How to buy badminton rackets, strings, grips and shoes

Badminton Rackets

Badminton Racket

Finding the perfect badminton racket is about what you need from the game and the kind of player you are. Players look for either power in their shots or more control, or a combination of these. Beginners are advised to start with more control-based rackets and work their way up to rackets that add power as controlling a shot is a difficult skill to catch up on and can take time to develop.

For a power-based badminton racket:

The first thing to note about a power-based racket is its weight. A power-based racket will always be among the heaviest rackets around as its weight contributes highly in adding power to your shots. This is primarily the reason why beginners cannot work with power-based rackets; these require significant arm strength to work with and that only comes with practice.

A heavier racket protects your arm from shock upon impact and will feature lesser vibrations when you make the shot. It has a greater sweet-spot.

A power-based racket is not just heavy, it’s head-heavy. That means the head of the racket feels heavier than the grip. The heaviness of the head helps in adding more power to the shots. Similarly, the shaft of a power-based racket is stiffer. Flexibility is more control-based and a stiffer shaft helps add power to a shot.

Below is a table explaining what measurements are considered power-based in a racket.

Features of a Badminton Racket	Measurements in a Power Based Racket
Racket Weight (unstrung)	88-92 gms
Racket Weight (strung)	98-100 gms
Balance Point (the heaviness of head)	285-295 mm

For a control-based badminton racket:

The first thing to note in a control-based racket is the weight. The weight of a control-based racket will be light, far lighter than a power-based racket. Similarly the shaft will be more flexible to allow for manoeuvrability. The balance point for a control-based racket will be low. A balance point is the distribution of weight across the racket. A high balance point is when the head of a racket is heavy, like in power-based racket. A low balance point means the weight of the head is lighter, giving the player easier control over the racket.

Features of a Badminton Racket	Measurements in a Control Based Racket
Racket Weight (unstrung)	85-90 gms
Racket Weight (strung)	88-93gms
Balance Point (the heaviness of head)	270-285 mm

The fun part about badminton is that you can find a racket that combines power and control. Some rackets offer heavier heads but balance it by using extremely lightweight materials in the shaft. You can experiment with these racket types when you progress further as a player.

Badminton strings

Badminton strings

Since badminton strings have most impact upon contact with the shuttle on every shot, it’s important to understand the basics behind strings. Strings are made from a standard material so once you have procured a pack, the next step is to decide the string tension. String tension is how tightly or loosely the string is tied across the racket. This determines how the stringbed will react upon impact (when the shuttle comes in contact with the stringbed) during a shot. If you’re a hard-hitting player, you should go for a higher tension; light-hitting players tend to lose power when playing with a higher tension stringbed.

Lower tension stringbed creates a great sweet spot for light-hitters, creating a trampoline effect on the shuttle and helping you control the shuttle better. Ideally, beginners are advised to start with lower tension stringbeds. Tightly strung stringbeds offers more power but lesser control and need advanced skills to work with. Below is a table which explains ideal string tension ranges based on player level.

Player Level	String Tension Range
Beginners	19-20 lbs
Intermediate	21-14 lbs
Advanced	25+ lbs

Badminton Grips

Badminton grips

When it comes to badminton grips, it’s all about your preference as a player. Badminton grips are differentiated based on the material: there are towel grips and synthetic PU grips. Towel grips are classic, great at sweat-absorption but not durable at all. They need to be changed often because they tend to accumulate germs from sweat and can cause infections. Synthetic PU badminton grips offer better shock-absorption and are more durable.

Badminton Shoes

Badminton shoes

Finding the right pair of badminton shoes is all about comfort and fit. But there are a few things to be kept in mind. Since badminton is all about fast-paced movement in all directions, lots of lunges and abrupt halts, ensure that the shoes you pick come with lateral support. However, watch out for the soles: the soles must be thin. This is why you shouldn’t use running shoes (they’re only meant for forward movement) or cross-trainers because these shoes tend to have thick soles. A thin sole is required to ensure that your feet stay close to the ground. Thick soles put your feet too high up from the ground, aggravating chances of ankle injuries with each lunge you make. Thin surface-hugging gummy soles to grip the court surface and add stability keep your feet close to the ground allowing you to move freely and naturally. Most ankle movements work best when they are natural.