How to choose a badminton racket?Badminton Racket Selection Guide-Love Changcao

Badminton is relatively simple in all sports and does not require much space. Therefore, playing badminton is also the most popular sport among sports enthusiasts.

Playing badminton is relatively simple. Two people, two rackets and one ball, and then you can start playing in an open area where there is no wind. The only thing that needs attention is the equipment of the badminton racket.

Most of the knowledge about the badminton racket is still insufficient, thinking it is a simple racket, but when buying a badminton racket, there are still quite a few doorways inside.

How to choose a badminton racket

Buying a badminton racket requires not only the appearance, but also the material, balance, weight and other factors. Let’s talk about them one by one below.

1. Racket weight

The weight of a racket is usually represented by “U”; the smaller the number, the heavier the weight of the badminton racket. The heavier the racket, the greater the power delivered.

• 4U：80-84g
• 3U：85-89g
• 2U：90-94g
• 1U：95-100g

Here, we strongly recommend beginners to use a lightweight badminton racket. Their weight should be between 85 grams and 89 grams (3U), because such rackets are usually easier to control.

The lightweight racket also allows quick shots and recovery, and you will be able to serve quickly and easily switch to different shots. Lightweight rackets are also easier to use the strength of the wrist and shoulder to play, thereby reducing the chance of injury.

2. Balance point

In addition to weight, rackets can also be classified according to their balance point or the main position of the racket weight. To determine the balance type of your racket, place your fingers slightly below the head of the racket to see the direction in which the racket is tilted.

① Tilt to the head

Rackets tilted toward the head. These rackets are popular with players who like to play strong games in the backcourt. This provides them with extra head mass that can increase their hitting and smashing power.

②Tilt to the handle

Rackets tilted to the handle, these racquets have the advantage that the mass of the head and frame is much smaller, so it is easier to manipulate and swing. This is essential when defending against an opponent’s spiking, because you need to react as quickly as possible to recover the spiking. If you prefer to play serve, fast and aggressive badminton when playing doubles, or a singles player with excellent technique and swing speed, you should seriously consider using these rackets.

③No tilt

There is no slanted racket. If you are not sure what type of play to use, a balanced racket is best for this situation. If you are just starting to participate in the game, then this racket will be your best choice to start. Once you have established your own style of play, then you will know what racket to choose next.

3. String tension

Test the tension of the racket by pressing the palm of your hand on the string to see how much it sinks. A depression depth of 1 mm is an ideal tension. If you tend to use more power for hitting the ball, your racket string needs higher tension. For starters, 22 – 23 pounds is a good tension.

Please note that temperature will affect the tension of the string. People living in tropical regions usually need higher racket tension because the strings tend to expand in hotter areas.

4. Handle

The material of the handle can be distinguished by soft and hard, and the thickness of the handle can be expressed by G0-G6. The larger the number, the thicker the handle. Yonex rackets come standard with G4, and Victor rackets come standard with G5.

The soft handle is good for absorbing sweat. However, this makes them prone to accumulate bacteria. Therefore, compared with hard handles, soft handles need to be replaced frequently.

On the other hand, the hard handle is smooth and less messy. However, due to their poor ability to absorb sweat, this makes them less comfortable to hold.

5. Shaft flexibility

The flexibility of the shaft is as important as the balance point. The flexibility of the shaft depends on the speed of your swing. Generally, the flexibility of the shaft will be expressed as hard, medium, and flexible. There are also some other modifiers, such as medium hard and Super hard.

In short, the faster and more explosive your wrist/arm speed (often called swing speed), the more likely you are to benefit from a stiffer shaft. The slower and smoother your wrist/arm speed is, the more likely you are to benefit from a more flexible shaft.

The stiffer shaft will quickly bend and then loosen, ensuring that the explosive swing speed players have the greatest strength and control. In contrast, a player with a slower swing will not be able to take advantage of a hard shaft because the shaft will not bend or straighten, resulting in a loss of power.

Buying advice

For beginners, we recommend choosing a badminton racket with a weight of 3U, between 85 grams and 89 grams, the balance point is not tilted, the string tension is 22 – 23 pounds, and the shaft flexibility is medium. As for the rough details of the handle, Determined according to different palm sizes. We recommend starting from this relatively moderate racket, and then make adjustments if you have formed your own style of play in the future.

We recommend that you can buy badminton rackets online, because there are more options online, and many shops currently support 7-day return and exchange without reason, and you can replace them if they are not suitable.

If you still don’t know how to buy a good badminton racket, then you can refer to our recommendations on badminton rackets.