Proper methods for stringing Yonex

The main reason for doing the 3 outer mains as such is for structural integrity purposes and from personal experience the non-Yonex recommended pattern does change the shape (looks a little more oval at the top as opposed to square) of the strung racquet very slightly from the unstrung shape, especially if the racquet was not strung with a 6 point support machine.

The most important thing in this case (for the SE Asian stringers) is that if the stringer will be willing to string starting from the centre mains and end on the edges. A lot of these stringers will insist on stringing from one side to the other because they only want to use just one clamp for the whole job and it really does save them a lot of time per racquet while they're at it. Without ample protection this method is not good for the racquet frame at all. The stresses during stringing is not balanced from one side to the other as opposed to stringing from the centre out.

 

I don't know about anyone else, but i find i can get the string to sit neater against the frame when i do the YY patterm

 

Do you mean "both" as in doing the "non-Yonex pattern" both with and without 6 point support to compare the difference?

There certainly are a lot of SEA stringers but particularly those who own those cheaper [Ashaway] machines which comes with a pair of sliding clamps who would remove one of the clamps for stringing convenience (less blockage) and string using only one clamp, thus starting the main from the side. You may not have witnessed these stringers in the upper hemisphere region (Hong Kong, etc) but we who live nearer to the equator (Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia) have these kinds of stringers all over us. The string job can be identified by noticing that the knot at the frame bottom is a larger starting knot rather than a smaller neater finishing knot.

I apologise for this rant but the worst stringers I have seen are the Indian stringers, who would promise one thing and produce a totally different result such as asking for 30lbs and then receiving 24lbs and asking for Yonex pattern then receiving the lazy 2 knot pattern. Worst case I have witnessed is the customer asking why the stringers didn't follow the customer's request and them arguing that they have never been requested as such in the first place

 

Did you watch the way the Yonex stringers strung rackets at the AE? I meant to but got sidetracked by the badminton and the Yonex racket stand.

Personally I always start at the bottom then work up and put +2 lbs on the cross and have broken no rackets as of yet, but I have only strung somewhere in the region of 50 rackets. Also my rackets have always come out the same length as the unstrung version, so I have stuck with what works. I always follow the Yonex stringing patterns for each racket and will do my best to look for other rackets stringing patterns. If not I follow the most logical pattern.

I also started on badminton rackets, tennis and squash rackets are really easy by comparison, but I don't entirely trust my machine at tennis racket tensions (so avoid them).

Most of the UK private stringers have all been very good, all badminton players and they understand what the player wants. Have no idea of local shops having never used them.

 

I must admit I sat down between courts two and three and just drifted away - it was wall-to-wall awesomeness, so there was no time to traipse off looking at stringers or exhibits!

I did hear Gill say in commentary that 460+ rackets had been done, and that was in the middle of semi-finals, so they must have reached at least 500 by the end of the tourney.

Wrt patterns, I obey rigidly the Yonex code except in very few cases; the only rackets that require me to get creative are the 96-holers (Forza/Ashaway) and the daft Babolat X-Feels - either of which I do as a one-piece with a starting clamp.

 

I was glad to be there at the AE from QFs to the Finals and agree it was awesome. Also I did observe and speak to the Yonex stringer outside the entrance to block 2 who was stringing for Yonex customers. He was mainly doing them at 24 - 26 lbs on the ES5Pro and was starting out from the centre mains, and doing the crosses from bottoms up. He didn't have the swivel clamps installed and just tended to use either one or two fly clamps. I asked him too about the tension for the crosses but he kept the mains and crosses at the same tension and not at 10% extra poundage. His answer was that it didn't make any difference and that the iso shape was not distorted. Not sure if that perspective applied to the tournament stringers though!

 

I spoke to a Yonex stringer too and I asked him about the Yonex and Non-Yonex stringing method, he told me he uses 2 flying clamps and uses the non-yonex method as players cannot feel the difference. He was being paid by Yonex to stand and string for them.

I think the main reason yonex specify a patten is because it requires a little extra effort to string their pattern and most stringers can't be bothered. If the racquet breaks yonex can claim the stringing pattern was incorrect and the stringer should have followed the pattern. Just shifting blame to keep more profit. I have sent racquets back to them that broke with the yonex pattern and they told me my tesion was too high. 26lbs on a racquet that had a max of 24lbs...

 

When you string a racquet using a 6 point support system such as the (officially used) ES5Protech, the distortions on the frame will be minimised to near zero. If you try to do the non-Yonex pattern while using a 2 point support system (where the frame is free to warp during the stringing process), there will be a very minor change in the frame shape (IME ISO frames look more oval as a result).

Most mistakes that lead to the frame breakage actually happens during the stringing process (which is where everyone wants to avoid). Once the racquet is in play, as long as there are no mishits or fractures/cracks in the frame, the racquet will not break at all, even with a non-recommended pattern.

 

Actually, Yonex has recommended patterns for good reasons. Their patterns often help achieve longer playability (less tension loss), better performances as well as minimal warping risks for the rackets.

To help minimize the tension loss from the knots, the patterns have the knots positioned in such a way that there is a kind of "Tug of War" interaction with the knots. I believe Taneepak has posted about this on these boards.

The Yonex patterns are also useful to maximize the performance of your racket and your stringbed. For instance, starting your crosses from b9 (as opposed to closer to the throat as suggested by several patterns) helps your racket in achieving better aerodynamics. Less friction against the air from having one or two less strings makes a difference. Yonex patterns are also often designed to maximize the sweet spot area of your racket.

As for racket warping, well the patterns are just thought in such a way that a racket shouldn't warp unless it is already damaged, strung at a way too high tension or strung using a machine with bad supports for the racket. You'll also notice that Yonex' patterns advise that you skip the main string before the last and go back to pull tension on the last 2 mains at the same time, which is almost the equivalent of the method that implies pulling your last mains and crosses at a 1-2 lbs tension to prevent racket warping. This doesn't mean that a racket will warp if you're not using the recommended pattern for the racket, however these patterns are generally very safe for your racket.

While Yonex patterns are not the absolute best, they are a good compromise between playability, durability and performance. Professional players will often have their rackets strung in such a way that the risks for the racket to break or warp is increased. However, these players are sponsored for a reason . I am in no way saying that one should only stick with recommended patterns, but I'm just saying that these patterns are more well thought than you would think.

Hope this helps