A sport played by over 250 million people globally, badminton has become very popular in Europe and Asia. The reason for this popularity is its beginner-friendly nature and convenience to play the sport. The racket is the most important tool used in the game and then comes the shuttle. The history of badminton dates back to 200 BC. Back then, players used bulky and heavy wooden rackets. With time the composition of badminton rackets has changed. This article will discuss how a badminton racket is made?
If you are curious about making of Badminton shuttlecock. Following is an interesting article!
The most significant part of a badminton racket is the frame. Usually, the frame is produced as one unit with the shaft but for beginners, the frame could be manufactured in separate pieces with each different material. The one-unit frame is more suitable for intermediate and advanced players. Let’s look at the materials you can use for manufacturing badminton rackets.
Steel badminton racket:
The most commonly used material, steel rackets are popular due to budget-friendly prices. However, this low price means degraded quality and low strength of these rackets. They offer less flexibility and hence less room to tighten the string tension in the frame. Beginners purchase these rackets because experienced players prefer other materials.
Graphite badminton racket:
Graphite offers high strength and durability to the racket shafts and such rackets are popular among the advanced fraternity. Such rackets known as the ‘carbon fiber rackets’ in the market. Graphite offers high flexibility in the racket frame. Moreover, graphite elements are stable and do not react with other materials. Due to the high strength of the graphite frame, the players can string at high tension without fearing the damage of the frame.
Aluminum badminton racket:
It is the second most popular material after steel. Aluminum is not used alone rather it is used in combination with steel or graphite frames. Aluminum is a very lightweight material hence aluminum rackets provide greater handling during gameplay. The racket offers high service life and strength. To add, the lightweight properly allows more maneuverability, allowing players to quickly move the racket around.
Badminton racket Gutting:
Now, let’s discuss the badminton gutting process. To start, Gutting is a process in which the racket is stringed again i.e., all the strings are taken out and then customized strings are put in. Major brands offer this service when people buy new rackets. Original, the genuine strings are of middle quality and with loose tightening. These strings could easily break and snap. One of the reasons could be storing the racket in a cold environment. Strings are very elastic materials and they can become very hard in cold environments which will cause them to break when hit.
To add, other reasons could be hitting the shuttle towards the round edge of the racket consistently. This part is not designed to take a lot of pressure so it could break the strings. Moreover, using the same strings for a long time could also affect their quality. Moreover, if the plastic grommets through which the string passes are damaged, the friction between them and the string could also cause damage.
Hence, it is always a sensible idea to have your badminton gutted. The choice of string entirely depends on you however nylon strings are a suitable option. The maker should keep the tension at a bare minimum of 25lbs. For the question of how often, I should do gutting? there is no specific timeline for it. One should remember that strings lose their tension with time. So, keep looking for sluggish behavior of strings or signs of physical damage, and once found, get gutted by a professional.
Badminton Racket Bend:
Usually, rackets with a deformed shape or with a dent in their frame cannot be recovered. If Re-shaping happens, it will stretch the racket fibers. Primarily, the racket bend arises when the string’s tension is very high and not uniform. For example, if the string is tighter from the right but comparatively lose from the left side, it could cause the shape of a racket to distort.
Another most common reason is weaving and stringing the racket at home in a DIY style. Weaving is the process of just putting the strings in the hole and shaping them, then comes the stringing in which the strings weaved early are tightened now. A common mistake most people make is doing 4 knots i.e. 1 string going vertical over another. So, there is a change in pressure over the racket causing it to distort or bend. The only remedy to this problem is cutting all the strings and leaving the racket for some time. If it retrieves to its previous position, consider yourself lucky. If not, then you need to buy a new one because the damage done is permanent.
Brands to consider
Now, let’s talk about the brand you should consider buying your rackets from. There are a lot of competitive brands with exceptional quality out there, but ‘Yonex’ outranks them all. One of the oldest and most reputable brands in the market, Yonex is known for its quality products with an innovative touch. The company produces all kinds of badminton stuff but its rackets are the specialty. Yonex rackets offer high durability and strength to the players. It’s flexible, as well as durable frames, increase its service life. Its handgrip gives pleasure to both categories of players i.e., beginners and advanced. Yonex has manufacturing facilities mostly in Japan and South Korea. However, in recent years Yonex has expanded its business to China too.
Conclusion:
In this article, we have explained everything about how badminton racket is made. Now, you have a choice to order your custom badminton rackets, manufactured and assembled according to your requirements. There are many benefits of customizing a racket which includes that you may decide to buy a head-heavy or head-light racket according to your playing style. Moreover, you could customize the grip according to your hand size and of your choice. Sweat absorbent grips are popular and you should try them. Moreover, choosing your string and the tension will entirely revamp your gameplay and you could enjoy badminton as you want.
