Which tension / string to increase the speed of my hits ?

Discussion in 'Badminton String' started by Le Greg, Apr 27, 2011.

  1. Le Greg

    Le Greg Regular Member

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    Hi all,

    new on the forum so here my first question :

    I want to increase the speed of my hits and also a bit bored with my current racket features :-D so I'm thinking to change the string.

    my main point will be to get more speed. I'm using a Wilson K-Power at 20 lbs.
    1) will increase the tension to 22 might help ?
    2) any recommandation about the string itself ?

    thanks in advance for your reply.

    Greg
     
  2. Shoutsu

    Shoutsu Regular Member

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    By speed, do you mean power?
     
  3. Le Greg

    Le Greg Regular Member

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    no : I don't want the shuttle to go further on the pitch just to be faster.
    cheers
    Greg
     
  4. Blitzzards

    Blitzzards Regular Member

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    The tighter or the higher the tension (up the lbs) you string, the faster the shuttle will be repelled from your racquet face and the faster it will fly. But this is only in theory and be careful if you are not used to high tension.
     
  5. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Bg 80 @ 22lbs would be a good safe choice to start with for you.

    But remember, you'll have to swing and accelerate your forearm faster with tighter strings... Which in itself will lead to faster shuttle speeds.
     
  6. urameatball

    urameatball Regular Member

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    weaker players benefit from lower tension.
    stronger players need higher tension.

    I'm going to assume you're rather weak (hence asking how to hit faster), so I'm recommending 20-22lb.

    btw, better string won't make you stronger. practice your swing, work out!
     
  7. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    improve your technique. the string won't help that much if you are weak.

    and please, don't go to high tension. it won't help you a bit unless you are already strong player.
     
  8. Le Greg

    Le Greg Regular Member

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    thanks for your reply without fuss

    much appreciated you don't bring some judgement in your reply.
     
  9. Yoppy

    Yoppy Regular Member

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    Hi Greg, firstly welcome to BC :) no seriously welcome to BC. It's a great place to share info and learn unknown stuffs. Ok to your question: my rule of thumb is (assuming the technical side of things are all good) when you can not increase the speed of the shuttle even you hit harder and harder, that means it's time to increase your tension. My suggestion is to stay with your current gauge size and increase the tension by 1 or 2 lbs from the current tension.
     
  10. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    No problem. :). The others are also quite helpful, but after being inundated by this question on a weekly basis, I think they're kinda tired of giving a pat answer. What they say is true though.

    When you increase your tension, you'll find initially that you'll lose power in clears and smashes. Give it a few hrs for the strings to settle and bed down. Then concentrate on a focused strike, where you concentrate the power of your shot into a shorter impact time. In a way the tighter strings require this technique to hit properly and also forces the user to improve his technique.
     
  11. Shoutsu

    Shoutsu Regular Member

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    Yeah I agree. I was baffled a bit first when you said you didn't want power... But more power = speed too. In any case, you would want a lower tension for more speed in the shuttle... However, at 20lbs, that's already really low. Therefore other members are right in saying that you should perhaps focus on improving your hit and technique :)
     
  12. DanhNguyen5.3

    DanhNguyen5.3 Regular Member

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    I still dont get what your trying say... :S, you say you dont want power but you want speed?, how can you obtain that if you dont have power ??
    but for the string one just if you know you have a fast swing or a 'powerful swing' get a high tension cuz a lower tension wont do you any good, and if you swing takes a long time til impact (about a feew nanoseconds longer) then get abit lower tension, people are saying to get 20-22 to be safe but they dont know how you swing soo I'm saying from 20-24. But seriously everythign comes down to how you swing and your technique, work on that first IF your worried about it.
     
  13. arfandy

    arfandy Regular Member

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    My smash isn't really powerful but fast enough, but once the opponent could return it to my side, the speed increases by 20~30% and i'm having difficult time to retrieve it shall i'm not ready to receive. My partner, on the other hand, his smash is very powerful with bombing-sounding alike but isn't really fast enough like mine. & the opponent 90% can always able to get the shuttle but having a hard time to return the smash to our side with the perfect placement. My question, are these two different power vs speed (mine sounds like a sniper-gun & my partner's sounds like a bazooka), somehow related to the string & tension? or purely on hitting technique execution? Well, both of us using YY BG66 Medium Feeling, while mine was strung @ 26x25Lbs, but i never bother asked his tension. We tried to switch the racket of each other but it doesn't change the fact & sound of our smashes.
     
  14. Blitzzards

    Blitzzards Regular Member

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    Yes, you are correct when you noticed that the difference in the smashing sound between you and your partner could be related to the tension. Since the two of you are using the same string when you made this comparison, the only other factors then are the racquet and the tension.

    From your explanation, I would guess that you are using an even balanced to headlight racquet with a slim frame while your partner's is a head heavier racquet with a thicker frame. When your racquet's string bed hits the shuttle, it vibrates in an instant moment almost as a whole (string plus frame) and the sound given off is a resonant sound. The thicker frame will be physically similar to a thicker string on lets say a piano or guitar the sound will be thicker and more powerful compared to the thinner frame. This is for the case that both of you are strung at the same tension but since both of you are using the thin BG66, a 1 to 2lb difference between yours and his won't give a big difference in sound unless he uses up to 4lbs lower than yours.

    The reason why your opponents find it harder to return your partner's smash is mostly because he is hitting a better angle than you. When you hit a fast but not-so-steep angled smash, it is easier for your opponents to push back as according to Newton's third law, your smash will normally come back to you when blocked in a similar angle (so less steep angle smash will equal more flight arc and distance when returned). Your partner's on the other hand should have been hitting a steeper smash than you which is harder to return as the return would normally go higher upwards with a smaller arc.

    I hope you don't mind that I'm guessing that you are shorter than your partner or that he can jump and reach higher than you :D
     
  15. Porky

    Porky Regular Member

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    Agreed....the partner's smashing angle is probably more steeper coz of better wrist action as well :)
     
  16. chris-ccc

    chris-ccc Regular Member

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    Probably, playing with a faster speed shuttlecock could help

    .
    Greg, to increase the speed of your hits, you will need proper timing and proper stroke production. They are the solutions.

    If you are not with proper timing and proper stroke production, then I shall say that increasing your string tension won't be help much. Probably, playing with a faster speed shuttlecock could help.
    .
     
  17. alanhw75

    alanhw75 Regular Member

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    Le Greg, train your arm and wrist stronger then only can handle high end string in high tension (26lbs above), with high end string in 20-24lbs still not able to get powerful hits, with weak arm and wrist also cannot handle 26lbs and above. Sorry for my poor english...:D
     
  18. Le Greg

    Le Greg Regular Member

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    thanks all for your replies, just to let you know I changed it for a 22 lbs tension with the yonex BG 80 and found my game play easier so will be able to concentrate on the technique.

    Greg

    Ps : i have to say I love the fluo colour :) and the sound produced on the impact is great
     

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