Posted on by

Choosing Pickleball Balls

JUGS INDOOR PICKLEBALL GREEN

Within drop-in pickleball groups, there are more arguments about balls than anything else in pickleball. Everybody, it seems, wants to play with the ball that gives them the greatest advantage.

Players who like to spin, want to play with Onix balls. Players who don’t want to receive balls with a lot of spin, want to play with Durafast. And players who have trouble seeing the ball, want to play with flourescent green Jugs balls.

Beyond that, we have observed another trend which is players who are accustomed to playing outdoors in the USA show a decided preference to playing with outdoor balls even when playing indoors. On the other side are players who only play indoors and play exclusively in Canada. These players tend to prefer indoor balls.

Here at Racquet Network, we don’t involve ourselves in the inter-player arguments. We carry everything.

However, for program directors who are caught in the middle and just want to come to a fair decision about the best ball for their group, we can offer the following advice.

Best Ball for Outdoor Use

If your group is playing outdoors, the best ball to choose is an outdoor ball. Outdoor pickleball balls have smaller holes and they are a bit heavier. This makes them better for days when there is a breeze, which is pretty much everyday outdoors.

Best Ball for Indoor Use

Indoor balls can’t really be used outside unless you are playing on a windless day. But there is no rule to say that outdoor balls can’t be used indoors. Many programs choose to use outdoor balls indoors.

Indoor balls are a bit lighter and travel a bit slower than outdoor balls. As a result, men and intermediate/advanced ladies tend to prefer to use outdoor balls. This is because a heavier, faster ball leads to a faster game that benefits better players, while a lighter, slower ball is best for beginners.

Best Ball for Beginners

When playing outdoors, the best ball will be an outdoor ball, regardless of the levels of the players. But when playing indoors, an indoor ball is best for beginners because it is lighter and slower than an outdoor ball. So if you have an indoor program and you want it to be beginner-friendly, choose an indoor ball.

Harder balls are also better for beginners because harder balls are harder to spin. Softer balls (like Onix) are preferred by intermediate to advanced players because they like to hit with spin. If, therefore, your intention is to choose a beginner friendly ball, your best choice will be a harder, indoor ball, such as Jugs or Durafast.

Best Ball for Intermediate/Advanced Players

There is no question that the majority of intermediate and advanced pickleball players prefer softer, faster balls. This allows them to better use their power and reflexes. It also allows them to use soft placement shots (call dinks) when they are up at the net.

More advanced pickleball players also tend to prefer a ball they can easily spin — something that most beginners loathe. The best ball for spin is a softer ball, such as the Onix Fuse G2. So if you are a program director who wants to build a program that favors more athletic players, choose a soft, outdoor ball even if your group is playing indoors.

In our experience with indoor pickleball groups here in Canada, the green Jugs polyball is the best overall compromise ball for most groups. Because it is liighter and slower, it favors beginners and newer players. Jugs are also softer than Durafast balls but harder than Onix, so it is still possible to spin them, although not as easily.

Posted on by

Reported Issues with Onix Fuse Pickleball Balls

ONIX FUSE G2 OUTDOOR PICKLEBALL BALL

We have had several inquiries about Onix pickleball balls in the past few weeks. Rumor has it that Onix balls are breaking after only a few uses. What the rumors are not making clear, however, is WHICH Onix balls are breaking.

In response to those rumors and to general concerns from our customers, we did some investigating. This is what we have learned.

Several years ago Onix released a new called the Onix Pure 2 pickleball ball. The was an indoor version and an outdoor version. Both were available in two colours: orange and yellow. In less than a year, the Pure 2 became the most popular ball in pickleball.

To be clear, there were no problems that we are aware of regarding breakage with the Pure 2 pickleball balls. We sold thousands. We never had a single complaint.

ONIX FUSE G2 OUTDOOR PICKLEBALL BALL
ONIX FUSE G2 OUTDOOR PICKLEBALL BALL

All good things come to an end, however, and the Pure 2 has now been discontinued. At the time of writing this article, we still have nearly 2000 Pure 2 pickleball balls in stock, but they are not making anymore so these will soon be gone.

In 2018, Onix replaced the Pure 2 with a new ball called the Fuse pickleball ball. Like the previous ball, there was an indoor version and an outdoor version and both were available in orange and yellow.

The Fuse indoor pickleball ball was an immediate hit, says the manufacturer. The Fuse outdoor ball, however, was a disaster. Due to a quality control issue at the factory, the poly was brittle and the balls cracked too easily.

ONIX FUSE G2 OUTDOOR PICKLEBALL BALL
ONIX FUSE G2 OUTDOOR PICKLEBALL BALL

Shortly thereafter, Onix pulled all remaining stock and released a new outdoor ball with a new — slightly different — name. It was called the Fuse G2. G2, of course, means Generation Two. So, in other words, it was the second version of the Fuse outdoor pickleball ball.

As far as we know, there have been no problems with the Fuse G2 pickleball ball. This is also what the manufacturer is telling us: “To date, there are no know problems with the new Fuse G2 outdoor pickleball balls.”

If you have other information, please share it with us by sending an email to orders@racquetnetwork.com.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Where to Play Pickleball in Calgary

Competitive PickleballIt is important to understand the difference between recreation and competition.

RECREATIONAL PICKLEBALL — All drop in pickleball programs in Calgary fall into the recreational category. Recreational pickleball occurs when a large group of players get together for a fixed amount of time. Doubles teams are made up on the fly from the pool of players present. Scores are kept during games but no record is kept once the games end.

COMPETITIVE PICKLEBALL is different. It features both scorekeeping and record keeping. Doubles teams are usually fixed and players stick together for multiple matches. Game scores and match results are recorded and become part of each participant’s history. Past results are then tabulated in order to determine each participant’s ranking compared to other participants.

The primary focus of this community is on creating a competitive structure for pickleball so that it can begin the process of transitioning from a recreation to a recognized sport.

FACILITIES FOR COMPETITIVE PICKLEBALL

In order to play pickleball competitively, players/teams must be able to book courts and play full matches. The facilities below offer players the opportunity to do this.

NAME TYPE ADDRESS REQUIRMENTS PHONE
Woodborough Park Outdoor 36 Woodborough Rd SW Members only 403-238-1611
Foothills Athletic Park Outdoor 2915 24 Ave NW Open to Public 403-268-3800
Oakridge Racquet Club Outdoor 9504 Oakfield Dr SW Members only 403-238-0007
West Hillhurst Health Club Outdoor 1940 6 Ave NW Members only 403-283-0464

Competitive players who want to see pickleball make a successful transition from a recreational activity to an official sport are strongly encouraged to support these facilities by purchasing memberships and engaging in meaningful competitive activities on a regular basis.

DROP-IN COMPETITIVE PICKLEBALL

Programs for Competitive Pickleball

Cedarbrae Community Centre – Phone number: 403-251-2101

This facility features a strong competitive pickleball program led by the coaches of the Calgary Pickelball Academy.

DROP-IN RECREATIONAL PICKLEBALL

We are now starting a list of places with drop-in pickleball in Calgary. If you are aware of a drop-in program that should be added to the list below, please let us know and we will add it.

Southland Leisure Centre

Southland Leisure Centre is currently offering an all-levels-welcome pickleball program on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8:00-11:00am. Racquet Network staff are attending this program on a regular basis. This is a no-strings-attached-program. Players do not have to join Track It Hub to play here. Admission is paid at the door. Up to eight courts are available, although four are set up on most days. The level on most days ranges from 1.0 to 3.5 with the majority of players being women.

Please do not call the store asking about these programs. We do not have information about rates or times. Please call these facilities directly.

Bowness Community Centre – Phone number: 403-288-8300

Pickleball court bookings are currently available by waitlist only using a form on their website. Immediate play opportunities at the Bowness Community Association are available through the third party organizations Calgary Pickleball and Pickleball Connect. Visit mybowness.com for more information.

Briar Hill/Hounsfield Heights Community Centre – Phone number: 403-282-6634

The Briar Hill/Hounsfeild Heights Community Centre offers weekly drop-ins open to all players. The centre has three hardwood courts. Drop-in typically attracts around 15 people. A Drop-in fee is required but discounts are available for seniors. Contact the community centre for dates/times. 403-282-6634.

Cedarbrae Community Centre – Phone number: 403-251-2101

The Cedarbrae Community Centre offers daily drop-ins for a variety of levels during the indoor season (September until May, depending on weather). A variety of drop-ins are available, including beginner drop-in, men’s and ladies only drop-in, and open drop-in. A drop-in fee is required, but discounts are available for monthly passes and Cedarbrae community members. Three indoor courts. Visit mycedarbrae.ca for more information.

Cranston Community Center – Phone number: 403-781-6614

The Cranston Community Centre offers weekly drop-in pickleball open to all. A drop-in fee is required. Anyone is welcome. Three courts. Multipurpose floors. Beginner to intermediate level. The pickleball program is run by the community centre staff. Workshops and clinics for beginners are also offered periodically. Contact the community centre staff for more info and for dates/times. 403-781-6614.

Haysboro Community Centre – Phone number: 403-253-1563

The Haysboro community centre has two outdoor hard court tennis courts with lines for pickleball. There are no drop-in times and players will have to arrange their own partners. The courts are reserved for Haysboro community members, but anyone can buy a Haysboro membership. Contact the community centre for more info. 403-253-1563.

Lake Mackenzie Community Centre – Phone number: 403-257-1823

The Lake Mackenzie Community Centre offers weekly drop-ins during the indoor season (approx. Sept-May) open to all. The community centre has 3 hardwood courts and one court is reserved during drop-ins for beginners. Loaner paddles and balls are provided for beginners but non-marking court shoes are required. A drop-in fee is required. Indoor drop-in is open to all. Lake Mackenzie also has 6 outdoor pickleball courts for use in the summer, but the outdoor courts are only available for lake members and guests. Contact the community centre for more info. 403-257-1823.

Mid-Sun Community Centre – Phone number: 403-254-8058

The Mid-Sun Community Centre offers drop-in pickleball on a weekly basis during the indoor season (September-June). The community centre has six courts. The baselines in the gym have very little separation from the walls, so it is a common practice at Mid-Sun for people to serve from inside the baseline. A drop-in fee is required. Clinics are also periodically offered for a fee. Both Lake Sundance and Lake Midnapore have outdoor pickleball courts, but the outdoor courts are for lake members and guests only.

Oakridge Community Centre – Phone number: 403-238-0007

The Oakridge Commuity Centre offers weekly drop-in pickleball during the outdoor season (May-September). The club has 14 hard court pickleball courts. A drop in fee is required, but discounts are available for Oakridge community members. The drop in players are mostly beginner to intermediate level, but there are a small number of competitive players. The Oakridge Community Centre also hosts the largest pickleball tournament of the year in Calgary, the Alberta Open, annually in mid-June. contact the community centre for dates/times. 403-238-0007.

West Hillhurst Health Club – Phone number: 403-283-0464

The West Hillhurst community centre offers a wide variety of pickleball drop-ins on a daily basis for players of all different levels. There are many drop-ins for beginners and intermediates throughout the week and at least one time slot reserved weekly for competitive players. The club also offers clinics and lessons periodically. The community centre has indoor and outdoor pickleball courts. A drop-in fee is required to use their courts, but monthly and yearly memberships are available for community association members at discounted rates. The weekly schedule is posted on the community association’s website: http://www.westhillhurst.com/pickleball. Contact the community centre for more info. 403-283-0464

Posted on by

Why Do Badminton Racquets Break During Stringing?

Why Do Badminton Racquets Break During Stringing?

Badminton racquets sometimes break during stringing, even when the stringer is doing everything correctly.

In our shop, we string about 2000 racquets a year with half of these being badminton racquets. On average, we see one or two racquets break during stringing every year. Most of these are badminton racquets, with an occasional tennis racquet in the mix.

The vast majority of these defective frames turn out to be knock offs. They are counterfeit racquets purchased online from Asia. Occasionally, they are racquets our customers purchased in-store during trips overseas.

As professional stringers and members of the Yonex Stringing Team who have strung racquets at professional events, we are trained in how to string all kinds of racquets at a wide variety of tensions. We also have very stringent procedures in place to ensure that we do not do anything to cause frames to break.

So why do racquets break during stringing if the stringer is doing everything correctly? There are several possible explanations, all of which are covered below.

Knock Offs

Nearly all of the frames that break during stringing in our shop turn out to be knock offs. Customers see these racquets online or in-store at impossible prices and buy them because they think they are getting a great deal.

In truth, these are not great deals. They are rip offs. Premium racquets come with premium price tags because they have a warranty replacement guarantee built into the price. In other words, the manufacturer expects to have to replace a certain percentage of new frames so they build that percentage into the cost.

Customers have to look beyond price to risks and consequences. If an expensive racquet is deeply discounted, they should ask why? The lower the price, the higher the risk that the too-good-to-be-true deal they are being offered is, indeed, too good to be true.

Phony Numbers

Customers also have to look beyond the numbers printed on their frames. For example, when we see “Max tension 30 lbs” printed boldly on a badminton racquet, we understand that this is simply one way to get customers to pay more for a racquet. “Max tension 30 lbs” does not mean that the frame should be strung at high tension. It only means that the racquet can theoretically be strung at this tension.

“Max tension 30 lbs” does not mean what customers think it means. They think it means that this racquet can be stung at 30 lbs without risk, but it doesn’t. “Max tension 30 lbs” should say “string at 30 lbs AT YOUR OWN RISK AND ONLY WHEN BRAND NEW” because stringing any frame over 25 lbs comes with an increased risk of breakage, especially if the frame has been strung and used previously.

Material Defects

Even companies like Yonex ™, who have earned a reputation as manufacturers of the best badminton racquets in the world, will produce a tiny percentage of defective frames every year. Small flaws in the graphite, too small to be detected during the manufacturing process, can result in major failures on the court. They can also result in structural failures during stinging — especially when stringing at 25 lbs or more.

Beyond Yonex, there are some brands that are infamous for flaws, defects and other weaknesses the lead to breakage during high tension stringing. In fact, in our shop we have a policy against stringing Black Knight ™, Diadora ™, Karakal ™, Tecno ™, Dunlop ™, and Carlton ™ badminton racquets over 24 lbs unless the customer signs a waiver indicating that they understand and accept the risks of breakage.

Micro-fractures

Another possible cause of breakage during stringing is material fatigue due to micro-fractures, which are microscopic fractures in the graphite that occur over time. These fractures can occur during normal play. They can develop during normal wear and tear and can build up over time to create fracture arrays which result in invisible weak spots in the frame. They can remain undetectable until the frame is exposed to stress during stringing and suddenly result in structural failure.

String Removal

As stringers, we understand that micro-fractures and fracture arrays create a risk of structural failure in high tension stringing. We also understand that micro-fractures can be made worse by improperly cutting the strings out of a racquet strung at high tension. So we cringe a little whenever a customer walks into our shop with a used racquet with the strings already cut out.

When a customer walks in with a racquet with no strings in it, we have to wonder who cut the strings out and if they knew what they were doing when they did it. Cutting the strings out improperly is the single biggest way to exacerbate micro-fractures and create weak spots that show up during stringing.

Conclusion

As a result of all of these risks, we require all customers to sign a waiver indicating that they understand that there is a risk of breakage during stringing. We ask them to understand that “it was perfectly fine when I brought it in” is not a relevant argument. There are risks with every racquet. They can have unseen defects, the can be weakened by normal wear and tear, they can even be weakened by accidental damage caused by cutting strings out improperly.

As professionals, we know if something we have done has caused a break. We are also professional enough to stand by our work and fix anything that is our fault. We are not, however, responsible for any of the common issues above and anybody who doesn’t accept that is welcome to go elsewhere to have their racquets strung.

Posted on by

How to Customize the Yonex Astrox 99

Yonex Astrox 88D Badminton Racquet Frame

About the Yonex Astrox 99

The Astrox 99 is a powerful badminton racquet created for advanced to elite level players who like to smash. The carbon fiber materials in this racquet are more advanced than in Yonex’ previous series of smashing racquets — the Voltric series.

With an extra stiff shaft, the Astrox 99 is not intended for recreational players. But many recreational players will buy one nonetheless. So when this happens, it will be important to string it correctly so that they can get the most out of this racquet.

The Steep Attack Challenge

Yonex’ initial marketing campaign for this frame was called the Steep Attack Challenge. It included a series of events at badminton clubs during which players tried to beat a standard set by Lee Chong Wei, the top player to endorse the Astrox 99. The event helped to cement the image of the putative benefits of the racquet’s technologies: steeper smash angle.

This campaign created expectations amongst players that they would be able to smash at a steeper angle with this racquet than with their old Yonex Voltric series racquets. As a result, stringers who want to meet these expectations are generally advised to string the Astrox 99 with thinner, more powerful strings and to avoid stringing strictly for maximum durability.

How to String the Astrox 99

If you are stringing for advanced to elite level men using feather shuttles, we recommend using one of these strings.

If you are stringing for rec level men using nylon shuttles, then we recommend selecting something from this group.

Nylon shuttles, of course, are much harder on strings than feather shuttles. So some men may break strings more often than they like using string from the group above. In that case, it may be advisable to switch to the following.

Of course, any racquet endorsed by Lee Chong Wei will be coveted by teens who are not strong enough to use it. So if your client is one of these players, you may want to go with Aerosensa or Aerobite strung at a low tension. This will help them counter the extra stiff shaft which may present a major challenge for these players.