Kim Dong Moon used to play around 25 lbs sometimes. Just sayin'... Most amateur players should probably not be stringing much higher than 24 anyway. Obviously it depends on the player, but in recent years there's been an unfortunate trend for players using much higher tensions than they can safely handle.
But @Gollum I'm using 30lbs on my left. I don't find any benefit to going lower. I don't produce more power with it low, and if anything it just takes away control at the net. I can't say I'm exactly versed after having switched hands. So by safely handle, do you mean people that have poor technique to the extent that they're causing themselves injury with a harder string bed?
Yes, that is my concern. But I wouldn't call it "poor technique", because that makes players assume it doesn't apply to them. Only other people have poor technique. Every player is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. If you get more / equal power at 30 lbs that's great -- follow what feels best to you. I just believe that for most players, super-high tensions are not suitable. They are not suitable because they lead to a substantial loss of power, and a correspondingly increased strain on the arm. It concerns me that pro tensions are normalised on Badminton Central. Sometimes it feels like everyone and his dog -- that's a beginner dog who only took up badminton this year -- is playing at 30+ lbs.
Don't get me wrong I find issues with my technique every time I rewatch footage but I do not injure myself. I had to gain perspective on what you said because it could mean safely as in, they cannot play effectively with that tension (lacking power etc.), or it could mean as I described, injury. I can't go for low tensions anymore because I enjoy the feeling too much in higher tensions. I agree to an extent, but I also disagree a little. At present, I don't see a need for anyone to play under 22lbs of tension - modern strings and rackets are so easy and forgiving, even beginners can use them. I think it'd be a rare case, such as a beginner child, that couldn't make use of 22lbs of tension. This leads to a normalization of 24/25lbs for intermediate players, and I would say that's par for the course.
Thanks @Charlie-SWUK I'm in a dilemma ATM. Can't decide between trying a li Ning No. 1, BG65Ti, BG80P or BG80 Or try a string with a smaller gauge, like the 66 or 66Force Been reading a fair bit over the days but still indecisive
to be honest, reading on the forum does nothing good for you. try out a few string, see what YOU feel "good" for you and stick with it. Practice! The most important thing is technique. 2 of my close friends who are at national league level (i know, Australia standard is low but anyhow) dont even care which string they use. One of them has been thinking for years that hes using BG65 though i found out later its actually NBG99 cuz his racquets are all strung by his sponsored and he thought they were BG65 for years. He didnt even care, only amateur like me noticed it NBG99 after playing around with his racquet. The guy still couldnt read the name of the string on his racquet after i told him what string it was. The other guy also using NBG99 (this guy knows hes using NBG99 lolz) cuz he said its feel "better" than BG65 and still durable. Thats all, not much details than that. BOTH of them have thunderous smashes and its a joy to watch them play every week. They been using the same string for a few years now (since i know them and started to learn to play)
Well give some a try. Those are all popular string. 66f is a bit dull and lifeless in my experience, 66um is the way to go. I last used bg80 a few years ago, and it made my arm sore to hit with it. It's such a hard string. Be aware of these feelings as you play - if it feels hard and hurts, the string is wrong for you, even though it's one of the most popular strings. I use Li Ning no.1 because it has the high repulsion and control of a string like 66um, but I feel that it lasts longer. When you have your ideal string, stick with it and get familiar with it.
I will describe the feeling of smashing with lining #1 and bg80p in the best way i could : I use lining #1 in bs12 blue 3u, strung at 27lbs And bg80p in vtzf2 4u, strung at 27lbs With lining #1, i feel that i cannot deliver the power from my arm and wrist, because when the the racket hits the shuttlecock, it is like its only a slightest touch and the shuttlecock already moved forward, and 0.65mm string couldnt channel the power from my swing to the shuttlecock (when you hit sweetspot its like hitting a wall with several small hammer). However, for net play, just a touch and the shuttlecock will go the way you want it to go. Using bg80p, so much difference. Its like you hit a wall with one big hammer rather than several small hammer, it goes like WHAM! In 1 sweetspot. well i maybe exaggerate it a little bit but thats how i feel it.you can feel the shuttlecock hit the stringbed because the string is thick and not so much repulsion. The power channels better from your hand to the shuttlecock because of it also. It might be an illusion whether you generate better power in smashing with bg80p or not as the shuttle might not travel faster than the one you hit with lining #1, but hell the feeling is so much better with bg80p. Downside is, you need to adjust the timing and power on your net play because it is not so repulsive
Can't but agree with this. To illustrate: At the recent 2016 Singapore Open, almost every player under the Yonex label asked for their racquets to be strung with Yonex BG-66 Ultimax. The bulk of the requested tensions ranged from 26 lbs to 31 lbs (the highest this year was 33 lbs - for a Japanese MS player). And then there are the little quirks... While almost everyone collects their strung racquets before the end of the day, one top player prefers his racquets to be strung just hours before he plays. They are NOT done by the 'official' stringer but, instead, privately by the team stringer on a machine carted to the player's hotel. (You can guess who this is - I'm avoiding names to avoid trouble for those who work on such things.) He uses BG-80 Power but yet has at least two racquets strung with the thicker BG-65 Ti. So, to go back to answering the OP's question - there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all. After all, is there any player who doesn't want a hard smash? If only one particular string provided a hard smash, that would be a major problem.
I know what you want to figure it and agree. But don't forget that many people uses here very very different rackets, play in different climate and at very different levels. Most people go for the rackets which don't suit them. I also made the mistake at the beginning, that something really headheavy is the holy grail, but it also don't work for me after a decade. There are many culprits for pain. Plastics vs. feathers is also a different book. I would also say that some strings work at lower tensions better to a special limit and some better at higher tension. Some loose tension so quick that something higher is aimed for a settle tension. Also count in the diameter. FME thinner strings feel much tighter. BG66UM at 26 will feel tighter than BG65 past 30. A bunch of stringer with a crank in the basement must clock higher for same results. Stringers are also a factor. Some stringer feed the egos of their clients and string lower, because they know them. Also count in the factor that a guy with a machine will never care about durability. If I must pay 20USD and more for a restring, it would influence my choice much instead of 6 USD. The thing what counts on court is if you loose or win and no winner will credit your sky high tension if you loose. Go for that what makes you feel most comfortable and listen to your own feel. I remember a funny story. I strung for a guy at my club (pretty decent tennis player) his badminton racket. I gave him his racket during training and quoted the tension and string to him because he asked for it. He always say: "Do what you would recommend." and nearly a half douzen guys were laughing about his tension, which was much lower than their tension by a few lbs. He has IMO one of the hardest and most effective smashs in my club and a really crazy cross court backhand clear like a dream. I fear his smash much more than the smash of the guys which were laughing. I would laugh about their ineffective smashs, if I'm badass...
If you can't feel whether or not the string has lost tension, then you're not very concerned about the overall string tension. It is quite simple actually. When you like playing with 30 lbs, then you will feel when the tension has gone down, as it will feel different
Completely agree! Now, THAT is BS. Unless you mean that the BG80@25 will feel sloppy in comparison. But that's not really what you say, is it? I'm putting forth a bold guess: You have never played the BGAS! BGAS@24 will feel much tighter and more crisp than BG80@25.
You can track your tension with a chromatic tuner app via smartphone, but I don't recommend it. I did it before or a period and leaded to weekly restrings. Now I go by feel,the most important thing IMO. If it feels right, it is right regardless what the number says... I wouldn't call me a hard smasher. Some people in my club think this, but I'm more into variation and angles and can create the situation to make my smash most effective. I used so many different strings and can only remember that my smash went weaker in terms of power when the strings lost their repulsion after around 2-3 weeks or when I strung 3-4lbs above my preferred tension. Tension and string are a unity. I wouldn't string anything at my current tension choice the same. String characteristics and rackets also matters for the tension choice.
You quoted the wrong guy. I'm the one with those opinions. I played with BGAS on my Arc10 strung at 30 pounds, while all my other Arc10's were strung with BG66UM at 30 pounds. BGAS felt a little tighter than BG66UM but not more than .5 pounds. Yes, you will notice a difference between strings, however I believe that string tension is alpha omega, while string selection only partially will adjust the feel of the racket. BGAS@24 will still feel less tight than BG80@25 imo.
Naahh, I've played the same racket with BGAS@24 and BG80@25, and BGAS felt and sounded like the harder string. Especially on serves, netshots and other delicate plays. Ping frequency Will tell you a lot here. But it's true that BG80 have the hard feeling, which make up some of the difference. I do agree with you, that the range of options from tension, give you a lot more different setups and feels, than going thicker or thinner on the strings. But not to the extend that just +1lb trumps all...
A bit late to the party here but here's my thoughts. Just so you know, I am the player that hits pretty hard with practically any racquet and string. I used the BG AS for about 3 re strings and don't like it much. First, it breaks. Usually lasts only about 5 hours of play... and that's just at 24lbs. Second, I think the lack of shock absorption gives me tennis elbow faster than other strings. Lastly, the string has a lack of feel on hard hits and feels like it's "stretched out". The BG66UM is a much better string. It feels similar in many ways but the feel and durability is much better. BG 65 is good, as it seems to last forever. However, the string does feel a bit soft at the same tension as BG66UM. Li ning No. 1 is decent, but I've only strung it once. I dislike the BG80/BG85 strings, but that's just me. They feel quite harsh in my experience.
