If you’ve ever gone to a badminton shop to get your racket restrung, you’ve probably been asked one question: “How many pounds?” or “What String Tension would you like?”
For many players, the answer is usually somewhere between 24, 26 and 28 lbs. But what actually changes when you increase the tension?
Viktor Axelsen has been reported around 33–35 lbs, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy around 32 lbs, Chirag Shetty around 31 lbs, while PV Sindhu has been around 31–32 lbs. At the other end, Akane Yamaguchi is a notable exception, using around 24–26 lbs, while other elite players such as Yugo Kobayashi have reportedly gone as high as 37 lbs.
This is a good reminder that professional players don’t all use high tension, their choice depends on technique, racket speed, playing style and personal feel.
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So, should you use 24, 26 or 28 lbs?
24 lbs – Forgiving and Easier to Play
24 lbs is a great starting point for recreational and improving players.
At this tension, the strings have enough give to create a relatively forgiving sweet spot. If your timing isn’t perfect, the racket is less likely to punish you for slightly off-centre contact.
This can also make clears and defensive shots easier, particularly if you don’t generate a lot of racket-head speed yourself.
The trade-off is that the string bed doesn’t feel as crisp or firm as it does at higher tensions. Shots can feel slightly softer, and players who are used to higher tensions may find that the shuttle doesn’t respond quite as sharply.
Good starting point: 24 lbs with a durable string such as Yonex BG65 can be a sensible setup for many recreational players.
26 lbs – The Middle Ground
26 lbs is where things start getting noticeably crisper.
The string bed feels firmer and your shots can feel more immediate. Drives, net shots and attacking strokes may feel more precise, while there is still enough forgiveness for most intermediate players.
This is one reason 26 lbs is such a popular number among club-level players. It doesn’t push the racket into an extremely demanding setup, but it gives you considerably more feedback than a very low tension.
Of course, 26 lbs isn’t automatically better than 24 lbs. If you don’t have consistent technique or racket-head speed, increasing the tension can actually make some shots harder.
For many intermediate players, 26 lbs is an excellent starting point to experiment with.
28 lbs – Crisp, Precise and Less Forgiving
At 28 lbs, the difference becomes more noticeable.
The string bed is firmer, giving experienced players a very connected and responsive feeling when they hit the shuttle. Quick exchanges, net shots and attacking strokes can feel particularly sharp.
But there is a price for that responsiveness: mistakes become less forgiving.
An off-centre hit is more likely to feel harsh and lose power. Players who don’t generate enough racket-head speed may also find that clears and smashes require more effort.
That’s why simply copying a professional player’s 28–30+ lbs setup isn’t necessarily a good idea. Your technique and racket speed matter much more than the number on the stringing machine.
So, 24 vs 26 vs 28 lbs?
Think of them like this:
24 lbs: Forgiving → easier power → softer feel
26 lbs: Balanced → good control/power compromise → firmer feel
28 lbs: Precise → crisp response → less forgiving
But these aren’t strict rules. A skilled player may prefer 24 lbs, while another player may find 28 lbs perfectly comfortable.
Don’t Ignore Your Racket’s Tension Limit
Rackets have manufacturer-specified stringing ranges, and these vary considerably between models and weights. For example, Yonex currently lists the 4U Nanoflare 1000 Game at 20–28 lbs, while the 4U Astrox 77 Pro is listed at 19–27 lbs.
That means 28 lbs isn’t automatically appropriate just because your friend uses 28 lbs. Always check the specifications of your particular racket before stringing it.
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