Importance of properly mounting a racquet to "neutral" when stringing

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by taneepak, Jul 21, 2007.

  1. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    i think jerby, fishmilk, and silentheart have made many good points.
    Every stringer want a finished racket undeformed. If someone mis-mount a racket, i think he worries about racket durability more so than about the optimum racket springiness. Since yonex uses high to ultra high modulus graphite on high end rackets, i dont think yonex value racket frame bounciness that much. Yes, yonex employed elastic ti in NS9000 but to me they are testing an idea or a marketing pitch. However, this elastic ti suppose to work regardless how u mount a NS9000. I think choosing a right string, right tension, right racket (shaft) stiffness to match your play style are more significant than to worry about frame springiness. If u really value frame springiness, buy the E-10000 made from springy vectran fibers. Hmmm, it just happen taneepak is selling these:p
     
  2. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    I agree.

    We are talking about the ideal world vs. the reality right now. I think most players should be happy with a decent (or at least acceptable) job from a local stringer with reasonable price. It's true that we can push the stringers to the edges, and force for everything 100% in perfection. However, what's the point? How to set the margin of error? Does anyone (or, most ppl) willing to pay extra for the "difference", which is hardly noticeable? :rolleyes:
     
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  3. IvanM

    IvanM Regular Member

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    hi TEP
    can any HKer try them out?
     
  4. Matt

    Matt Regular Member

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    Just to add on top. Even some people would consider that these differences can also be considered mickey mouse.
     
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  5. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Yes, why not? I am still trying to make further improvements on the prototype and I think I can get it ready for a production run of 200 racquets by mid August. You will have to pay a deposit of HK$300, which is refundable, and you must return the racquet within 1 week with no scratches or damage.
     
  6. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Actually it is possible to have a string job done with almost the same neutral shape of an unstrung racquet. I have been doing it all the time. Suggest you go and observe how a Barbolet machine works-it can help you a little but not all.
     
  7. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Putting your racquet on the floor and against the wall and then tracing the top frame contour, once before and once after stringing, is the standard that clients should do. Stringers may not like it but you the customer has the right to demand the best from the market. What is wrong with that?
     
  8. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    Customers think they have more rights than God, and not willing to pay a penny more. Do you want to satisfy them, and they always have unlimited boundaries for "future improvement". :cool:
     
  9. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    With a properly strung racquet,
    when you hit the shuttle, in what way does the frame "flex" ?
    Does it become more round, or more narrow ?

    I think that with 500+ lb of tension in each direction holding the frame, it is not going to noticeably move at all. There will be no flexing in the plane of the strings, and there is no "extra" power there to be lost.

    I don't think developing a new racquet will prove anything.
    Take two of the same racquet.
    String one properly and the other distorted (but at same tension).
    Compare the two.
    Then come back and tell us how big the power difference is.

    It's not so much that I don't believe you, more that you're a long way from convincing me that this effect makes a noticeable difference.
     
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  10. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    When a racquet is strung at high tension and still retain its neutral shape, a power shot, especially of the type that uses the wrist snap, will flex the frame inwards along the longer sides and then regain its original shape in a flash.
    I don't know about others, but I sure can feel the difference between one that has its native flex squeezed dead and one that is neutral. It just feels more lively, more airy, and if you play with a sore elbow or shoulder you will see and feel it even more. I have players who bought brand new racquets complaining that their strings were rubbish requesting me to restring; but I found that many times the fault was with an overly overstretched frame.
    However with tensions that are below 27lbs the difference may be marginal. BTW, overstretched frames can also sometimes be the cause of micro tears at the 12 o'clock.
     
  11. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    If one stringer can string a racquet and still retains its neutral shape and another stringer does one that is overstretched, as shown by a double trace (2 lines instead of one) on the wall qc check, do you think the customer will not be too particular as to which stringer he will use in future?
     
  12. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    Do you have evidence to support this, or is it just a theory?
    Why does the tension increase by so much more in the crosses than the mains?

    Does the same happen in tennis or squash?
     
  13. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    I would like to get youradvice on this one. If a customer comes over to your shop and trace the top of the frame like you said. After you strung the racquet @ 30X33 lb and you test it yourself and find out that the frame is longer by 1mm on 1 side and good when you face the racquet the other way. What will you do?
    1) cut the string and restring it again? measure the racquet before you string the second time?
    2) ask the customer to check him/herself to see if it pass?
    3) are you sure the racquet line draw correctly at first place?
    What if 2) and customer ask you to restring?
    As I posted before, which rule should I follow? 10% or +3 lb difference at high tension? because it will make at lease 1 mm difference in length with these 2 method at the high tension you are proposing.
    Thanks in advance.
     
  14. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    How can you determine the fault was with an overly overstretched frame?
    How many times did you restring their racquet with the same string at the same tension?
    Did you keep all other things equal?
    Or did you increase their tension and/or change the string?
     
  15. Matt

    Matt Regular Member

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    The crosses is shorter than the mains.
     
  16. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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    At least in tennis, the general rule is you DECREASE 3 lbs since the crosses are shorter. In some cases, people may do the same tension the whole way through because of ATW stringing, or to reduce string movement.

    I think the difference is, that the tennis frame is so thick, after stringing the mains, it can still hold its shape, where as the badminton frame will easily get compressed by the mains and extra tension on the crosses are required to "fix" the shape.
     
  17. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    If the stringbed deflected in a simple way I would agree that the crosses would have to lengthen more than the mains.
    I don't think it's so simple. I don't know, but I think it's more like a bell curve, and that there is not much difference in the stretching between mains and crosses.
     
  18. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

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    i don't think he meant the tension increase on the strings, I think he means the 'tension' (maybe a poorly chosen term, in a stringersforum) or stress on the sides of the racketframe increase.

    the racket basically folds at the sides (~3 o clock) and snaps back into shape. Or at least, that's the theory...It is also what yonex advertises with elastic-ti.

    and what Tanpeek says is that this only happens when a racket is strung to perfection...
     
  19. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    Surely the frame can only change shape (in that plane) due to changes in tension in the string, because only the string is in contact with the frame.

    (Unless the head narrows because of the difference in speed between the throat and the tip :rolleyes: )
     

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