Smash is the most powerful and dominating shot in the game of badminton. Every player finds the opportunity to finish the point with a killer smash and that’s why they are always keen to improve the smashing power. So it’s very natural that the question of the best badminton string for smashing comes to their mind.
In this article, I will try to depict the 5 best badminton strings that would be beneficial to increase your hitting power.
Best Badminton String for Smashing: Quick Comparison
Best Badminton String for Smashing: Performance Chart
What to Consider for a Badminton String for Smashing
Two factors have paramount importance in the selection of the best badminton string for smashing.
- Thin Gauge
- Repulsion Power
Thin Gauge
Gauge in badminton is the diametral measurement of strings in millimeters. So smaller the gauge, the thinner the string is. The contact surface area between a shuttlecock and string bed is smaller for thinner strings. Due to the smaller area, the thinner string stretches more when hit by a shuttle with the same amount of force. For this, the thinner string stores more energy during impact and releases the energy by forcing the shuttlecock with higher velocity. That’s why thin gauge strings are conducive for smash power.
Repulsion Power
Repulsion Power is the amount of force exerted by the strings on the shuttlecock during impact. So strings with high repulsion power give you the advantage to hit the shuttlecock with more power.
Other Things to Consider
Control
The game of badminton is not only attacking, it’s a combination of offense and defense mixed with precision and accuracy. A good amount of control can help a player to get command over a shuttle’s flight.
Durability
Thinner strings are subject to more wear and tear and are more prone to damage. So choosing thinner strings may be a very costly affair for beginners and intermediates. Nevertheless, you have to keep sufficient spares in your bag.
Hitting Sound
The hitting sound gives you the feeling of hitting on the sweet spot. It gives you an idea that your shots are clear or not.
The capability of the Racket
Every racket has a limit to sustain the string tension. You can’t go beyond that limit. While selecting your string, you also have to keep that in mind.
Playing Level
It is worthwhile to mention that a power string like Yonex Aerosonic or BG 66 Ultimax is mainly for advanced players. These costly strings are not meant for beginners. Any mishit from them can damage the string. Rather a thicker string (also economical) like BG 65 would do things better for them.
#1. Yonex Aerosonic
Specifications
| Gauge | 0.61 mm |
| Core Material | High-Intensity Nylon Multifilament |
| Outer Material | High Polymer Braided Nylon Fiber |
| Repulsion Power | 11 |
| Control | 9 |
| Hitting Sound | 11 |
| Shock Absorption | 7 |
| Durability | 5 |
| Made in | Japan |
Yonex Aerosonic is the second thinnest string in the world with a compact construction, packed with resin between the core and outer threads. The diameter of the string is only 0.61 mm. The Aerosonic is for those advanced players who seek extremely powerful smash with good control. The downside is that the string is the worst in terms of durability. So you have to keep spare rackets in your bag for occasional breakage of strings.
#2. Yonex Ultimax BG 66
Specifications
| Gauge | 0.65 mm |
| Core Material | High-Intensity Nylon Multifilament |
| Outer Material | Special Braided High Polymer Nylon Fiber |
| Repulsion Power | 10 |
| Control | 10 |
| Hitting Sound | 10 |
| Shock Absorption | 8 |
| Durability | 6 |
| Made in | Japan |
The Ultimax BG 66 from Yonex has the best balance between repulsion power, control, and hitting sound. The 0.65 mm thin gauge string is equally good for powerful smash and close netplay. But the best part of the BG 66 Ultimax is the nice hitting sound. It gives you the crip feeling in your shots that is hard to find in any other strings.
Beginners should stay out from choosing this string as this costly string can be easily damaged by mishits.
#3. Yonex Aerobite
Specifications
| Gauge | Mains: 0.67 mm, Crosses: 0.61 mm |
| Core Material | High-Intensity Nylon Multifilament |
| Outer Material | High Polymer Braided Nylon Fiber |
| Coating | Mains: Polyurethane Coating |
| Repulsion Power | 10 |
| Control | 10 |
| Hitting Sound | 9 |
| Shock Absorption | 8 |
| Durability | 6 |
| Made in | Japan |
The Aerobite is the first hybrid string developed by Yonex where there is a combination of 2 different types of strings. A thicker, rougher string is used as the main string whereas a thinner string is used for the cross strings. Yonex Aerobite gives you the advantage of using two different types of strings. It has a high reputation for great repulsion power with superb control and pinpoint accuracy. The rougher outer texture also grips the shuttle resulting in more spin in your slice drop shots.
The disadvantage is that this innovative all-rounder string is not durable at all.
#4. Yonex BG 66 Force
Specifications
| Gauge | 0.65 mm |
| Core Material | High Polymer Nylon Multifilament |
| Outer Material | Special Braided High Polymer Nylon Fiber |
| Coating | Special Nylon Coating |
| Repulsion Power | 10 |
| Control | 10 |
| Hitting Sound | 9 |
| Shock Absorption | 9 |
| Durability | 6 |
| Made in | Japan |
Yonex BG 66 Force is quite similar to the Ultimax BG 66 in terms of repulsion power and control. But the difference is that the BG 66 Force uses a special nylon coating which gives better shock absorption capacity compared to the Ulimax BG 66 but the smashing sound is not as good as BG 66 UM.
If you want a better hitting sound for the idea that you are making clean shots over the sweet spot area, go for the BG 66 UM. But if you have a preference for slightly more durable strings with a little bit of sacrifice over the smashing sound, opt for the BG 66 Force.
#5. Yonex Nanogy 98
Specifications
| Gauge | 0.66 mm |
| Core Material | High-Intensity Nylon Multifilament |
| Outer Material | Special Braided High Polymer Nylon Fiber |
| Coating | Compound Cup-Stack Carbon Nanotube |
| Repulsion Power | 10 |
| Control | 8 |
| Hitting Sound | 8 |
| Shock Absorption | 8 |
| Durability | 7 |
| Made in | Japan |
Yonex Nanogy 98 is a good choice at the intermediate level for a power string that has high repulsion power with all-round ability and better durability.
#6. Yonex BG 80 Power
Specifications
| Gauge | 0.68 mm |
| Core Material | High-Intensity Nylon Multifilament with Vectran™ |
| Outer Material | Special Braided High Polymer Nylon Fiber |
| Repulsion Power | 9 |
| Control | 6 |
| Hitting Sound | 7 |
| Shock Absorption | 6 |
| Durability | 7 |
| Made in | Japan |
Yonex BG 80 Power is a popular power string at the intermediate level with enhanced durability by the wrapping of hi-modulus Vectran around the inner multifilament core.
The area where this string excels is the heavy smashes, this BG 80 Power does exceptionally well hitting powerful shots from the back of the court. As this is a slightly thicker string (0.68 mm gauge thickness), it is not as good in control compared to the other power strings.
Best Badminton String Tension for Smashing
The string tension has an inverse relation with power. The elastic string deflects more at lower tension. So in reaction, it also forces the shuttlecock with more energy. At the beginner’s level, it is always beneficial to opt for the lower tension so that they can get easy access to power by hitting the shuttlecock constantly over the sweet spot. At a higher tension over 24 lbs, you get control and a crisp feeling, but not power. Actually, higher tension is recommended for advanced players and professionals who have the techniques and arm strength to generate massive smash power with precise placement.
Another downside of tighter strings is durability. Tighter strings are stretched more, so the chance of breakage of strings is higher, especially when there are more occurrences of mishits.
So what is the best badminton string tension for smashing? It’s a personal preference. Intermediates may keep the limit within 24-26 lbs for feather shuttlecocks and 22-24 lbs for plastic shuttlecocks to keep parity between defense and offense. String tension beyond that limit suits only advanced players.
Wrapping Up
The game of badminton is not only about smashing, it’s rather a strategic game to create the best opportunity for attack. So while considering the best badminton string for smashing, also give weightage to the other parameters. Try out different strings to select the best one according to your needs with the best price-performance ratio.
Thanks for continuing till the end. If you have any questions, please let me know by leaving a comment.
Related Topic: “Top 7 Best Badminton Rackets for Smash in 2023“
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
