correct 100%.yeah,me too.since I am only using 21-22lbs .2-4 or whatever makes no difference to me too.
No, the difference is if it is one (2 knots) or two pieces (4 knots) of string. If you use two piece, you lose a little amount of tension when you tie off the mains on the last two strings. If you use one piece (around the world technique), there is no loss in those side strings. Also, some rackets are designed for two-piece method where crosses go from the bottom up, and a one-piece pattern may damage the racket at very high tensions because the crosses start near the top. By default, I prefer to string with the one-piece. If you use a reel, you can squeeze out one or two more stringings by not having to leave extra to tie off the mains.
ATW(Around the world)This method is used when a manufacturer designs a racket with tie-offs for the mains at the bottom part of the racket frame and requires a top-down method for the crosses (2 piece stringing with top-down crosses) thus when using a traditional one piece stringing it would not be possible to start the crosses from top-down, therefore the ATW method is used or adopted by the stringer when a player insists in a 1 piece stringing.The ATW method is more common in tennis rather than in badminton as some tennis rackets have specific tie-off spots indicated by manufacturers compared to badminton.
I find the ATW to be more consistent than the standard 1 piece because there is a lot less string on the outside of the grommets. Could just be me pulling that out of my butt, but it is a much more interesting technique to me anyway. I also like that the "long" side is not super long, which sometimes leads to binding if you preweave using a thicker string.
Hi. Wow. It's an old thread. I have been curious lately which is why i am looking inside this thread. The shop strung all my rackets at 27lbs. However i noticed that they have different patterns; 2 knots and 4 knots. I found that I prefer the 2 knots more. It feels livelier than 4 knots and more repulsive. I dislike the 4 knots so much that i cut off the string the next day and restrung it. Can any of the string expert here explain?
The stringer just strung your 2 knot racket in a different way and you like that way better. Or they are different rackets and will feel different no matter how you string them. There is absolutely no reason why a 2 knot pattern would feel different than a 4 knot pattern (assuming they are both strung properly).
It's strung on the same type of racket which is Voltric 80. I have three so it's easy for me to differentiate. It's probably due to poor stringing but as of now, I prefer to have my rackets strung in 2 knots. I find the string tension holds up quite well.
Like Yan says, the knot count shouldn't make a difference. The pattern however could. Meaning, if one of the jobs are strung button-up and the other are top-down (the crosses), or even mid-out, that would explain your different feel.
Did you ask your stringer to string both rackets differently or did he just do it because he felt like it ? If it's the latter, that's one sign of an inexperienced stringer and that is most likely the cause of what you have noticed.
@yan.v As I understood it, it was a shop delivery, so it is probably different stringers working in the same shop, using different patterns. I see this here in Denmark as well, that shops have multiple stringers that do their own patterns. Even shops that are considered "the very best" in badminton equipment and stringing do this. So much more the reason to go with a "personal" club stringer, rather than a shop. Cheers, FeatherBlaster
Then they are not the best I personally string for ketcher-sport in Aalborg, we purely do string patterns based on the recommended pattern for the brand in question. The patterns are printed out and available to the stringer, on a typical day I tend to use 3-4 different patterns depending on the rackets that come in. In my eyes, as a stringer it is my duty to make sure that i provide the best possible service.
Thumbs up for that! You do have a valid point, in determining what pattern to use. I don't know if one should use the pattern suggested by the manufacturer, or the pattern that you as the leading stringing shop in your area thinks is the preferred one? It's a tough call. There are pros and cons for each. I'm not really sure if some of the varying patterns I've seen at this local shop, is because of suggested manufacturer patterns, but I don't think it was - I think it was some of their stringers just going another way about it. In doing recommended patterns, you do different jobs for the same client, if he brings different rackets. He can have come to you with Yonex rackets for years, getting bottom-up two-piece jobs, and then the first time he brings some odd Forza, he'll get a one-piece top-down job, and his racket will feel different. I kind of like your approach, just saying that it's not completely without problems. Also, if you are going to string outside recommended tension (which I suppose you do), you will have to not go top-down, in order to not break your clients rackets (I'm guessing). The only true correct way to handle this, is the ask the client: "Would you like the recommended pattern for this racket, which is a bit different from the >normal< stringing pattern"?
The recommended pattern is not the problem here. Some brand recommend sub par patterns and it is totally ok to use a different one in those cases. In all cases, consistency is key. I just think that any shop that offers stringing services should make efforts to use the same pattern on all rackets, or at least when a customer brings multiple rackets, they should all be strung the same way. Imagine going to a tournament, breaking your strings and switching to a racket that you thought was the same, but doesn't play at all the same! As far as shop vs home stringers go, in my experience some home stringers are a lot worse than bad shop stringers. But in both cases, you want a stringer that took the time to learn properly and also took the time to validate what they have learned. The biggest mistake that a lot of stringers make is assume that what they have learned is absolute truth and that creates stringers with "20+ years of experience" that string worse than a rookie.
So Yan - your take is that a shop should NOT use manufacturer recommended pattern, unless the client specifically ask for it? (A bit like I hinted in my reply to KNielsen - and also what I do myself). I do however understand his point, that if you as a client brings a Victor racket to a shop, and ask for it to be strung, you would expect it to be strung the way Victor says it should be strung. Cheers, FeatherBlaster
I would never say that one should not use the manufacturer recommended pattern. If one follows the recommended patterns all the time, it's perfectly fine as long as they do it every single time so that every time a customer gets their racket back its is strung the same way. As for myself, unless the pattern really makes sense or the racket is special in some way, the basic patterns work. A lot of manufacturers still recommend 2 knots, I never do 2 knots unless the racket doesn't allow for 4 knots. Super Series tournament stringers (in both tennis and badminton) stick to one pattern unless the players ask for something specific (pattern, knots, pre-stretch, top-down/bottom/up, etc.)
To be quite fair, we typically use the regular Yonex pattern, 4 knots bottom to top approach for ~90% of all rackets. Victor have specific requirements for warranty returns etc which means that certain models need to be strung in a certain way, that is taken into account on every string. On a normal day I typically use 3 patterns, where two of them are victor specific, all of them are 4 knots though the rest of the rackets get the regular Yonex bottom to top pattern, naturally depending on the specific model as some rackets does not support 4 knots, that could be the Forza rackets, or even worse some of the latest Carlton rackets which are without grommets for the crosses, yes you read that right, the strings circle around the frame instead of passing through which is an absolute pain to string!
= you string approx. 20 rackets per day? Do you sell Victor rackets in your shop, since you get so many of them? I've strung 500 rackets now, and my total Victor count is... ZERO. It has not been my understanding that Victor is used much in Denmark, but it's probably varying a lot from club to club, and depend upon local shop selections and club sponsorship. I must admit, that if I get a request for a hard string on a Forza racket (did a 14 kg one about a month ago), I DON'T go for their suggested top-down 1-piece pattern (some models), but two-piece them in the "regular" direction. I wouldn't like to hand over a broken racket... That Carlton pattern, is that the one where the strings also alternate up/down in those groves cut into the sides of the racket? It looks strange - I've yet to try it I did however get one Prince Hybrid Blue racket, that had cut-outs in the side, and U-shaped open "grommets". Kind of like the same their O3 SpeedPorts has in the top, just on the sides and with actual grommets (speciel ones though). This is the actual racket, though it's difficult to see the special side ports and grommets:
