Badminton - Racquet

If we go on asking people about their favourite sports, undeniably badminton will be there in the list. I mean, who doesn’t love badminton? It’s a popular indoor sport that is played with a racket and a shuttlecock. The badminton rackets used in the game are lightweight and feature an oblong-shaped hitting the web. The racket has a handled frame with a netted hoop for hitting the shuttlecock. Few of superior rackets found in the market weigh between 70 to 95 grams (2.4 to 3.3 ounces) excluding the strings and grips.

The primary objective while constructing the rackets is to make them lightweight and robust. Therefore these rackets are manufactured with materials such as graphite, reinforced plastic and solid steel. The steel rackets are usually supplemented with other materials to enhance their performance. Some of the famous rackets manufacturers are Yonex, Li-Ning, Ashaway and Babolat. 

Types of a Badminton Racket

• Lightweight Rackets - The lightweight rackets are ideal for the beginners as these are easier to handle without causing much strain in the muscle. They weigh mostly between 85 to 90 g. The rackets allow swift strokes and recovery too. These rackets enable the players to serve and switch between various strokes easily and quickly. 
• Heavyweight Rackets - Seasonal and professional players prefer heavyweight rackets. The rackets have higher balance points, i.e. the head part is heavier. The balance point of any racket is the section where it can balance horizontally on the player’s index finger. These rackets are more challenging to handle but ideal for power-packed gameplay. 
• High tension Rackets - These rackets are ideal for players who hit harder shots. At amateur and beginner levels, players can choose regular tension string, and after practising much, they can opt for higher tension rackets. 

Classification of Rackets based on Grip

• Towel Grip - The towel grip rackets are widely favoured due to their incredible ability to absorb sweat. But with the continuous sweat absorption, the towels are prone to bacterial accumulation. Due to this, the grips require frequent replacements. 

• Synthetic Grip - The synthetic grip rackets don’t require frequent replacements as compared to the towel grip rackets. These grips are smoother and do not get dirty easily. However, these grips are unable to absorb any sweat and may become uncomfortable to use after a while. 

Classification on the basis of manufacturing material

• Metal badminton Rackets - These rackets were popular in the 80s and 90s and are made from an alloy of steel, titanium or aluminium. These materials make the rackets more durable in nature; however, they have low elasticity. The rackets are economically cheaper and ideal for beginners.

• Graphite badminton Rackets - Graphite is considered to be a pure form of carbon. The graphite rackets are super stable and as the material don’t react with any other element of the racket. It also has a uniform weight distribution in the racket. These rackets are extremely elastic and durable. 

Construction of a Badminton Racket

A badminton racket has the following parts -

• Frame -The frame is the outer body of the racket that consists of a stringed area, a shaft, throat and the head. It has a width of 230 mm maximum and a length up to 680 mm. A fully strung frame weighs between 80 and 100 grams.
• Head - The head is basically the ring of the racket that holds all the strings in position. It has either a round or oval shape with holes in its perimeter where the strings are tied.
• Stringed area - The stringed area is composed of interwoven carbon fibre or nylon strings. According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rules, the stringed area can have a maximum width of 220 mm and a length of 280 mm.
• Throat - The throat acts as a connector between the head and the shaft. It is either a triangular piece that is placed on the racket head’s base or sometimes incorporated into the head directly.
• Shafts - The shaft is a rod between the throat and the handle of the racket that provides better balance. The shaft can be flexible or rigid, depending upon the requirement of the player. However, the flexible shafts provide better control to hit the shuttlecock. It’s generally made from a composite material such as graphite.
• Handle - The handle connects to the shaft to hold the racket. It is incorporated with an external coverage called the grip.

Evolution of Rackets over the years

The traditional badminton rackets used to feature wooden frames. However, with the advancement of time and technology, the rackets are being modified by making them lighter. Frames were manufactured earlier with aluminium and then from composite materials such as carbon fibre. The old racket models used to have an oval shape which was later transformed into other head shapes such as isometric and diamond or tear shapes.

The modified isometric shape has an increased "sweet spot" area which is the section from where the players can hit the most powerful shots. Originally, the strings were manufactured with the natural animal gut. Later, it was replaced with synthetic materials such as nylon. Nylon is preferred over natural gut because it is cheaper and provides the same qualities as the natural strings. With passing time, the racket grip is also modified and is now manufactured with synthetic materials. The polyurethane and other types of towelling grips are more comfortable that adds up in the diameter of the handle.