BadmintonGuy.com

Choosing the right badminton racket has been the topic that I’m sure has crossed your mind sometime in the past or even now. I must admit that, at first, when I started playing badminton, I want to go for the newest latest out there in the market, obviously for a good reason. The newest must be the best out there the money can buy, which should improve your game significantly, right? I found that methodology to be not quite true.

The latest badminton rackets usually incorporate the newest technology which, at least in theory, should help you improve your game, by transfer the energy better, smash harder, etc. But what if you don’t need those??

In my opinio, badminton racket is like clothing. It’s personal, and it’s your preferences that count. The racket should fit your game, and allow you to hit your shot the way you want, and you should feel comfortable with it, just like clothing. Say, your game is based on your quickness at the net, so you might need something that allow you to pump fake at the last second, or drop with the feather light touch. That’s personal, and the latest greatest may not help.

I own an eBay store and I always get this question about which racket I recommend. I always answer that I don’t really know. The best way to choose your next racket is to try it out. Borrow your friends’ racket. Test it out to see how you like it; to see how you feel about it. Hit some long lob, do some smashes, drives, drops. 5-10 minutes with a racket would give you some idea if you may like it or not. Playing with it for a game is even better. Of course, reading online review might help narrowing it down a bit, but you’ve got to know what you are looking for in the first place.

However, if this is the first racket, and you are a beginner, it’s going to be difficult for you because you don’t know what you want yet. Everybody has to starts somewhere. I would say aim for the middle of the pack or slightly closer to the top of the line, and have it head-light, so it’s easier to whip it around. The head heavy tends to require a little bit earlier preparation before hitting a shot, and usually beginners are going to be slow on that.

Summary

1) If you are beginner and big budget, aim a bit high, so your racket can grow with you. Choose light head or even balance for quick maneuverability and help you prepare for each shot faster.

2) Know yourself first. See what you may need in your game that your current racket lacks of.

3) Read online reviews, try it out before you buy.

Hopefully, all of this can help you find the perfect racket. Remember that racket a part of your game. The right racket can help your excel in the right direction, or hurt your game development if you choose a wrong one. However, it’s you and your skills that matter the most. Game on.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 8:49 am and is filed under Equipment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.