Buying guide for badminton rackets

Which racket suits you best?

An easy to play sport that requires minimal equipment and provides hours of entertainment, badminton is best enjoyed with the right equipment, namely a shuttlecock and good, sturdy racket that enables you to play your best game every day. Without the correct racket, it’s impossible to give the game all you’ve got or maintain the balance and aim that is so crucial in the court.

There are four important areas of focus that need to be kept in mind while purchasing the perfect badminton racket, namely the head, shaft, grip and strings. Let’s break them down step by step.

The Racket Head: There are four basic kinds that one can find: oval or egg shape, isometric, teardrop and diamond shaped. The shape of the head will affect how the racket feels in the hands of the user. Diamond and tear drop shaped rackets tend to feel ‘bouncier’ in the hands of the player, due to the presence of a longer, tauter middle string.

Oval, egg shaped and isometric racket heads tend to feel stiffer, due to the presence of a shorter string. Some racket frames also tend to be wider. These ‘wide body’ rackets add more power to your shot. Pick the racket with the kind of head that feels good in your grip.

The Racket Shaft: This refers to the main body of the racket, the longest part that determines how flexible the racket is and how much it bends during play. Stiffer shafts provide more controlled aim over your shots whereas flexible shafts tend to give you a more powerful stroke. Remember, the longer the shaft, the more flexible the racket.

The Racket Grip: This refers to the bottom half of the racket, the handle section. The type and size vary from player to player, depending on their preferences. Hand size and grip size are inversely related, the smaller your hands, the larger the grip should be. Pick the kind that feels comfortable to hold. Special rackets for people with very small hands come with G5 sized grips. Additional strings can be added over the grip to thicken the racket.

The Racket Strings: These are available in two main kinds of materials, nylon and natural gut. Natural gut is more expensive and not as commonly found as the nylon variety. Nylon strings are usually cheaper and now increasingly pliable and flexible. These are also available in different colours and weaves.

So now that you know how, go ahead and pick your favourite badminton racket! You can find the perfect one for yourself right here http://www.liveyoursport.com/Badminton-rackets/.

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