Without a doubt there is an optimal tension for power that depends on swing speed and probably on the weight of the shuttle as well. Think of power as the sum of two vectors. If you swing slow and your tension is high, you won't generate any trampoline effect so it will be like hitting the shuttle with a plank of wood at the extreme. Generally speaking, lower tension will produce more power but only to a point. If you swing really fast and tension is too low, the trampoline will still be winding up when your swing is completed. What you want is the trampoline rebounding vector to add to your swing vector to product maximum net speed and this depends on the individual, swing length, swing speed, racquet flex, where on the strings you hit it, weight of the shuttle etc.
Don't forget two other important factors: thickness of string and weather temperature. My 0.70mm string works perfectly alright @24/26 in summer time. In winter, a 0.68mm string can only take up to @18.
reply Sorry to revive this thread again (it just won't die...) but I've seen an analogy that's interesting. Low tension: think of a 10-year kid with a long bow. The string is set at 15 lbs tension. He can pull the arrow back all the way to right shoulder and release it. High tension: think of the same kid with a long bow set at 70 lbs. He can only pull the string back 3 inches from the vertical. The arrow is going to drop just in front of him. But an full grown adult can pull the 70 lbs string all the way back to his right shoulder and when he releases it, it's going to go a lot further than the 15 lbs string. So higher tension means more power released, but only because you have to be stronger to put more power into the string in the first place. (The other analogy is of course the adult pulling the 15 lbs string. He can easily do it, but he is wasting all that reserve power in his arm that he isn't able to apply to the shot). I think we all agree that there is an optimum range of tensions, somewhere between 22-26 lbs. But depending on your swing speed, the actual optimum will vary from person to person. The faster you swing (and more power you put it) the higher tension will match your optimum power level.
Actually different tension combination is not enough. Different strings have different tensions requirements.
I always do approximately 10% increase in tension for the cross string to try to maintain the racket's original shape. So, I would do 23/25lbs. instead of 24lbs. all around.
24/25 is no problem. The string will move around when new. Once you cut into it good, it'll move less and less.
another question: will cross stringing cause the string to move more than even stringing? does cross-stringing lose tension faster than even stringing?
so what would better cross 25, main 23 or cross 26, main 24 ??? to make things more confusing, my friend told me that he had his at cross 26, main 25 (bg65@yonex mp 100) he insists that 1 lbs higher is more than enough... i am using yonex ns7k, kason pro 90 (0.68 mm, 22 GA) in it.. i am comfortable in the 24-26 range... if i were to follow strictly the 10% thing, it should be cross 25, main 22.5... i am really confused....
Your cross strings will always have a higher tension. To make it easy, if you string the main strings at 24 or less, just do the cross at +2lbs. higher. If 25lbs. or higher, go +3lbs. So for example: 20/22, 21/23, 22/24, 23/25, 24/26 25/28. 26/29, 27/30, 28/31, 29/32
racket tension hi , i have a mp100 with factory strings had llots of power and good touch apparently strung at 23 lbs, which after getting it restrung at 24lbs has now got no power in smashes has become dead and has lost the "ping" sound not "twangs" , ther "ping " sugests to me it was tighter, am going to give it another week for the strings to bed then may get it restrung , question is should i go up or down, 22 or 27 lbs?
A higher pitch sound means the string is at a higher tension. If you can't get any power then go lower in tension.
