RSS
As an avid badminton player myself, I want to ask all you badminton player out there an interesting question: Does higher tension in the string of the racket help a player produce more powerful hits? Is there a relationship between the amount of string tension put into a racket and the skill of the player using the racket?
The one of the most basic skills in badminton is hitting clears. A player who can hit clears well while under pressure is usually very effective on the court. That’s why a lot of novice players try to compensate for the fact that they lack the strength and/or proper technique to blast the shuttle to the opposing backcourt by screwing around with their equipment, namely their rackets. First, they buy really expensive rackets that are light and can take a lot of tension from the strings, and then they string the racket with very high tension (24-30lbs). The result: they still can’t hit high quality and fast clears and they increase the chances of injuring themselves when they over-exert their muscles. Why do these things happen? These events happen mainly due a common misconception that a lot of people have: an expensive racket coupled with high tension string will enable a player to hit further and faster.
The tension of the strings in the racket affects how the bird rebounds off the hitting surface. If one thinks that the higher the tension, the harder the rebound, then he/she is sadly mistaken. Every type of badminton string has its own maximum and tension and the tension that produces the best hits. According to my own experiences, the tension that produces the best hits is at around 18-20lbs. After that, the strength of the rebound doesn’t increase as the tension becomes higher. With around 30lbs of tension, the hitting surface of the racket feels like a steel plate. Think about what would happen and how it would feel if you tried to clear the bird with a steel plate. I think a lot of players have experienced this feeling with their overly high-tensioned rackets. The racket vibrates when it hits the bird and no matter how hard you try, you still can’t hit to the backcourt of your opponents. Eventually you might start wondering about the quality of your racket. All this can be caused by one common misconception.
A good racket is an important factor in hitting clears, and so is setting the tension at an appropriate level. However, the most important factor in playing badminton is training: skills training, strength training, and timing training. As a novice player, if you feel that your hits lack power, I suggest you don’t try to up the tension in your racket. When your skill has risen to such a level that what you lack is not power, but control, timing, and accuracy, then upping the tension in your racket may help in these regards.
Based on my experiences, here is my point: if a person doesn’t have the skill level yet, then using higher tension string won’t help the person hit better at all.