Hello Badminton Enthusiast's, I recently got my Victor TKF Enhanced which is strung with Lining No 1 @ 27Lbs. My main racquet is 88D pro and it is strung with exbolt 63 @ 24x26. I am thinking to restring TKF enhanced with exbolt 63 @24x26. Is it ok to use different tensions on mains/crosses on Victor racquets? This is my first victor and I wanted to confirm before changing the shape of my racquet head . Thank you.
It's fine, yes. Mostly preference of the stringer/depends on their machine. They should know what ratios give the best head shape. And brands won't matter for this. Funny story, I one time had a tournament stringer do my racquet in a pinch and he apparently had never heard of someone asking for +2 on the cross. He thought I was making it up when I asked him. Kinda terrifying giving my racquet to him, but no choice
I would have never given my racquet to that stringer for sure . Thanks for the info I will give this one a try and see how it works out.
Isnt it normal for string +2/-2 between cross & main. Its standard for all racket regardless the brand. Yes for normal player we just mention 26lbs, 24lbs, 30lbs. In actual stringer would just adjust acordingly. It just that different stringer had different habit. Like when i said 26 lbs, some stringer would do 24/26 while some other would do 26/28.
No, that is not standard. There are certain recommendations from brands to do +10% on the crosses or stuff like that, but in the end it is indeed up to the stringer to choose a tension ratio that ensures that the racket head shape stays as close as possible to the unstrung shape. That that depends a lot on the machine and other technique things during the stringing process. Personally, I always have even tensions on main and cross strings, except the client specifically asks to have it differently. And I know that there are many others who are doing it the same way (hello @kakinami). My advise? As a player, there is really no need to care about tensions ratios. Leave this to your stringer since he (supposedly) knows best what works best with his machine and his technique. Using +2 lbs. or even tensions won't make or break your racket and wouldn't have any magical effect on the feel. A +2 lbs. simply will come out slightly tighter overall, but that's about it.
Most stringers at my place does it differently. If I say 26 they do 26x26 on mains and crosses, unless I specify different tensions on mains and crosses.
+1. I do square tensions also since a few years and did for the old times and due this thread (https://badmintoncentral.com/forums...how-do-you-want-to-deform-your-racket.188125/) one with +1lbs on the cross, which came out slightly more narrow and longer. No way I would go back to +1lbs on the cross and no chance to do +2lbs or even 10% on the cross. Square tensions maintain the shape best in my machine and I would say that the racket performs best when the shape is as close as to the unstrung frame, too. If it comes out tighter depends how the stringer treat the request. I would follow @Mark A and would knock off 1 or 2lbs of the requested tension for the mains (just because slightly lower tension would never ruin the game as a slightly too tight tension would) others would add them to the cross. That's going to deep, but stick to the same stringer who gives you a good feeling and quality. Watch a few minutes doing his work on other rackets to get an impression if you don't know.
I never did it myself, but I'm wondering how "square with pre-stretched crosses" would turn out... fancy another experiment, Simon? My rationale for knocking some off the mains was that the crosses will pull the mains tighter as they go in - "result-square", rather than "set-square", if you will.
We've been there before Mark: https://badmintoncentral.com/forums...2-piece-and-others.188234/page-3#post-2811428 And so far, my theory regarding the PS mostly resulting in higher tension on the crosses hasn't been challenged. So I'd still run with that.
