Badminton is an elegant sport and a lot of people across the world likes to play it. Racquet string is the critical element of the game and often people are unaware of string tension and what to do about it. How does string tension affect badminton racket?

Tension in your racquet string plays a crucial role while playing badminton. Whether you are a beginner or a senior player, you must choose your racquet with suitable string tension. It is very easy to have the confident belief that the “tighter the string, the more power you get in a shot” or the “tighter the string, the better the game will be”.

All statements made about the strings are not correct. This guide will help you in choosing the correct racquet string for you.

Beginners: 17-20 lbs

Intermediate: 20-24 lbs

Advanced: 24-27 lbs

World-class/International: 27-30+ lbs

Increasing Performance: Appropriate string tension in your racquet produces good power and control in your shots.

Prevents Injury: High string tension can increase the chances of injuries to your arm, elbow, and triceps muscle.

Repulsion: Lower string tension increases the repulsion in your racquet. Higher repulsion gives more power to make a shot. Repulsion is essential for beginners to generate power to make a good shot in their game. The swinging motion of the arm and wrist action is the source of a powerful smashing badminton shot. The more the swinging motion, more power is generated. If the tension is high, then there will be less repulsion, and you have to generate more power with your wrist.

Sweet Spot: Sweet spot is a spot on the racquet bed where the shuttlecock hits. This shot is considered the most powerful one. Rackets with lower string tension have a larger sweet spot on the string bed and the higher the string tension of the racquet, the smaller the sweet spot.

Your shot depends on whether the badminton racket string tension is low or high. Let’s read what happens in both scenarios.

1. Playing Badminton With Lower String Tension Rackets

Lower tension means a soft string bed of the racquet that results in less control;

Feel more repulsion from the racket strings;

More power generation from the string bed of the racquet and less power will be used by the player to make a shot;

Get a larger sweet spot which leads to less accurate shots;

More durable than higher string tension;

Less prone to breakage from the off-center;

Suitable for beginners who do not know the technique to play a shot;

Vibration decreases when playing with the lower tension racquets.

2. Playing Badminton with High String Tension Rackets

String bed with higher string tension is harder and allows to have more control;

The shuttlecock is felt better on the racquet and makes the shot more accurate and consistent;

More input strength to generate more power as the string bed of the racquet does not create higher string tension;

Less durable and more prone to breakage from off-center;

Suitable for advanced players who need more control over the game and have good playing techniques;

More vibrations are there when playing with high tension strings.

For beginners, racquets with low string tension are most suitable. They start increasing the string tension with their increasing skills in shot techniques and wrist action. Do not make a sudden jump and boost the string tension from 24lbs to 27lbs.

Professional players’ racquets have a string tension over 30lbs, which provides for better performance, however the strings do break more often. For recreational players, the string tension should not exceed their recommended tension for their racket.

1. Like an elastic, all strings stretch from the starting when they get strung on the racquet and lose their tension with time.

2. On the string bed, there is an area called the sweet spot from where every player gets power from their shot.

3. Beginners are recommended to use racquets with lower string tension as they lack in playing techniques and can miss-hit from the wrong area of the string bed.

4. Higher tension strings give more power and control if the shuttlecock is hit on the sweet spot of the string bed consistently.

5. High tension strings are hard and stretch less, so they are more prone to break if miss-hit occurs.

6. Players with good game play techniques are recommended to use high tension string racquets to play as they want the shuttle to travel and in a controlled way.

The string tension affects your power and control over your game play. Now, you know how does string tension affect badminton racket. Much of the power in the game comes from the string tension, and you should know the level of string tension needed for your game play.

If you are a beginner, start playing with the recommended string tension of 17-20 lbs. When your skill progresses to an intermediate level, then you can increase the string tension up to 22-24 lbs. A professional badminton player will use a racquet with a string tension of more than 30 lbs.

Do not overestimate the string tension, as you can suffer from an injury whenever you hit the shuttlecock. It is dangerous to play with high tension racquets in the early stage of playing. Always keep in mind that every racquet can withstand its stated string tension.

There are different levels of string tension that a racquet can hold. Like other sport equipment, badminton racquets also need to be properly maintained. Always choose a string tension wisely which suits your racket and your experience level. You can enjoy your game better!