Maybe Dinkalot can put to rest the rumors of the repainted Z-Slash that Taufik uses and other player's rackets
rumor has it that Korea now travels with their own stringers. is that true? have you seen any rackets from the Korean team?
I never realized that stringing at tournaments is free! remind me when the time comes about, so I don't end up paying someone else and getting it strung the day before. I always thought you had to pay...
I guess it depends on size of tournament. I'll probably play in the Southern Open and I don't think it's free but I can check.
for Yonex sponsored players, it has always been free. in the US Adult National, even non-sponsored players, as long as they are using Yonex rackets, get free stringing as well.
Nice! Remember nearer the time, to take all my Yonex rackets that are lying around in my house unstrung to the tournament so I can get them restrung FOC instead of paying $20 per racket. The amount of rackets I have lying about, the money saved from not paying for stringing will pay for my entry fee.
Well, yeah, what else can they do? Ring up the local yonex rep of every country to check whether they have a yonex contract of whether they buy their own stuff? Some players get sponsored by YY Japan, some by the distributor in their (on a nearby?) country, some get their stuff with sponsored funds from a non-badminton company... In the end, they drop a yonex racket on the stringingtable and those guys just do what they get paid to do I guess
Good thinking: buy a $200 racket to save $20 on stringing once a year Is the Scottish Open a Yonex sponsored event?
I was planning on buying one or two anyway, and they are $160 tops and yes Scottish open is a Yonex Sponsored event.
Ironic you should mention Taufik. Panda strings in the very back of the "Stringer's Area". Many of the local pros and VIPs hang out there because it's private, quiet and there's space to stretch, lie down, sleep, eat, etc... without people bothering you. Tony, Howard, Halim and Agus (Wijaya Amphie) are regulars there. And after two days of stringing, found out so is Taufik... ...Taufik sits, warms-up, rests right in back of where Panda strings. Taufik is a gentlemen. Very reserved, quiet, professional...Panda wants to use the word "elegant" or "classy". He's very funny too. He doesn't say much but when he does, it's very funny... ...from what this Panda has seen, Taufik's work ethic is second to none. This is what Panda has observed; twice now, Taufik shows up at least two hours before his scheduled match with his coach/trainer. Taufiks greets everyone in the Stringer's Area personally and then goes and does his thing... ...he will sit there and relaxes for about 30 minutes. Phone stuff, eat a banana, checks his gear, etc... Then for about 10-15 minutes, focus, calms himself, meditate if you will. About 60 minutes until game time he starts doing stretches, leg kicks, footwork, shadows, then more stretching then more footwork. It's quite amazing and Panda has seen lots of amazing things... ...15 minutes before, he puts on an Icy-Hot type ointment, adjusts all his clothes and equipment and continues to do footwork, little hops and split steps. Then a few minutes before game time he calms down again, stays quiet, I believe saying a pray and then is READY to play. This Panda was extremely impressed with Taufik's pre-game routine. Panda feels if others took pre-game warm-up so seriously, they could be significantly better players. Not as good as Taufik but significantly better than before. Oh yes, Panda personally handled one of Taufik's rackets, an Arc Saber 10 with BG66 Ultimax @ 32-33lbs. This is not to say Taufik doesn't have other rackets as Panda believes Taufik carries about 10-15 rackets in his bag but the single racket he carried out onto court was a red Arc Saber 10, no cosmetic mods. Also saw Taufik pull out 4 more red, non-modded Arc Saber 10s all strung, he was "pinging" them to check for consistency. Panda saw him do this and he looked at Panda as if to ask for approval and Panda nodded, smiled, and said, "Nice!" He smiled back as if to thank Panda for the reassurance. Incredible badminton player with incredible work ethic. Classy, cordial, reserved. Taufik, in one word, "awesome".
Did not see Team Koreas stringer(s) nor have we seen their rackets...yet. We (Team Yonex Stringers) have only seen about 20 total rackets from other manufacturers. Wonder who's stringing for Chinese Taipei too.
Free for any player in the tournament that has Yonex rackets. Some pros were wearing other clothing but had Yonex rackets and we strung them but Yonex sponsored players who have a scheduled match get first priority, then based on their ranking and status. Of course there are special circumstances like Tony, Howard, Halim, Taufik that get preferential treatment because...Yonex says so.
Oh yes, for the Grand Finale, KevinY. (AlanK's cousin) and Panda are going to challenge Tony and Howard... ...if Kwun has time, Kwun and Panda will challenge Sattawat and PaulP (VTec101) and later Halim, Tony Howard or whoever wants to run Panda. LOL!
