HOW TO CHOOSE A good Badminton racket

The badminton racket is the most important equipment. Before you choose your own badminton racket, ask yourself whether you want to play a game of POWER or CONTROL.

POWER means that you want to deliver lethal smashes to win your opponent, and CONTROL means being able to drive the shuttlecock with high precision. Remember that you can not have both power and control in one racket. However, you can choose to have a balance of both.

To choose a good badminton racket that suits you, several things to consider:

Stiffness/Flexibility of the Shaft:

A flexible shaft can bend easily, whereas a stiff shaft can hardly bend.

**A flexible shaft** offers good repulsion of the shuttlecock in a badminton swing. This is because a flexible shaft bends slightly towards the back and stores energy during your swing motion. As the shuttle comes into contact with the string bed of the racket, the stored energy will be released and then transferred to the shuttlecock. Therefore the holder of the racket does not have to exert too much strength for badminton shots such as badminton clears from baseline to baseline.

However, you will have to sacrifice shot placement accuracy. Since the shuttle lands on the string bed of the racket, repulsion will cause the head of the racket to vibrate, leading to uncertainty in the flight direction of the shuttlecock.

Therefore, this type of rackets is most suitable for beginner or defensive players. Also racket with flexible shaft help you to defend smashes easier.

**A Stiff Shaft** offers little or no repulsion. The shuttle will bounce off immediately after it comes into contact with the string bed of the racket. With less repulsion, shots are less powerful. This means that the holder of the badminton racket will have to swing harder in order to generate more power.

However, this type of shaft is perfect for accurate shuttlecock placement and suitable for Fast Attacks, Deceptions, Net kill.

If you’re a beginner using a stiff badminton racket, you’ll find yourself concentrating on exerting sufficient strength into your swing, rather than concentrating on correct techniques. Intermediate or advanced players who are very familiar with correct badminton techniques can consider switching to a stiff racket to try out more advanced skills.

Balance Point & Weight

**Balance point** is the point on the badminton shaft that indicates the CENTER of MASS of the badminton racket.

**Weight** of the racket ussually is classified into a few categories, namely:

• 2U: 90-94g
• 3U: 85-89g
• 4U: 80-84g
• 5U: 75-79g

Such information is often indicated on the shaft of the racket (near where you hold the racket).

*Head-heavy rackets* and *heavy rackets* will allow you to channel more power into your smashes. However, they are not as easy to control due to the extra weight.

*Head-light rackets* and *lighweight rackets* on the opposite will allow for quick stroking speeds and recovery. You will be able to deliver quick serves and switch to different strokes easily. Lightweight rackets also are easier on the wrist and shoulders, reducing the chances of injuries.

And more

This is not all! You still need to choose suitable **type of string**, **string tension** and **hand grip**, but above are some of the most important things that I usually consider before buying a new racket. And of course, the racket need to fit your budget. :)

*Please note that, this sharing section is gathered/copied from many online sources with the **only purpose** of helping my friends choose a good badminton racket. Therefore it can be a copyright violation.*