The badminton racket, a badminton player’s closest companion. It braves the blood, sweat, tears, good, bad, hot and cold with its owner. Choosing the right companion can be tricky, considering the mountains of badminton rackets to choose from.
But with a little guidance, you will be on your way to victory (refer to picture above).
A good badminton racket not only compliments your playstyle, but can also help you enhance the quality of your techniques to levels you never knew were possible.
This guide aims to equip you with the necessary knowledge and guide you through the badminton racket selection process. Let’s begin!
1. Budget
The biggest variable when it comes to buying a badminton racket depends on how much money you are willing to spend. Ranging from about 10-200USD, anything above or below are exceptional cases.
Deciding on your budget early will help you greatly narrow your search. But of course, that can be difficult without any information. A good estimate is about 80USD for a reasonably good badminton racket and 150USD for a high-quality badminton racket. More expensive badminton rackets may be required by Professional players since they are tuned for greater performance areas or specifications that they require, thus costing more!
2. Racket Head
When given a choice, always go for the isometric badminton racket head. It has a larger sweet spot. A sweet spot is an area on the badminton racket head when struck will provide maximum repulsion power and an amazing racket feel.
As it is slightly more difficult to manufacture, an isometric badminton racket head usually will cost more. However, if your budget is above 30USD, you should be able to afford one.
2. Racket Head
When given a choice, always go for the isometric badminton racket head. It has a larger sweet spot. A sweet spot is an area on the racket head when struck will provide maximum repulsion power and an amazing racket feel.
As it is slightly more difficult to manufacture, an isometric racket head usually will cost more. However, if your budget is above 30USD, you should be able to afford one.
3. Weight
Most racket brands use the below convention for racket weights:
2U: 90-94g
3U: 85-89g
4U: 80-84g
5U: 75-79g
But for Li-Ning badminton rackets:
W1: 78-80g
W2: 81-84g
W3: 85-89g
Most badminton rackets are 2 or 3U, however, most players will appreciate the more weight-friendly 4U and 5U. This comes at a trade-off however, as there is a limit to how fast one’s arm can swing. The weight of a racket will thus be the next determining factor of how much force can be delivered onto the shuttlecock.
If you already have a badminton racket, this information (along with the grip size) can be found along the base of the racket shaft:
Most badminton rackets are 2 or 3U, however, most players will appreciate the more weight-friendly 4U and 5U. This comes at a trade-off however, as there is a limit to how fast one’s arm can swing. The weight of the badminton racket will thus be the next determining factor of how much force can be delivered onto the shuttlecock.
If you already have a badminton racket, this information (along with the grip size) can be found along the base of the racket shaft:
Badminton rackets utilizing advanced technology in badminton racket physics may distribute the weight of badminton rackets differently, the latest technology distributes the weight as shown:
Head-Heavy Balance Badminton Rackets
Badminton rackets with more weight on the head are top heavy which are mostly used for power-play: Smashing or long-distance shots. Increases the efficiency of power use, can be helpful for rally players that may need the momentum boost.
Not recommended for engaging in high-speed exchanges and defence typical of doubles. Some players will find deceptive play difficult to execute with this badminton racket due to the increased weight reducing finesse.
Head-Light Balance Badminton Rackets
A lighter racket head will allow you to maneuover the racket head at higher speeds when executing deceptive shots or engaging in high speed exchanges. Consider this if you favour increased control and speed over added power.
Not recommended if you find great difficulty in effectively executing baseline lobs or hard smashes, as the reduced weight will further increase the difficulty.
Even Balance Badminton Rackets
Balance in all things, what else can I say. Great for beginners who are looking for a reliable weapon with limitless possibilities of finesse.
To select the right weight/distribution for you, a balance must found between manoeuvrability and power of shots delivered.
A good way to test out what weight works for you is to compare it with what you currently have, and whether you prefer a lighter, heavier or similarly weighted badminton racket. Alternatively, you can borrow a friend’s who has the badminton racket you are considering, or perhaps head down to the store to test a few rackets yourself.
Better yet, find a friend who has the badminton racket that you have in mind to take it for a test run. This is the best way to not only test its weight but also how the racket would fare when executing different techniques.
If unsure, just get a balanced 4U/W2 badminton racket, you’ll never go wrong, unless if you’re buying one for a child, then a 5U/W1 one would do nicely.
4. Shaft Flexibility
The flex of a shaft determines how much repulsion you can get in exchange for consistency when delivering techniques at varying strengths.
To explain it further, while having a badminton racket that bends is great for repulsion; it acts as a spring to help you hit further when you swing a racket, having a bendy shaft can cause inconsistency as it bends differently when swung at different speeds.
In other words,
More bendy, more power, less consistency.
Less bendy, less power, more consistency.
As such, powerful professional players are willing to sacrifice the extra distance they can hit for a more consistent feedback by selecting a stiffer shaft. Beginners are often recommended to take a more flexible shaft as they may not have the strength nor the technique to return shuttlecocks to the baseline of the opponent court.
Do consider how you are currently faring in terms of power and consistency and make the right trade off. You can test it by literally bending the racket as shown in the picture above. Don’t break it though!
Some websites do take the liberty of listing down the stiffness of the badminton racket’s shaft. If unsure, use a known benchmark such as your own, or a friend’s badminton racket.
5. Grip Size
The grip size of a badminton racket, while not the most important, can be an issue if chosen wrongly to a great degree.
Ranging from G1-G8, G8 being the thinnest for Yonex badminton rackets, and the opposite for other brands (with the exception of Li-Ning), this is the conventional measure used to determine the circumference of the grip. Most badminton rackets, are either in G3, 4 or 5.
Li-Ning again however, uses only S2 and S3 as its sizing, where S2 is the larger grip.
Some brands come in a single grip size, saves you the trouble!
Unless you choose a size that is absurdly unwieldy for yourself, you probably can’t go wrong. A good tip is to choose a smaller size, as you can always use a thicker rubber grip to compensate for thin grip sizes, but you cannot do otherwise.
A G3/4 or S2 size is a safe bet if you are unsure
6. String
Here is a general guideline:
Beginner: 17lbs-20lbs
Intermediate: 20lbs-24lbs
Advanced: 24lbs-27lbs
Professional/International: >27lbs
| String Tension | Power | Control | Durability | Feel | Vibration |
| Low | More | Decrease | Increase | Decrease | Decrease |
| High | Less | Increase | Decrease | Increase | Increase |
If you can, find a way to test the string and tension you are planning to purchase, heading down to the store and asking the store attendant for their recommendations works too.
Don’t worry if you are unsure, badminton strings snap and are often changed, you won’t be stuck with one for long.
P.S. If a child complains that their elbows hurt, it could be due to the high tension of the string.
Conclusion
Choosing a badminton racket can be daunting from the sheer selection that is available. Please like share and subscribe if you found this guide helpful!
A good badminton racket is not completely impressive without an awesome accompanying smash! Check out our other guides for equipment here!
Have an amazing racket but not sure how to fully utilise it? Sign up for our classes where we teach you how to be awesome in badminton here!
Otherwise, see you guys soon!
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