Badminton - Will a crap player benefit from a good racket?
Discussion
I started playing badminton about 12 months ago with friends. Had no coaching of any kind, just been picking it up from the folks I play with. I just bought a Dunlop cheapo racket from Sports Direct one day and have been using it ever since.
Will I notice any benefit whatsoever from spending £40-60 on a ‘better’ racket? Or even the Yonex B4000 thats currently £10 in Argos? Or am I better off spending that money on an hours coaching at a local club?
Any thoughts appreciated.
Will I notice any benefit whatsoever from spending £40-60 on a ‘better’ racket? Or even the Yonex B4000 thats currently £10 in Argos? Or am I better off spending that money on an hours coaching at a local club?
Any thoughts appreciated.
I think coaching will always improve you much more than a racket ever will, although you would notice a significant difference between a cheap racket and say spending £40 on one. After the £40-£50 mark you only really start to appreciate the subtle improvements if you’ve been playing a while.
Having said that, don’t under estimate footwear as decent court shoes are considered by many as more important.
Having said that, don’t under estimate footwear as decent court shoes are considered by many as more important.
I don't play anymore but many years ago when I started getting into years ago when I started getting into badminton I always bought a new grip which I wrapped around the bog standard grip of the racket even if it was a new racket. I found that freed up my wrist movement more and allowed me to improve a bit better.
probably need to ask yourself what you think you're missing out on ?
... more power ? more control ? its mainly coaching you'll find improvement on (thats always difficult with adults!) ... but a £50 racket should give you some benefits over a £10 racket.. a £100 racket won't give you much over a £50 one though... a better racket with decent tensioned strings and you should see a difference with more power and control ...
(feel free to drop me a message!)
... more power ? more control ? its mainly coaching you'll find improvement on (thats always difficult with adults!) ... but a £50 racket should give you some benefits over a £10 racket.. a £100 racket won't give you much over a £50 one though... a better racket with decent tensioned strings and you should see a difference with more power and control ...
(feel free to drop me a message!)
You might notice the difference with a better racket, but it's no substitute for better play. If you've been playing for 12 months you're at least somewhat committed so no harm in getting better equipment. If you want to get better, you might try getting some pointers from others who are better players and playing consistently helps also.
I have been playing competitively for the best part of 15 years at county level, i have a number of rackets, my main one beng a Yonex Voltric Z-Force 2 which was about £150 at the time. If i we're you, i would purchase a racket between £30- £50, you will only see a difference in a more expensive racket when you get to a higher level, that being said, a more expensive racket is likely to last long and be more durable. My rackets get abused,but they last, and if i had a significantly cheaper racket they would probably bend or break which you would probably see in a racket around £20 ish
Another thing to consider is the head weight of the racket, The Z-Force i use has a higher head weight, so.. great for smases as it has the weight behind it, but slightly slower to move around when playing at the net for example. So choose a racket which suit's your playstyle.
String Tension, I have to replace my strings every couple of months, I have them strung to 24/25 Ft Lb's, the higher the tension, the smaller the sweetspot in the middle of the racket head. as you get better consider getting it re-strung for higher tension for those faster smashes.
Oversize the grip, Pretty much every player i know, the first thing to do when getting a new racket, is putting an extra grip over the original one to give more control, Do this even when starting out will improve your game instantly.
So to summarise, if i were you, i would go to a shop (Sports Direct etc), have a swing around of a few different rackets and see the difference in head weight.
decide if you want a heavy head, light head etc
spend up to £50 on one,
Put and oversize (extra) grip over the original handle
practice practice practive and have some fun.
Another thing to consider is the head weight of the racket, The Z-Force i use has a higher head weight, so.. great for smases as it has the weight behind it, but slightly slower to move around when playing at the net for example. So choose a racket which suit's your playstyle.
String Tension, I have to replace my strings every couple of months, I have them strung to 24/25 Ft Lb's, the higher the tension, the smaller the sweetspot in the middle of the racket head. as you get better consider getting it re-strung for higher tension for those faster smashes.
Oversize the grip, Pretty much every player i know, the first thing to do when getting a new racket, is putting an extra grip over the original one to give more control, Do this even when starting out will improve your game instantly.
So to summarise, if i were you, i would go to a shop (Sports Direct etc), have a swing around of a few different rackets and see the difference in head weight.
decide if you want a heavy head, light head etc
spend up to £50 on one,
Put and oversize (extra) grip over the original handle
practice practice practive and have some fun.
wong said:
Any good, recommended on-line places to buy a racket from?
This place takes some beating, good reviews as well. The thing is, as wuith all sports, if you know what you want then one of the big places such as Sports Direct are difficult to beat on price.https://www.pdhsports.com/
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