is to optimise for power, because then you are being kinder to your arm joints. Also power is good.
Being a "controller", I'd go the other way. If you want to emphasise power, go with the lowest tension you can tolerate; if you want to emphasise control, go with the highest you can tolerate. These days, I mostly play "structured" rallies, rather than going for early kills, so 32 lb serves me very well (and I'm not a pro by any stretch).
My point is different: If a given string tension reduces your power, it is because the strings are transferring force less efficiently when you smash. Where does the "lost" force go? It doesn't vanish into thin air. It goes into your arm. This is bad for your arm joints, especially the shoulder and elbow. Therefore I always advise players to choose the string tension that gives them the most power when they smash. This does not mean the lowest tension they can tolerate; it means a tension that is suitable for them. You really don't need 32 lbs to make your shots extremely accurate (although very low tensions can make them inaccurate). It's the "Dumbo's feather" effect: the magic is in you.
I should have added that I am a complete "feel freak": I want a stringbed that's like solid metal. I do agree with your(?) recommendation to keep going up until you can't reach the baseline, then drop back 1 lb.
I prefer my stringbed to have a bit of 'bounce' also known as 'repulsion'. Hence, I prefer tensions lower than you. Probably nowhere near your level but I enjoy a good game. I am not a power player but more of a outmanoevring style.
To be honest, my main reason for such high tension is the feel aspect; it just happens to make control easier.
but at that tension, you only can "control" a slow shuttle at you, not a fast one. if someone smashes straight or hits really hard at you, you may not have the time/control to turn that return into a slice or a cross court easily as compared to a lower tension where the shuttle can sink into the string bed more.
One thing is clear: different players have very different experiences and perceptions of how string tension affects them. It's highly subjective. The only thing I would worry about is when a player is trying to hit hard, but losing power because the string tension is wrong (typically too tight). Sometimes players are not aware of this. It can cause or exacerbate injuries. Other than that, go for whatever you like best.
Actually I love playing against players whose strings are too tight for their own good... all I do is play baseline with clears to them and that usually tires them out.
how do you know it's the tension? cos i would love to know how you detect that and use that the next time i play
Lol that is exactly what I do in singles. Hey buddy what's your string tension at? 27lbs huh......Must be my lucky day!
Hehe... during warmup while doing deep baseline clears you can listen to the pitch of his shots and you can tell how much effort he needs to put into the shots. If you can consistently pin him to baseline while his clears never reach your rear tramlines, then you'll know his weakness.
