when the tension is lower there is much stronger trampoline effect.

and when the tension is higher the trampoline effect is weaker. there for the shuttle dont move a lot like in low tension racket. And the shot is sharper because the shuttle stay much lesser time on the strings.

if its still unclear just say so.. i just back from my tournament there for im bit triad…so dont really have the power to write much.

Paul,

Thank you for adding some to my post below…

can i ask what tension you use?

Paul said:

M.Y.

Think of the stringbed as a trampoline. The looser the springs (string), the more bounce you can get, which propels you higher. Looser strings (to a point) will give you more power as the strings are able to propel the shuttle further in addition to the speed of the racket face.

The sweetspot of the racket is larger when strings are looser so if you hit slightly off centre, it’s more likely you’ll still get a good result.

As top players hit consistently well, they do not need a large sweet spot. Their timing is also so much better so they don’t need looser string tension to get power.

For a pro player, they are more interested in control. When you increase string tension, you actually get more control and the shuttle responds faster off the racket.

Yes, even a difference of 1lb is enough for you to notice. Bear in mind, this means that every string is tighter by 1lb tension and therefore that’s a lot of string under greater tension.

Be very careful when testing to find the best tension for you. If you know your technique is good, then it’s a lot easier to increase your tensions and benefit by the improved control you’ll get, and probably not notice much difference in power.

If your technique is not too good, beware. Any increase in tension can place undue pressure on your arm or shoulder resulting in tennis elbow or other nasty injuries.

After stringing rackets for over 20 years for beginners to international players here are the tensions I recommend.

Beginner playing plastics  – max 18lbs

Beginner playing feathers  – max 19 lbs

Intermediate playing plastics – max 19lbs

Intermediate playing feathers- max 21lbs

Advanced plastics (rarely happens) – whatever they choose (see below)

Advanced feathers – whatever they have tested and are comfortable using (subject to racket manufacturer recommendations or waiver from player who breaches these recommendations).

Tensions are as personal as racket choice. Test in increments of 1lb tol find what works best for you and appreciate it may take some time to find your ideal tension and string choice.

Paul

 

Paul said:

M.Y.

Think of the stringbed as a trampoline. The looser the springs (string), the more bounce you can get, which propels you higher. Looser strings (to a point) will give you more power as the strings are able to propel the shuttle further in addition to the speed of the racket face.

The sweetspot of the racket is larger when strings are looser so if you hit slightly off centre, it’s more likely you’ll still get a good result.

As top players hit consistently well, they do not need a large sweet spot. Their timing is also so much better so they don’t need looser string tension to get power.

For a pro player, they are more interested in control. When you increase string tension, you actually get more control and the shuttle responds faster off the racket.

Yes, even a difference of 1lb is enough for you to notice. Bear in mind, this means that every string is tighter by 1lb tension and therefore that’s a lot of string under greater tension.

Be very careful when testing to find the best tension for you. If you know your technique is good, then it’s a lot easier to increase your tensions and benefit by the improved control you’ll get, and probably not notice much difference in power.

If your technique is not too good, beware. Any increase in tension can place undue pressure on your arm or shoulder resulting in tennis elbow or other nasty injuries.

After stringing rackets for over 20 years for beginners to international players here are the tensions I recommend.

Beginner playing plastics  – max 18lbs

Beginner playing feathers  – max 19 lbs

Intermediate playing plastics – max 19lbs

Intermediate playing feathers- max 21lbs

Advanced plastics (rarely happens) – whatever they choose (see below)

Advanced feathers – whatever they have tested and are comfortable using (subject to racket manufacturer recommendations or waiver from player who breaches these recommendations).

Tensions are as personal as racket choice. Test in increments of 1lb tol find what works best for you and appreciate it may take some time to find your ideal tension and string choice.

Paul

 

Hi Paul

there is one thing i hate about myself…and its the fact that i love high tension…its braking rackets, strings and sometime shuttles…

i cant play at <27lbs tension…unfortunately.

remember high tension is not always good!

Paul said:

M.Y.

I currently use 23 lbs in my rackets. I find it’s enough although i am going to test very soon. So, I’ll be testing 25lbs, 26lbs and 27lbs if I still feel OK with the higher tensions. However, if 25lbs feels too much and I don’t like the results, then I’ll settle for 23/24. i have no intention of working towards 30lbs as I feel it’s a rediculous tension for a player of my standard

Watch this space as I may change my mind if 27lbs feels good!

You should always take care when testing tensions. Do not increase by large numbers. I prefer max 1lb increase so you’re slowly increasing the loading on your body, not shocking it too much.

Paul