Courtside Sports - Badminton Racquets

Badminton Racquets - How do I Choose?

We carry a large variety of Yonex, Black Knight, Victor, Wilson, Head and Prince badminton racquets for all levels of players. Racquets vary in composition/construction, weight and stiffness as well as length, head size, balance and string pattern.


Typical frame constructions include steel and/or aluminum (for entry level racquets), aluminum/graphite-fused (entry-level/intermediate racquets) and a variety of graphite constructions (intermediate/professional level). When choosing a racquet, a good guideline to follow is that a flexible frame can be more suitable for players with slower swing speeds and stiffer frames are often preferred by players with higher swing speeds.

Longer frames can often help produce higher racquet head speed while standard length frames provide greater maneuverability. Larger head sizes (Isometric by Yonex and Quad by Wilson) provide a more forgiving sweetspot and increased power.


Racquets with even-to-head-heavy balances may be the choice for many offensive players whereas head-light frames can be seen in the hands of many defensive and doubles players.

Stiff or flexible racquet? Advanced or intermediate players can use either type of racquet. Stiff racquets are not recommended for beginners or senior players for whom flexible or medium flex racquets are more suitable due to their forgiveness on off-centre shots.


Some racquet companies offer different grip sizes for their frames. Choosing the right one for you is very much a personal preference and you should bear in mind that increasing your grip size is an easy prospect with many overgrips (thinner) and replacement grips (thicker) available to help you customize your racquet.

In general, singles players will use a smaller grip because they have to cover the court using backhand as well as forehand and require more changes of grip position. Doubles players will generally use more forehand and cover court more easily, so they can choose either grip size to suit their preference. We often recommend that beginner and senior players also use a larger grip size.