Different Coloured Yonex Strings

Why Yonex don't sell all of their strings all around the world can sometimes be a mystery to me. There is quite clearly the same market for coloured badminton strings in the UK, so Yonex could be losing a lot of revenue just from not stocking a product that they already sell elsewhere. I know that many people are put off by the fact that Bg80 only comes in yellow, which makes people go for a usually slightly cheaper white string. However, if you look on the Yonex USA website, Bg80 is only available in white over there! This is something that baffles me beyond belief.

I also have many different people (usually girls) ask me if I have a variety of different coloured strings, and I can usually get a string from a different manufacturer that is of the colour they would like, but that is still a sale that Yonex has lost here in the UK. If you look on www.mybadmintonstore.com for example, then they have some Yonex strings in as many as about 7 different colours, so if ever I have a specific request for a particular Yonex string in a colour that is not available in the UK then that is the place I got to first.

Here is the problem though, I should not have to order strings from abroad just because Yonex do not think there is a big enough market here in the UK, there clearly is and after speaking to one of the biggest UK retailers of badminton string, who said that if Yonex did have coloured string in the UK they would happily buy at least a box of reels of each one, it shows that Yonex are potentially losing a huge amount of profit every year by not selling all of their colours of strings everwhere!

New Logo!

Hey everyone, just another quick update to say that APB Stringers has a new logo, what do you think?

Bg66 Ultimax String Review

Well here it is, finally a review of Bg66 Ulitmax, by Yonex's reckoning their best string overall. Yonex even rated it 10/10 in control, repulsion and hitting sound, so as soon as I found out about this string I was desperate to try it.

As soon as my reel arrived I immediately cut the strings out of my racket and strung up my Tactic Voyager 80 to my usual 27lbs. Even stringing with Bg66U is a joy, the thinner gauge is a real help when threading shared grommets, however, I'm not sure how badly the durability of the string will be affected by the thinner gauge.

On to the play test however, and if there was one word to describe how I felt when I first played with this string, there is only one choice... WOW! I have never felt anything like it. The sheer power that I could generate with no extra effort was simply amazing, yet controlling the shuttle and being able to place it wherever I wanted on the court without any doubts that it may go into the net or drift out.

There is only one major problem with Bg66U, but it is a big one! I found the durability of this string to be worse than any other I have tried so far. This is probably due to the thinner gauge and the fact that not all of my shots come out of the middle of the racket. It could also be because of the high tension that I use, but I found that I broke a string after 5-6 hours of play, and then again, broke a set just tensioning it in the stringing machine, which is the first time that has ever happened to me in my entire stinging career! This then made me extremely nervous about the string and after trying a hybrid with Bg80P in the mains and Bg66U in the crosses, which really didn't work I decided that just to be on the safe side, the day before each tournament I play I will just have to re-string my rackets again, hoping that they will not break during a very important point in the match, and I am please to say that they held up at the kent senior silver very well.

Overall then, I am not sure how to rate this string, Yonex have dropped its price significantly since launch, probably due to the fact that people were complaining about having to re-string their rackets so regularly. This makes it reasonable value for money, however, the main selling point of this string has definitely got to be the amazing power and incredibly control that it offers. I will definitely be using this string throughout the season, unless a better string from Yonex comes along, but I find that extremely hard to believe. This is 100% a string for a high level player, who doesn't mind replacing strings often as they will gain that little extra edge in a tournament situation.

I would give this string 4/5, missing 5/5 only because of the poor durability!

Bg66 Ultimax Review Nearly Finished!

Hey guys, just a quick update to say the my bg66 Ultimax review is nearly finished, I am 6 hours into my 10 hour long play test and I must confess that I am in love with this string, only problem is... I have broken a set already!!

A more detailed review will be posted within the next week. Until then, keep playing and watch the Olympics for some good pointers!

First squash and tennis rackets

Yesterday was my first experience of stringing squash and tennis rackets, and I must say, why have I not done it before!?  Having struggled with extremely thin badminton string for the past year and a half I immediately felt comfortable with the much thicker strings in my hands.

My first squash racket was a breeze, and took me as long as a badminton racket does now, after doing over 200! I think that this is because of the lack of strings and the fact that there are not many shared grommets to overcome.

The tennis rackets I found a little harder, as the string was slightly less flexible and there were a lot more strings compared to the squash racket, however, it was nice to have a change and I recommend who is used to just stringing one type of racket to try another as it is really refreshing.

Overall my first experiences were extremely good and I hope to string many more tennis and squash rackets in the future!