let's together answer : what is the ideal tension?

Prosmash said:
recommend tension

for male
70kg-170cm 26lbs
65kg-170cm 25lbs
60kg-170cm 24lbs

+5cm increase 1lbs
-5cm decrease 1lbs
+5kg increase 1lbs
-5kg decrease 1lbs
one week play one day decrease 1lbs
one week play few days increase 1-2lbs
Click to expand...

Didn't know Lee Chong Wei is using 24 lbs. Always sounded tighter than that. :D
 
Best tension also depends on the racket....Some racket does not work with low tension (eg Victor Thruster 9900, hypernano 900), other flexible rackets does not work with high tension (eg Nanoray 900, some Li-ning rackets, etc)
 
I use 27lbs, but height is 164cm and weight is 50kg, play 2-3 times per week. Strings tried: bg80, bg66F, bg80F, aerosonic. I have tried tension from 22-28. 25 and 26 seems to be easiest in term of adaptability/control/power, but 27 give the best satisfaction when perform perfect shots. Weirdly, what I find affect my play more isn't the string or tension but where I get my racket restrung. Some places do very fast, but very low quality. My current go to shop is bit more expensive but I am satisfied with the string job.
 
I think the question is a bit "How long is a piece of string" pun intended!

I play with a YVZF2 strung with Ashaway Zymax 66 FP @ 27lbs, however, what is ideal for me is not going to be ideal for someone else :)
 
Looking at the beginning of this thread, there seems to be a concensus that 22-24 was the most popular tension. And now, something like 24-27. It it just a trend towards higher tension, or has the strings changed or rackets are different?
 
Swat said:
Looking at the beginning of this thread, there seems to be a concensus that 22-24 was the most popular tension. And now, something like 24-27. It it just a trend towards higher tension, or has the strings changed or rackets are different?
Click to expand...

Yes, there's a trend towards higher tensions.
No, I don't think the string has much to do with it although technology has undoubtedly improved, there.
Yes, rackets are a lot stronger and able to take higher tensions.

It was mostly down to head strength and higher tensions causing more likelihood of failure in the composites. As the technology and materials have got stronger, more tension is attainable and the top players have always preferred higher tensions (because they are not too bothered about breakages). People like to do what the top players do so they followed suit, although without the technique, the higher tensions don't really play much of a factor.
 
Use to have no idea what my ideal tension is. In fact I'm still figuring it out slowly.

Started with 23lbs and increase it by 0.5lbs each 2nd or 3rd restring. Now am finally testing out 27lbs.

Feels like with each increase, I can adapt and actually have better control and power. Maybe the slow build up helps with technique adjustments and strength.

And it's likely I will continue to slowly increase them till I find a limit.
 
I think that the trend is also influenced by many people who play a higher tension, than it should be good for them in a long term and is also influenced by many lousy stringers who

a) string lower than requested instead of real talk to the client, that this tension is too high for his skills (I often got new clients who are surprised that my 24lbs feels much tighter than 24 from r*ck*t-**tl*t. E.g. Ping difference around 150Hz on Aerobite at settled 24 and my machine is calibrated)

b) use flying clamps, a crank, sloppy technique in general, wrong calibration etc. (I strung in the beginning with flying clamps and they drop the tension by around 2-3 lbs)

And also influenced by the users. If only nerds and 27lbs+ guys post here we will have a new trending.

According to my clients data, it is still 22-24 as average for males. Some request lower (lowest 19lbs) and some above 24 which evens out each extremes, so my impression nowadays is that 22-24 is still a tension which suits the average players. I string around 200 rackets a year, so not a fulltime stringer but quite a number of different players, with different rackets, string choice at various levels to say that this trending is not there around in this area I live and obvious in the 4 clubs I string for. 27 lbs is here a nerd (don't care about money) or higher level playing tension.

Also the demographics play a role. A 27 in vancouver today is a different world than 27 in Ahmadabad just because of 25 degrees difference.

Also the player type plays a role. IMO tension is a very personal choice and got chosen because of different requirement. I choose a tension to can hit backhand back to back in trouble and can also still smash at min. 80% on the 6th game in a tournament. I can also use a higher tension (I can hit clean), but it gives me earlier fatigue. Some play a higher tension, than they should because they don't want to be the low tension guy in the shop or in the group. Some choose for the sound, others choose to have the same setup of their idols or due bad influence according higher is better.
 
Yeah, I guess many club level players don’t even know what tension they got. I’ve seen so many leaving their racket for re-stringing and when asked about desired tension they don’t know and say something like ”normal”. That might be in the 23 area...

So, what role does temperature play? Colder makes it feel harder?
 
Swat said:
Yeah, I guess many club level players don’t even know what tension they got. I’ve seen so many leaving their racket for re-stringing and when asked about desired tension they don’t know and say something like ”normal”. That might be in the 23 area...

So, what role does temperature play? Colder makes it feel harder?
Click to expand...
During Winter the halls are normally colder with higher humidity which result that the shuttles fly slower. I drop for winter 2lbs in tension. Also in cold winter strings snap easier compared to hot summer. Both influence tension choice. Especially when the gap between Summer and Winter is 40 degrees outside.
 
There is in fact a trend of much higher tension (here in Delhi) that I have noticed. The academy joiners (mediocre academies) are easily influenced into only using 30 ATLEAST because viktor axelsen said he uses 34 on Instagram despite them not even being able to hit well.

I don’t have an issue with tension itself but it’s the fact that they’re trying to use all of their power with every clear and still failing with a mid court one. And yet, they keep at it.

There’s another trend of kids learning trick shots first while totally ignoring the entire basic game or fitness. I swear the coach gives them a magic pill on the first day and after the introductory session, every single one of these guys is trying to act all cool with behind the back shots and picking up the shuttle with the racket scraping it all across the floor.

The much older or experienced guys stick to their tried tested stuff. It is a trend but it’s not the older guys here.
 
swsh said:
There is in fact a trend of much higher tension (here in Delhi) that I have noticed. The academy joiners (mediocre academies) are easily influenced into only using 30 ATLEAST because viktor axelsen said he uses 34 on Instagram despite them not even being able to hit well.

I don’t have an issue with tension itself but it’s the fact that they’re trying to use all of their power with every clear and still failing with a mid court one. And yet, they keep at it.

There’s another trend of kids learning trick shots first while totally ignoring the entire basic game or fitness. I swear the coach gives them a magic pill on the first day and after the introductory session, every single one of these guys is trying to act all cool with behind the back shots and picking up the shuttle with the racket scraping it all across the floor.

The much older or experienced guys stick to their tried tested stuff. It is a trend but it’s not the older guys here.
Click to expand...

The trickshot and coolness thing is something which I observed on the younger players as well. I'm just a simple player. I have some deceptions and a very nice slicing, good reading skills but that's it. The youth player often play for coolness, even if the can't score any point of 10 try in a game.

It's also a trend that many players think that they are capable to wield the Z or the 8xxx of a brand. IMO a lot rackets below Z type for Yonex, are easier to play, more forgiving and more suitable for the average players. IMO same pro effect like you mentioned above.
 
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