Badminton Racket

Having good quality equipment for your sport is essential. This is particularly true with regard to racket games. In the case of badminton, the choice of badminton racket is all important. Every sports store carries a line of rackets that vary a lot in cost. The laws of the game dictate what is allowed in the size and design. The best quality makes weigh between 70 - 100 grams, without the strings.

As with tennis, the badminton player used to play with a wooden racket but modern materials made wood redundant. Players wanted a lighter badminton racket and the aluminum type was introduced. Nowadays, there are many different materials to select from, including Graphite Reinforced Plastic (carbon fiber composite.) some rackets are made from solid steel and inexpensive ones are still sometimes made from a light metal. In general, the rackets have become lighter and lighter. As for the shape, the oval head is still the most popular choice but the isometric head is gaining ground.

There is much debate on whether strings should be low or high tension. Professional players tend to use higher tension than recreational players. It's the general consensus that it should be left to individual choice, influenced by the skill and power of the player. It has been noted that playing with high tension strings can lead to injury.

The choice of grip for a racket is important too as the player needs to feel comfortable on the court. Again, there are a wide variety of materials on offer but the most popular is the polyurethane synthetic grips or the toweling ones. Perspiration on the hands can be a problem and many players wear sweatbands or apply a drying agent, either to the grip of the badminton racket or directly to the hand.

The development of equipment has a big influence on how a sport is played and this is in evidence with the badminton racket. The modern makes are so light that they enable players to employ a short hitting action on appropriate strokes. There is a lot of talk about fast serves in tennis but a shuttlecock will fly faster than a tennis ball and this is helped by light shuttlecocks and rackets. The official world record for a smash in badminton was recorded in 2005 when a player sent the shuttlecock at 206mph (332 km/h). There may even be a new wonder material waiting to be invented for the badminton racket that will make the game even faster at a future date.

Summary: Badminton rackets have evolved from the original design just as many others sports equipment has. Instead of wood rackets, you can find them in aluminum, plastic, steel, or a general light metal. The strings tension can be high or low depending on the players preference. The fastest speed of a shuttlecock is 206 miles per hour. Keep your eye on the birdie!

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