Which Shuttlecock Should I Choose? [Buying Guide with Suggestions]
Badminton game requires badminton racquets, shuttlecock and finally net. Shuttlecock (also known as Badminton’s bird or birdies), one of the most vital accessories of the game. The choice of right shuttlecock can level up your game. Now, you must be thinking to give the best on the court by taking awesome shuttlecock to your collection, but wait, it is not that easy as there are a ton of badminton birds available within the market, all contain different material and are meant for a different purpose. So how would one decide which one is better for best performance? In the coming context, we will discuss all important factors and features that need to consider before going for any particular shuttlecock.
Factors to consider before buying Shuttlecock • • •
Type of Shuttlecock – Feather, Nylon or Hybrid Speed of the Shuttlecock Your Level of Play
Type of Shuttlecock There are mainly 3 types of shuttlecocks: 1. Feather Badminton Shuttlecock 2. Nylon/Plastic Badminton Shuttlecock 3. Hybrid Badminton Shuttlecock
Let’s start with the traditional feather badminton shuttlecock and please take note of its features and important points for future reference.
1. Feather Badminton Shuttlecock (Features & Recommendations) • • • • • • •
Feather shuttlecock is mainly used by intermediate level to professional level players. Feather shuttlecock is easy to control as compared to other birds. These shuttlecocks are made from goose or duck features, which are widely used by elite players. Best when it comes to playing most shuttle fights. It’s not made for entry-level players as they can break the feathers too quickly. It has very low durability as compared to the nylon shuttlecock. In order to the get best durability, these shuttlecocks are stored in a humid environment.
2. Nylon/Plastic Badminton Shuttlecock (Features & Recommendations) • • •
The Nylon shuttlecock is meant for beginner, lower-level, and recreational players. These shuttlecocks are finished from nylon fine material. Nylon/Synthetic are durable in nature which may go up-to 100 games before it wears it.
3. Hybrid Badminton Shuttlecock (Features & Recommendation) • • • •
Hybrid Badminton Shuttlecock is a mix-up of both feather and plastic shuttlecock. It contains goose/duck feathers in its finishing while it has a synthetic frame. It has long durability as compared to other shuttlecocks. It’s a reasonable shuttlecock thanks to its low manufacturing cost.
Shuttlecock Speed Being in India, you should go for Yonex Mavis 10 Badminton Shuttlecock, this is the most trendy and popular shuttlecock in this region. However, if you are unsure how to pick the shuttlecock with reference to speed. Let’s jump into the next context to get more detail. In order to perform best on badminton court, you need to choose the correct speed of shuttlecock that can drive the appropriate length in the court. In normal conditions, the slow shuttlecock will fall under the small distance and have slow speed whereas the fast shuttlecock will go inverse of it that is; it will travel further with more speed. The Speed of the shuttlecock gets affected by 3 factors: 1. Temperature; where the match is being played. 2. Altitude of the court.
3. Humidity of the area where a match is being conducted. Still confused about how to choose a shuttlecock based on the speed. Well if we go deeper, it has few categories that will fall from 75-79. The smaller figure, the shorter distance going to be covered by the shuttlecock. Have a glance at the table to get a better understanding of this concept. Sr.no
Shuttle Speed
Altitude
Temperature
1
75- Slow
Above Sea Level
Extreme Hot(30c +)
2
76- Quite Slow
Sea Level
Hot (25-30 degree)
3
77- Average Speed
Sea Level
4
78- Quite Fast
Below Sea Level
Normal (15-25 degree) Cold (0-15 degree)
5
79- Fast
Below Sea Level
Very Cold ( Below Freezing)
Shuttlecock – As per your Level of Play Generally, there are 6 levels of badminton play. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Recreational Play level Training Play level Club Playing Level Match Playing Level Tournament Playing Level Professional Senior Tournament
Given below are the recommended badminton shuttlecocks for every level player and by using these birds, you will grow in a better way.
1. RECREATIONAL PLAY LEVEL • Yonex As 10 Badminton Shuttlecock • Yonex Mavis 300 Badminton Shuttlecock
2. TRAINING PLAY LEVEL • Yonex Mavis 2000 Badminton Shuttlecock • Head Glider 505 Badminton Shuttlecock
3. CLUB PLAYING LEVEL • Yonex Mavis 600 Badminton Shuttlecock • Li-Ning A2 Badminton Shuttlecock
4. MATCH PLAYING LEVEL • RSL Tourney No.3 Badminton Shuttlecock • Li-Ning Champ Badminton Shuttlecock
5. TOURNAMENT PLAYING LEVEL • RSL Tourney Supreme Badminton Shuttlecock • Yonex Mavis 370 Badminton Shuttlecock
6. PROFESSIONAL SENIOR TOURNAMENT • Yonex As 30 Badminton Shuttlecock • Head Glider 303 Badminton Shuttlecock
Note: These recommendations are supported our research and personal experience. It can vary from people or players. So after going through these most important factors, now you must have a proper understanding of features of the shuttlecock and other vital factors such speed, material, cost, etc. Next time when you will consider any shuttlecock, take these features and vital factors in your decision. FAQ's for Badminton Shuttlecock 1. What are shuttlecock feathers originally made of? Answer: A Shuttlecock feathers are basically made by overlapping of duck or goose features. 2. How shuttlecock is made? Answer: Mainly features of duck or goose are overlapped to make shuttlecock. 3. Which shuttlecock is better feather or plastic? Answer: Plastic shuttlecocks are better due to lightweight and its durability. 4. Which shuttlecock brand is best? Answer: It depend on personal preference but Yonex shuttlecock are widely used in the market due to its unique features. 5. Shuttlecock for professionals? Answer: It varies from person to person. Yonex As 30 Badminton Shuttlecock is widely used by top level players. 6. Who invented shuttlecock? Answer: Eddie Bauer is known to be inventor of shuttlecock.
7. Shuttlecock for beginners? Answer: Best suited shuttlecock for beginners are Yonex As 10 Badminton Shuttlecock and Yonex Mavis 300 Badminton Shuttlecock. 8. Shuttlecock for tournament? Answer: Tournament shuttlecock are Yonex Mavis 370 Badminton Shuttlecock and RSL Tourney Supreme Badminton Shuttlecock.