Why Do Badminton Strings Break? (7 Reasons)

If you are a regular badminton player, the time will come that your racket’s strings will break and that will naturally raise the question of ”why”? In this article, I will reveal the seven leading causes for strings snapping, how long strings should last, and more!

But first, you need to know why do badminton strings break?

Badminton strings can break for various reasons such as temperature changes, moisture, improper string job, or broken grommets. Constantly missing the sweet pot can cause string breakage, and thin string type naturally breaks sooner as well. The most common reason is that the strings are old.

As you can see, there are more than one reasons why your badminton strings can break. Now, let’s look at each reason and see why the strings break faster than usual and how to prevent that.

Why Do Badminton Strings Break?

Essentially, there is a total of seven reasons why badminton strings can break and what makes them break faster.

1. Thin badminton strings

The thickness or gauge of the badminton strings affects why and how fast they will break. As you might suspect, thinner strings break faster than thick ones because there is less material to withstand the moisture in the air, the strikes you make, and other affecting things.

When talking about thickness in gauges, it can be quite misleading because the thinner the string, the higher the gauge. This means that the highest gauge strings break faster because they are the thinnest.

2. Badminton string material

The material of the badminton strings affects why and how fast they will break as well. Generally, there are nylon, polyester, and natural gut badminton strings with different expected lifespans. This is because they can withstand wearing and usage differently.

In essence, nylon strings will last the longest, then polyester and natural gut strings are the most fragile. Of course, there are many variables like the string thickness or others in this list, but that’s the case material-wise.

If you are interested in badminton string materials, I have a comprehensive article where you will find everything you need. You should check it out!

3. Not hitting the sweet spot

If you aren’t familiar with what sweet spot is, it is the center of a badminton racket’s string bed (price of restringing) where you will find the best trampoline effect that generates power. You will also have the best possible control and accuracy when you strike the shuttlecock on the sweet spot. You will hear the best sound as well when hitting the sweet spot.

Why is the sweet spot so good? Well, that’s because it is the furthest away from the frame, meaning that the strings are the stretchiest in that place. Naturally, as you go further from the sweet spot towards the frames, the strings are less stretchy and more prone to break when hit with an object (shuttlecock).

You always should try to hit the shuttlecock with the sweet spot for best performance, but there is also the durability aspect. Next time you break your strings, check whether they snapped close to the sweet spot or frame because often, it’s closer to the frame.

4. Temperature change

Temperature changes are a common reason for string breakage because when they are exposed to hot to cold and forth and back, they will become fragile and have shorter lifespans.

In many cases, an indoor badminton court is a chill temperature because it is a place for sports. Mix that with hot conditions outside; the temperature change can be more than 50°F (10°C). This can make especially natural gut strings more fragile much faster.

Temperature changes are quite easy to avoid. The most important thing is to use a badminton racket case to block most of the changing temperature so the strings won’t become fragile.

Equally important is to be mindful of where you store your racket. If it’s 86°F (30°C) outside, don’t store your racket in your car for days because that will strain them. The same goes if there are chilling conditions close to -4°F (-20°C).

5. Misalignment strings

You have probably noticed that you can slightly move the strings on your racket. This can and will happen as you play badminton, especially if you strike very hard.

This makes the horizontal and vertical strings get further from each other, making the string bed less durable and secure. When you strike a shuttlecock with misaligned strings, they are more prone to snap, so be sure to check and realign them from time to time.

Misaligned strings also affect your power, control, and accuracy, so they must be properly aligned.

6. Broken grommets

If you aren’t familiar with grommets, they are the protective tubes around your strings found in the racket’s frame. As strings, grommets can also break because of temperature changes, wear, or natural aging.

When a grommet breaks, a piece of it will get removed, making the area sharp. The sharp edge will rub against the string when the shuttlecock comes from a certain angle and drastically quickens the string’s time to break from that point.

7. The strings are old

Last but not least, the most natural cause of all is old age. Like all things, strings have ”expiration dates” when they stop being fresh but more like old. This happens because of thousands of strikes and the time strings have been exposed to temperatures, moisture, and dust.

All of this affects the string breaking, and eventually, all strings will break. In this case, you need to get new fresh badminton strings.

You should check the grommets every time you start playing badminton, and if you notice one, you can change them by yourself with a grommet box, or you can show it to your local stringer who can easily fix it.

How Long Do Badminton Strings Last?

As you learned in this article, seven things can make the strings break or affect the lifespan of a string. This makes you wonder, how long do badminton strings last?

Badminton strings last 6 to 9 months on average. However, your game frequency, string material, tension, and gauge affect too much the actual time that it’s impossible to say a time. In addition, things like broken grommets, misaligned strings, temperature changes, and missing the sweet spot affect the time.

A good do tell about when to change your strings is when you notice a decreased performance on power, control, and accuracy. Badminton strings can be bad even when they aren’t snapped yet.

Can Badminton Strings Be Repaired?

You can’t repair broken badminton strings because you can’t get the required tension, making it impossible to play with. When your strings break, you need to cut them immediately so your frame won’t go out of shape. However, you can replace them by getting a new set of badminton strings.

Even if you could get the strings nearly to as good condition as they were, you shouldn’t. This is because when a badminton string breaks, it often tells you that the string’s lifespan is coming to an end. In this case, you should replace the strings, and you can get a great set of strings with less than $10.

Do Badminton Strings Expire?

As a rule of thumb, badminton string won’t expire if you can store them in a place that doesn’t have humidity nor is too hot or cold. You don’t need to worry about the expiration of badminton strings if you play badminton regularly because the strings can last for decades.

So if you are planning on buying a badminton string reel, you shouldn’t worry about the expiration time. However, do badminton strings expire in thousands of years? Well, probably, but that’s not relevant.