Badminton is the favorite game of millions. And the badminton shuttlecock is undoubtedly one of the oldest sports equipment. Images of a ball game with feathers have been found on the walls of Aztec cities and Inca temples. In addition, the shuttlecock is the fastest sports equipment. Its speed can reach 365 km / h. That is why, the choice of a shuttlecock must be approached very carefully.
Instructions
Step 1
The shuttlecock is a very sensitive projectile, and its characteristics are measured with pharmaceutical precision. A change in weight by only 0.1 gram increases the flight range by half a meter.
Step 2
Shuttlecocks are of two types: plastic and feather. Feathers are very sensitive, they have a higher flight speed and a steep descent trajectory. Playing with feather shuttlecocks requires a high hand movement force. Therefore, they are primarily intended for professionals and high-class players. In all competitions, only feather shuttlecocks are played.
Step 3
A characteristic feature of feather shuttlecocks is their fragility. During the game, professionals can spoil two or three packages. Often, in order to change the speed properties of the projectile, players break or bend feathers. Therefore, in the end, playing with these shuttlecocks costs a decent amount of money.
Step 4
The weight of the feather shuttle is about 5 grams. Such shuttlecocks are made from goose feathers. There should be exactly 16. The head of the shuttlecock should be made of high quality cork, it is covered with thin natural leather. Feathers are glued around the circumference of the head and tied with threads. The threads must also be glued.
Step 5
Feather tips come in a variety of shapes. Rounded feathers make the shuttle descent more gentle, and long flight. This means that the player has a better chance of sending the projectile out of bounds. Shuttlecocks with sharp tips of plumage fly faster, the descent trajectory is steeper.
Step 6
Near the lid on the tube there are numbers indicating the speed of the shuttlecock. Yonex, the largest manufacturer of badminton equipment, uses numbers from 1 to 5. The higher the number, the faster the speed.
Step 7
Do not be surprised to see numbers from 75 to 79 on the packaging. This is how other serious manufacturers designate speed. This index is simply equal to the weight of the shuttle in English grains. The heavier the shuttlecock, the faster it flies.
Step 8
Sometimes the weight is indicated on the package and in metric units from 4, 74 to 5, 05 grams. Often on tubes with high-quality feather shuttlecocks, the temperature conditions of their use are indicated. This is not surprising, because a feather is a natural material, and will behave differently at different temperatures and humidity.
Step 9
Yonex additionally denotes product quality in the name of the series. For example, the Aerosensa series has indexes from 10 to 50 in the name. The higher the index, the higher the quality of the projectile in front of you.
Step 10
Rarely on the market there are shuttlecocks, in the series of which the index starts from 0, for example, Aerosensa 05. In this series, the head is made of artificial or combined cork. And not goose feathers go to plumage, but tsagi duck feathers. Such shuttlecocks are of a fairly high quality, but they are much cheaper, which makes them suitable for amateur games.
Step 11
Plastic shuttlecocks are more suitable for hobbyists. They have a more predictable flight path, lower speed, and the processing of such a shuttle does not require significant effort when working with a brush. Remember, wrist injuries are the most common injury to beginner players.
Step 12
Plastic shuttlecocks are more expensive than feather shuttlecocks, but they last much longer, so they are cheaper as a result. The main thing is not to wrinkle them in your hand while playing, so as not to deform the skirt.
Step 13
The speed of the plastic shuttlecocks is indicated by the color of the tape around the head. Green - slow, blue - medium-speed shuttlecocks and red - fast. The lid of the package should be of the same color. Yonex also produces flounces with a light green stripe - very slow. It is better to play them for beginners in the first lessons, when the hitting technique is just being put.
Step 14
Shuttlecocks can be white and yellow. It is more convenient to play with yellow shuttlecocks in dim lighting and at high speeds.
