Until recently, badminton was not the most popular game in Russia. Most often, acquaintance with him was limited to a simple throwing of the shuttlecock somewhere at a picnic or in the country. Therefore, the requirements for sports equipment were low. However, with the introduction of badminton into the educational program of high school, many parents face the problem of choosing the most important piece of equipment for a badminton player - a racket.
Instructions
Step 1
Badminton rackets are available in three versions: amateur, basic and professional. Good racquets are always sold one at a time and in a custom case that protects the net. A passport or certificate must be attached, which indicates the main characteristics. Such a racket cannot cost less than 700-800 rubles.
Step 2
Pay attention to the material the racket is made of. Rackets for beginners are made of steel or aluminum. They are heavier, but at the same time they are highly durable. The rim of such a racket is designed for less tension.
Step 3
Look at the racket. For non-professional and beginner models, the rim is attached to the bar with a T-piece. Rackets for professionals are made of titanium-graphite or all-graphite alloys. They are very light, the body is one-piece. But professional racquets are less durable, so they can easily break from an inadvertent hit on the floor or the rack of the net.
Step 4
The generally accepted length of a badminton racket is 665 mm. For professional players, there are longer versions with a length of 675 mm or extra long ones - 680 mm.
Step 5
The main indicators are mass, bar stiffness and balance. A good racket weighs 81-150 grams excluding strings and wrapping. Professional top-class models are very light, weighing 81-84 grams. The weight of the rackets can be indicated on the shaft or in the certificate by letter designations: 2U / W2 (90-94gr) - amateur and basic models, 3U / W3 (85-89gr), 4U / W4 (80-84gr) - rackets for professional players, 5U / W5 (75-79gr) - extra-light models only for top-class players.
Step 6
The stiffness of the racket shaft affects the precision of the shuttle. As a rule, the higher the class of the badminton player, the harder the racket he chooses to play. Playing with a hard racket for an untrained athlete can be very difficult, moreover, it can be very easy to injure the wrist. Stiffness is indicated in English terms: Medium - flexible, Stiff - limited flexibility, Extra Stiff - minimum flexibility. Sometimes the numerical designation of the bar stiffness is used: 8, 0-8, 5 - rigid or 9, 0-9, 5 - flexible.
Step 7
The next important metric is balance. The more the balance is shifted into the rim, the stronger the impact; such rackets are usually played by high-end professional badminton players. Also, attacking players prefer to use these rackets. But with the balance shifting to the rim, hitting accuracy decreases, so for those who are just learning to play badminton, it is better to choose rackets with a neutral balance or a slight offset in the handle.
Step 8
If the passport does not indicate the balance of the racket or you take the inventory from your hands, try to determine the balance point yourself. To do this, place the racket on the edge of your index finger and find the point where the handle and rim are in balance. Then measure the distance from the end of the handle to the found point. If the balance is shifted to the rim, then the distance should be equal to 295-305 mm, with a neutral balance - 290-300 mm, with the balance shifted into the handle 285-295 mm.
Step 9
There are also additional parameters that distinguish badminton rackets. These are the thickness of the winding, the tensile force of the mesh, the thickness of the strings, the shape of the rim, and so on. But for a beginner player, these parameters do not really matter.
Step 10
After choosing a racket in a store, be sure to make it a few movements that simulate hitting a shuttlecock. Even with the same basic parameters, the rackets of different brands may differ. Focus on your feelings. Choose the racket that fits most comfortably in your hand.
