My Victor Thruster K9000 strung with BG66 Ultimax gives me great control, but the power for me is just not there. Smashes are weak, probably due to weak wrist or improper technique. However, I must say that it was restrung months ago at 25 lbs. and now has about 40 hours on it, so tension and liveliness surely have decreased. I'm just wondering if I should restring the 9000 at less tension (22-23 lbs., or since it's already about at that maybe less, 21?) for more power, and to get a livelier feel from fresh strings, or give the Victor K6000 a try since the shaft is supposed to have a little more flex, thinking it would give me a little more power, plus the extra flex would help dampen vibrations and be easier on the shoulder. Would a switch to Aerosonic string help? What differences would I notice? Thank You!
im not an expert but i think you should experience with difference strings and different tensions to see what you like first before you look for another racket.
Bg ultimax is a string that dies pretty quickly and only feels good when fresh. You said that the control was good, but lacked power so you're probably right that a decrease in tension is in order. I find it strange that you feel that bg ultimax, one of the best repulsion strings lacks power...
Oh I love the BG66 Ultimax, but can't ignore the raves going on about Aerosonic right now. But I'd happily stay with 66UM. I agree with the tensions. Am I correct in thinking that since it has about 40 hours on it and was strung at 25 lbs. that it now has about 22-23 lbs? Otherwise I inspected the strings and don't see any fraying. I really don't want to lose the control I'm getting, but I HAVE to get some power from somewhere. That's why I was thinking of restringing at 22-23 to see how much power I would gain, and how much control I would lose. The lower tension should also help with the shoulder/vibration problem shouldn't it?
Do you play mainly with plastic of feather shuttles? There are two sides to this issue imo: 1) 40 hours on a set of BG66UM is a lot. Based on my experience, it loses a significant amount of repulsion and feel after 6-8 hours, so I can only imagine that your current set might feel rather dead. Kudos for keeping it alive that long by the way! 2) The TK9000 is not an easy racket to play with. I had the 4U version myself for a while but sold it on since it was probably a bit too stiff and unforviging. So it's definitely a racket that requires good technique. Here's what I would do: First of all, get it restrung with a medium-feeling string like NBG99, No.1 or BG66UM again if you liked the overall feel of it and drop the tension a bit (22-24 lbs.). And then see for yourself if the issue has improved by that or not. If you still feel like you can't get the racket to work for you, then start looking for a more flexible and maybe less head heavy balanced racket. There are a lot of rackets on the market that might fit, so it would be important to know if you're strictly limited to Victor when it comes to suggesting possible candidates.
Aerosonic could be worth a shot too. Don't expect miracles though - it's not like it contains some sort of magical power boost.
J the Bob, This is my first use of BGUM strings, and I'd read that they die pretty quickly. I bought this racket used, with the 40 hours already on the strings. Could it be that they are just worn out power-wise, even though control is still good?
Yes definitely, they start feeling spongy rather quickly and repulsion (and control) goes down a lot after a week or so. I'd say get a restring at a lower tension, aerosonic is also a medium feeling repulsive string like the Ultimax so give it a try if you'd like. Btw there is a huge difference between a string that is at low tension due to tension drop vs freshly strung strings at the same tension because elasticity is lost on the older string which decreases control and feel.
It's fairly impossible to judge a racket that has such worn out strings on it. So before you even think about a new racket, get that TK9000 restrung to get a feel for its true performance. If you take Aerosonic or BG66UM once again doesn't matter really, so just go by your gut feeling there.
s_mair, Feathers only. I'm not strictly limited to Victor, I just found in my initial stages when I was was trying out a lot of rackets that I kept going back to the friends who had Victors. The felt "more right" to me. You've got me somewhat excited by saying my strings should "feel rather dead". I like what I feel now, so fresh strings should feel fantastic! But if only 6-8 hours of life is the best I can expect from 66UM, then maybe I need to look at some others. I assume Aerosonic life would be even worse. Read good things about LN No.1, though. The lower tension should extend life, yes? The "start looking for a more flexible racket" is why I was considering the K6000, but if my current strings are dead enough to be killing the power, that seems like a logical first step (cheaper too!) I agree with you about the unforgiveness of the 9000, but because of that it has made me a better player.
I was basing my string considerations, especially changing to Aerosonics, completely off of this excerpt from Dinkalot's thread: BG66 Force: is in the same boat as BG80Power but not as dramatic. It's very good initially but after 4-5 hours of use, it starts to feel flat. So this is another string I pass on. If you like a softer, more spongy feel, then BG80Power and 66Force will be ideal after the string settles. BG66UM: crisper, better and the feel holds better than 66Force. Aerosonic on the other hand, it's great initially and after many weeks, even months, it's still relatively crisp, taut and responsive. It is the best overall performing string Panda has tried when all things are considered. The only negative is the durability. NBG98: not as good as Aerosonic but probably my second favorite overall string. It's really good, it's just not as good as Aero. LN1: is excellent overall. Not as good as Aerosonic and NBG98 but for its relative durability, among the best strings this Panda has tried. Initially excellent and after even 20 hours of play, still is decently crisp and still has pop. Do you agree with his findings? A little odd that he would say Aerosonics are great initially and for weeks and months after, then cite their durability as a negative.
I think what Panda means is that the aerosonic holds tension well, so feels 'crisp' for longer, but has low durability so it snaps before it goes dead.
So I would say we can limit the suggestions to strings for now and open up the racket discussion once that path has hit a dead end. Basically all strings will lose repulsion and feel over certain periods of usage. But the deterioration curves are very different if you look at several strings. From my experience: BG66UM: very, very good when it's fresh. Drops significantly in repulsion and feel after 6-8 hours - double that and it's practically dead (if it even survives that long without snapping). Aerosonic: unbelievable repulsion when it's fresh, but a bit "bouncy" when it comes to control around the net (my personal opinion, others might feel differently about that...). Deterioration is similar to BG66UM but imo it stays rather playable until it breaks (which will happen rather soon...) No.1: My personal go-to string for several years now. Repulsion very close to BG66UM in the beginning, loses a bit of tension after it has settled for ~2 hours which makes it more forgiving without losing much repulsion. After that initial drop, it stays at a completely acceptable level for a good while (~30+ hours(?)) and if you're not slicing too much, it should last you a decent while before snapping. NGB99: IMO a completely underrated string. Good repulsion with an acceptable drop after a couple of hours but stays playable a lot longer than BG66UM. BG80P: also a very good allround string with a longer playability than 66UM Haven't played 66Force or NGB98 myself yet, so can't say much about those. Finding the right string is a very personal thing, so it will be worth experimenting for a while before you finally decide which way to go.
Based on your suggestions I think I'll try the 9000 restrung at 23 lbs. then go from there. Now to decide on the string. I would have loved to try Aerosonic, but it's relative lack of longevity has me second guessing that decision, and the final nail in the coffin may be your description of it being "bouncy" around the net. Found this about No.1 at low tensions like I plan. "I first played w LN1 at a lower tension. I liked none of it except the repulsion. Tried again about a year later at much higher tension: It was great. This string absolutely sucks at lower tensions." Need to do more investigation. Meanwhile, I've already sent the racket off for restringing.
I've read that statement too but I cannot confirm it in any way. I have several clients (coming from BG80 as well as BG65) who use No.1 at 22'ish tensions and never had any complaints in that regard. I know that many others tend to increase the tension by 1-2 lbs. compared to BG80 for example to compensate that initial drop, but that's it. So you wouldn't be completely off by going with 24 lbs. and see where it takes you. But anyways, if you first of all want to check if the racket might be the more crucial root cause for you issues, then frankly it doesn't matter if you start with 66UM or No.1 or Aerosonic. You will get a feel for how the racket feels with a fresh stringjob on it. If you get a thumbs-up there, you can start testing out other strings and try to find a sweet spot in terms of string/tension. Finding your perfect setup in badminton is a very iterative process and can go on until the end of all days.
BG66UM last at most 2 weeks, after that the stringbed is dead. Give a try on the Aerosonic string at 24lbs for a start. It holds tension so much better than BG66UM. It doesn't break as easily as claimed, I have been using it since it was launched and have yet to break one despite multiple misshits.
Bit the bullet, going with Aerosonic @ 23 lbs. This gentleman is using basically the same racket as me, and his review turned the tide. Hope my experience is similar. Thanks to everyone for your help in this decision. "My standard setup is TK9900 4U + ZM62F at 23lbs. Before, I used to stick with Onigiri +ZM62F at 26lbs. As TK9900 is stiffer and has a smaller, I had to reduce the tension in order to have bigger sweetspot and more forgiving racquet. I play mainly MX or MD with feathers only. I was wondering how Aerosonic and LiNing Nb1 plays. So, I put in one racquetAerosonic at 23lbs and in the other my usual ZM62F also at 23lbs both strung in the same day. I have to say that Aerosonic is better in all aspects and after every session the difference is bigger! Now it is a week after stringing job and forth session in total 6 hrs of play (means 3hrs with each racquet). Aerosonic has softer feel than ZM62F and has unbelievable repulsion. This means that all clears, backhands, lifts are much longer and now after some time also smashes are better. As the Aerosonic is thinner string, racquet is faster and you can feel it! So you have faster racquet longer shots, stronger smash and more feeling at middle court or net. I am impressed, I have to say. The first ZM62 was maybe close, but durability was bad. If I will reach 70% of ZM62F in durability, I will start to use it, without any question. It is IMO the best string in low tension you can find on the market. Did not try LiNing yet, but at this tension it is giving me everything I was looking for. More feel, more power, more forgiving racquet, faster racquet. Fantastic! Only I pray it keeps tension at least for 3 weeks and does not brake often."
Coming from that zombie 66UM you will feel like you've entered repulsion heaven. Durability of the Aerosonic is suprisingly good for such a thin string, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. As mentioned, the only issue I had with it was to manage the ultra-repulsion in touch shots around the net. However, I'd expect that this is also a matter of time and simply getting used to the string. Would be interesting to see where your string & racket journey will lead you in the end, so any further updates are highly welcome.
I got my Victor Thruster K9000 back, freshly strung with Aerosonic @ 23 lbs, and played for a couple of hours with it last night. I'm quite impressed with Aerosonic as it did everything I wanted it to. High backhand serves to the far back corners took less power, clears were going all the way to the back line with plenty of height, side-line drives and placements were crisp and accurate, cross-court shots were accurate, and I actually felt like I had a little power in my smashes. Everyone knew when I hit a shot because of the high-pitched "ping" sound the strings give. About the only negatives I felt were that I perceived that the strings lost a little crispness from the time I started until I quit (or I might have just been getting tired, played 6-8 games), and I think I felt the "bounciness" that s_mair described at the net. My little dinks back over the net seemed to go a little higher than I intended whether it was straight back over the net or a diagonal cut-back shot. All-in-all I like the string, but have no experience with other kinds to compare it to (the BG66UM was DOA) The racket: I still felt that my K9000 was a little too head heavy for me, and my arm did feel a little tired after I finished, something I don't normally feel. My friend with the TKF was there, and his racket still felt better than mine because it has a more even balance and is faster to move around and handle, even though I don't like the smaller head which would be less forgiving of mis-hits and has a smaller sweet spot. So, expect to see my K9000 up for sale or trade (for a TKF) soon. The friends racket was strung @ 31 lbs. with Victor 66N string which I am told is equivalent to BG66UM. I'm not sure how many hours he has on it, but over 6 for sure. It makes me wonder what it would feel like around 27-28 lbs with Aerosonic.
