Badminton equipment refers to the wide variety of tools and clothing items used in the game of badminton. The most common of these are the badminton rackets, the strings, the grip, the shuttlecock, and the badminton shoes. In official tournaments, the player’s clothes or uniform is a part of the list of specialized badminton equipment. You simply can’t have a game of badminton if you’re lacking in any of these items.
Rackets, Strings and Birdies: Badminton Gear
Here’s a closer look at each piece of badminton equipment:
Rackets – High quality badminton rackets weigh within the range of 70 to 100 grams without strings, give or take. Usually they are composed of graphite reinforced plastic (carbon fiber composite), a durable and relatively lightweight material used for the majority of today’s branded badminton rackets. The material is also responsible for the stiffness and excellent weight to strength characteristics of quality badminton rackets.
Grip – The grip allows the badminton player to increase or decrease the thickness of his or her racket handle, and also allows him or her to choose a comfortable surface to hold.
Shuttlecock – The shuttlecock is conical object with a high drag profile; it is used primarily in the game of badminton. The item inherits its conical shape from the 16 overlapping goose feathers jutting out of the cork base. Other terms for the shuttlecock includes shuttle, bird and birdie.
Shoes – Badminton shoes are extremely light with rubber soles or other similar non-marking, high-grip materials. These shoes offer minimal lateral support.
Strings – A racket is not a badminton racket without its strings. These strings are thin, measuring at about 0.65 to 0.73 millimeters in thickness. Of course thicker strings are durable, but most players prefer thinner strings for their decreased wind resistance.