If you play badminton, you know you can’t escape the badminton stringing process! Your racket strings will snap after some time. You’ll eventually have to restring it. But first, you need to know why do badminton strings break? Badminton strings can break for various reasons such as temperature changes, moisture, improper string job, or broken grommets. Constantly missing the sweet pot can cause string breakage, and thin string type naturally breaks sooner as well. The most common reason is that the strings are old. But before you restring your racket, you need to understand string tension. This is important because you will need to tell your stringer your desired string tension.

Badminton strings are usually strung between:

• 20-23 Tension for beginners
• 24-27 Tension for intermediate and high performance players
• 28-34 Tension for world class badminton players

Appropriate string tension is essential for:

• Maximizing performance: Playing with the suitable string tension allows you to produce good power and control in your shots.
• Preventing Injury: String tension that is TOO HIGH can cause injury to your arm. This can possibly cause lead to tennis elbow (common elbow pain from racket sports) and damage to your triceps muscle.

Depending on your skill level, if you are a beginner, you don’t need to change your strings other than when they break. Advanced and pro players need to change them as soon as they lose tension. You should restring your racket when you see a decrease in power, control, or tension.

When Does My Racquet Need Stringing?

Obviously when a string breaks your racquet needs attention. However you should also be aware that every time you hit a forceful shot your strings stretch and then recoil back to their resting position. Over time, depending on how often you play and how hard you swing, the strings become ‘spongy’ and lose their ability to ‘snap’ back resulting in a drop off in performance. However this is a gradual effect and can be difficult to notice so, as a general rule of thumb for club/recreational level players, your racquet should be strung as many times in a year as you play in a week.

What Strings Should I Ask For?

The tension you use will affect the way your racquet performs. In tennis and squash the trampoline effect of the ball on the strings dictates that lower tensions provide greater power and higher tensions provide greater control. In badminton the mass and aerodynamics of the shuttlecock means that racquet head speed rather than string tension is the most important factor in providing power in your shots. In general though, the following rules apply:

• Higher tensions give: greater control, smaller sweet spots, more vibration and increased likelihood of breakage from off centre hits.
• Lower tensions give: less control, larger sweet spots, less vibration and decreased likelihood of breakage from off centre hits.

What Type of String Should I Use?

In badminton the choice is relatively simple, as most strings have a similar multifilament construction. Performance strings (such as Yonex BG66UM) are thinner and provide better repulsion and feeling but won’t tend to last as long as durability strings (such as Yonex NBG95) that thicker and will often have a hard coating on the outside of the string. Natural gut strings are the ultimate for touch and feel but because of the manufacturing processes they are the most expensive

What strings FCBC request their racket stringers to use ?

We use three different suppliers to string our club members rackets and we are happy to offer our members below the cost price of £13 per racket . to restring and we request Yonex BG65 strings.

How do I get FCBC to restring my racket?

Steps:

1. If you break a string on your racquet please email us at serve@fcbc.uk
2. Please make arrangements and drop off your racket
3. We will then let you know once the racket is done – usually within a week
4. Please make a bank transfer to our club’s bank account – Please note we do not accept cash
5. You will then have to collect the racket from us at convenient location

Please Note:

This special discount price is only offered to FCBC members (Please DO NOT ask your friends racket to be restring at this special price )