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Stringing for Better Performance
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Anyone who has played badminton knows about strings right? But do
we really know what we are supposed to do with them to make playing just
a little easier?
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Whether a top player or brand new to
the sport these tips may help save you not only money, but also injury
and a bit of pride next time you take the court.
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We are interviewing Steve Crandall
(Vice
President of Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg Co. in the USA).
Steve was out here with Ahmad Bakar (Managing Director of Ashway
Asia/Pacific), Basri Yusuf (Badminton Coach at the Singapore Sports
School) and Jeff Copsey of Sportco
(Agents for Ashaway in NZ). who coordinated the visit
You can read more about the Ashaway
promotion by
clicking here and of course you can try out an Ashaway
racket at the ABA Pro Shop for free anytime courts are available at 99
Gillies Ave. |
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So If I Want More
Power in My Racket I String at Higher Tension?
Steve: Well
actually no - the reverse is true. For the average player
you will get much more power at a lower tension (less than 25 lbs)
That's because it creates more of a trampoline effect at that level.
If you string at
higher tension - say 28 lbs - you get more control and less power.
And you only get more control if you hit the sweet spot - that is why we
recommend only top players string at that level.
We advise:
Recreational
players - string at 20-22lbs
Competitive - e.g.
club, interclub players at 24 to 25 lbs
Top International
Players - 25 to 28lbs.
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So That's the
Key?
Steve: Well that's only part of the story, You also need a
good stringer and stringing machine to get the full benefit of proper
tension.
We
definitely recommend getting a racket strung by the same person each
time if you can and always on a quality stringing to ensure you get
consistent tension over the face of the racket. That not only
protects the racket but helps you on court, especially if you tend not
to hit the sweet spot that often.
Are There Any Other
Tips for Players?
String Thickness:
Steve: The
gauge of the string is important - check with your stringer but the
thicker the gauge the higher tension you need also. So if you want
power go for thin string, low tension.
Injury:
The higher tensions
- e.g. 28 lbs can also cause stiffness in the arm and wrist. And old
tennis elbow or shoulder problems can be aggravated by high stringing tensions because
the put more stress on the arm and wrist.
(For more info
click on this link
http://www.ashawayusa.com/ for a link to Steve's more in depth articles)
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Is there New
Technology Going Into Strings?
Yes, strings now
are made from microfilaments - a series of exceptionally thin filaments
or fibres layered one
on top of the other to produce a strong string. In Ashaway strings we have
a large number of filaments in the core of the string (over 3000 filaments per string). We are also
adding in Zyex (polyetherehterketone) filaments into the core of the
string. Zyex is a new material for
strings, which we think will add to the durability and the dynamic
elasticity (i.e. how well the string rebounds back into shape after hitting the
shuttle). So this should give even better performance to strings
in the future.
How Often Should
you Restring?
Jeff and Steve:
About as many times a year as you play per week - so if you play twice a
week, restring twice a year - assuming there are no breakage in between
of course.
How Does the
Environment Affect Strings?
Well cold weather -
if very cold - makes the string stiffer and more likely to break -
that's common sense. However nylon is also hydroscopic -
that means it absorbs water. So in a very humid environment that
can affect the string's performance and make the string effectively
softer and less resilient.
Check out the ABA Pro Shop - 99 Gillies Avenue - Auckland NZ, and
trial an Ashaway Racket Today. You can also get Strings and Grips
fitted for you as well.
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