Badminton’s string theory and the secrets within

Tim Willis, who has stringed racquets for Olympic champions such as Viktor Axelsen and Carolina Marin, reveals the strength behind those powerful smashes

When you step on to the badminton court and swing your racquet, sometimes it all just clicks. The technique, the weight of the racquet, the tension on the strings... it flows and creates the perfect shot. At the amateur level, one picks up a random racquet and hopes to create magic.

Tim Willis (in green).

But at the professional level, there is no place for hope alone. Excelling at the highest level, where the difference between winning and losing a crucial rally often comes