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.
