What Tension Does Badminton String Break At? - Badminton String Tension Test Until Failure

Badminton strings are designed to withstand enormous tension, but where is the real breaking point?

In this experiment, a range of different badminton strings were tested using a tensile test machine to measure the exact point at which each one snapped. The goal wasn’t to replicate real stringing conditions on a racket, as these tensions are far beyond what most players would ever use. But it's to have some fun and better understand the relative strength and breaking limits of different string types!

How The Experiment Works

So, how this will work is that I take a small piece of string and wrap each end with some sandpaper to help with the grip and ensure the string stays in the clamp. Then, I’ll clamp the string into the tensile test machine and make sure it holds the ends of the string tightly.

When I turn the machine on, it will slowly pull and stretch the string to create more and more tension, while measuring the distance it has been stretched. It’s also hooked up to a screen, which shows the exact point at which the string breaks.

The Rules Of The Test

As with every experiment, we need some rules! Here they are:

1. Each piece of string must be fresh and unused.

2. The centre area between the two clamps must be at least 10 cm for every test.

3. The sandpaper is replaced after every two runs.

4. Each string has a pre-tension of 5 newtons (about half a kilogram).

5. The machine pulls at 2 cm per second until the string breaks, while measuring the distance.

Obviously, this isn’t a perfect experiment. There may be variables I couldn’t control, especially when the clamps slipped on certain strings. But we’re here to learn a little bit and have some fun!

Results: Breaking Tensions Ranked

Could you imagine playing with a racket with strings of 57+ lbs of tension? Now that would be crazy! It was also really surprising that we had a joint first place with the Babolat Life +70 and the Yonex Nanogy 95 string!

Also, here are the graphs of each of the strings - you can see when the string slips slightly when the graph dips multiple times:

So, did you expect badminton string to be able to handle this much tension? If you enjoyed this kind of badminton science experiment, let me know in the comments what experiment I should do next!

And with that, don't forget to use my code 'CKYEW' for extra discounts, and I’ll see you in the next one!