Modified Shuttlecocks

Badminton is a difficult game to teach and learn. In addition to using an extended implement (the racket), students have to hit the small object (the shuttle) which posed a challenge to many beginners as the flight of the shuttle is also too fast. This makes it difficult for students to react fast enough. Even while students use the shorter rackets, they continue to miss the shuttles and the rally often breaks down quickly, leading to frustration and decline in students’ motivation to learn. The challenge was to find a way to facilitate student learning and motivation. The solution was to slow down the speed of the shuttle and allow more time for students to react and connect with the shuttle that is in motion.

Innovation doesn’t have to be complicated or cost money. To make the modified shuttles, one just needs to bend the feathers of a shuttle. 

• It does not cost any money: The innovation uses existing feathered shuttles. 

• Simple to make: Students can bring back the idea to play with their friends/ family.

• It is “graded”: Degree of ‘bend’ in the feathers allows teachers to gradually move beginners from a slow-moving shuttle to the normal shuttle. 

• Fast production: Takes a minute to make.

TESTING THE THEORY

Final design was 3 degrees of ‘bend’ in the feathers  to create a bigger drag to slow down the speed:

Speed test using an app that measures badminton shuttle speed (Lingbu shuttlespeed) showed that compared to the original shuttle, #1 was slower by 17%, #2 by 24% and #3 by 37%.