Putting your faith into a new piece of equipment can be daunting. Will it be the right one for me? Do I even know that the right racket is for me? It is all well and good looking through the reams and reams of options out there, but you need to know what each of these highly specialised tools can offer, and you need to know if what they are offering is for you. Today we’ll discuss what are the best badminton rackets, what brands are reliable, plus how to choose a good one. On the other hand, we’ll answer all the possible questions you might have.
Top 5 Best Budget Badminton Rackets
These are the best-priced badminton rackets in the UK market if to are a beginner to intermediate player. Read our reviews below:
Talbot-Torro Isoforce – A Powerful and Durable Racket Made with 100 Percent Graphite
- The Ultra Carbon 4 material of the Isoforce 9051 allows for a torsion-resistant...
- Mega Power Zone = Grommets extended at 3 and 9 hours. They also allow the rope to...
- Racket / shaft is longer by 3/8" (long body) for more leverage, pressure and power
The use of 100 percent graphite in the construction of the racket makes it durable and provides powerful shots with each attempt, while aiding in making it of high quality. Along with this, it is a well-balanced racket, helping to provide the benefits of both a heavy-head and light-headed racket. This makes it perfect for a beginner player.
The large sweet spot is offered due to the use of isometric head size, making it more forgiving than a usual racket on off-center shots. Moreover, making this racket the perfect fit for a beginner that is yet to learn these skills of control.
It is also fairly lightweight, weighing 82 grams while being unstrung. In weighing this, the swing speed of the racket is effortlessly fast while reducing the risk of tennis elbow occurring. The AirFlex grip cap is used to reduce the vibration caused by the collision of the shuttlecock and the racket, which makes playing more comfortable.
Yonex Nanoray 10 – Weight, Strength and Flexibility
- Head Shape: Isometric; Frame Weight: 4U (83g/2.9oz);
- Supplied Strung with BS1801 String; Balance: Head Light;
- Shaft: Graphite/Nanomesh + Carbon Nanotube; Length: 26. 7” (680mm);
Like with most Yonex rackets, the isometric head is a game-changer as it provides pure accuracy even when the shots are off-centre, giving a much more forgiving hit to any level of athlete.
The graphite frame lends itself to provide a good balance between weight, and strength, as you will not need to worry about it being brittle and breakable. In fact, the Nanoray is highly flexible, and for a racket weighing just over 80g, you can feel assured with power as well as finesse.
The balance is slightly towards the shaft and handle, again, adding the feel of lightness without compromising elsewhere. It adds a lot of manoeuvrability to the head and allows for much tighter control in placing shots.
Babolat Satelite Serie
- Slim and reinforced T-joint for maximum aerodynamics.
- Ultralight racquet
- A product that combines performance and comfort.
Crafted with meticulous precision, these rackets boast a lightweight construction that ensures effortless swings, an ideal feature for beginners. A distinguishing feature is the rackets’ string tension configuration, meticulously designed to enlarge the sweet spot. This not only provides a more forgiving experience – especially useful for newcomers – but also ensures that even off-center shots retain a good degree of precision and power.
With its head-heavy design, the racket shines particularly in delivering powerful smashes. Moreover, its slender profile allows for swift movements in the air, enhancing the force and speed behind each smash. Many experts believe that such attributes, found in these rackets, can greatly assist in improving a player’s overall game performance.
Senston N80 Graphite Series
- MATERIAL - Made of Carbon Alloy Frame + Graphite Shaft which make racket extremely...
- BUILT IN T-JOINT - Racket has SOLID Construction with ONE-PIECE Design Outside and...
- UNIQUE PYRAMID FRAME RIM - Minimize the Resistance to Swing design accords with air...
The Senston N80 is just perfect for everyone who seeks unmatched performance on a budget.
It glides through the air effortlessly, allowing for quick and smooth movements. This racket is suitable for both beginners and intermediate players. Its lightweight design ensures prolonged play without the shoulder strain typically associated with heavier rackets. Crafted with carbon fibre, it enhances the racket’s strength and minimizes frame deformation.
This badminton racket boasts a high-quality Carbon Alloy Frame coupled with a Graphite Shaft, making it both top-notch and lightweight, optimizing the strength and stability of gameplay. The built-in T-Joint enhances its structural solidity, promoting superior stability and precision control.
Its unique Pyramid Frame Rim design, aligned with aerodynamic principles, reduces air resistance for faster shots and enhances racket durability. The Isometric Square Head Shape provides a generous sweet spot, facilitating better hits, improved defense, and greater effective range. Accompanied by 2 rackets, 2 shuttlecocks (in random colors), and a premium protective carry case, it offers outstanding value for money.
Yonex Arcsaber Series
- Yonex Original US version Racket
- Color: Grayish Pearl / Pre-Strung by Manufacturer
- Weight: 4U (Avg.83g) / Grip: G5
The badminton rackets in this Yonex series are expertly designed to harness and release energy, enabling precise shots every time. This unique capability is a significant reason why they stand out and are highly favored among players. One of the pivotal features is its isometric frame shape, which balances the lengths of the strings, subsequently broadening the sweet spot’s size. Such a design leads to enhanced accuracy, especially on off-centre shots.
This tolerance proves invaluable for beginners, providing them a degree of leniency when their technique isn’t quite on point. The racket’s lightweight nature simplifies swinging and handling, an asset particularly beneficial for novices who are still honing their gameplay skills.
Badminton Racket Buying Guide
There are a variety of things that you need to look at when deciding on a suitable badminton racket. Some of these factors will be discussed below. It is important to note that what works for one player may not work for you.
Your specific specifications are decided upon the level you are at in badminton, whether that be beginner, intermediate or advanced, as well as how you would like to play, either aggressively or defensively. All these things play a role in what racket you choose to play with.
Weight Of The Racket
The weight of the racket is denoted by the use of a “U”. The smaller the number, the heavier the weight of the badminton racket. What has generally considered a good badminton racket weighs around 80 grams to 100 grams.
- 4U: 80-84 grams.
- 3U: 85-89 grams.
- 2U: 90-94 grams.
- 1U: 95-100 grams.
A lightweight racket is highly recommended for beginners. This can be due to the rackets being easier to control. The racket should generally weigh between 85 grams to 89 grams, or shown as 3U. Along with this, lightweight rackets are used to allow for quick stroking speeds and recovery.
In using a lightweight racket, you will be able to deliver quick serves and switch to different strokes easily. The chance of injuries is also significantly lowered as lightweight rackets put less strain on the wrists and shoulders.
Balance Point Of The Racket
A racket can also be categorized by the balancing point. This is the point at which the weight of the racket is largely located. By placing your finger just slightly below the head of the racket, you will see where the balance of the racket is by the way the racket tilts.
There are three ways in which a racket’s balance can be categorized:
1. Head-Heavy Balance
This type of balance point has more mass towards the head of the racket. The power of the strokes is increased, making this racket suitable for players that like to play a powerful game from the back of the court. They are especially useful in rallies as they produce lengthy clears. Therefore, these types of rackets are high thought-after by players whose games revolve around long exchanges.
2. Head-Light Balance
On the other hand, a head-light racket has less weight towards the head of the racket. Therefore, making it much easier to control and swing. They are very popular among doubles players who need to quickly react against opponent smashes. This type of racket is considerably easier to manipulate and swing, thereby, reducing reaction time.
3. Even Balance
An even balance racket is designed to provide the middle ground between a head-heavy and head-light racket. An even balance racket is most suitable for players that are unsure of their playing style. This is the perfect type of racket for someone that is just getting into the game. When you have established your style of play, you can transition into either a head-heavy or head-light racket to help improve your overall game.
String Tension
You can test the string tension of your racket by pressing your palm against the strings and see how far it sinks. The ideal string tension for most players is a 1mm sunken depth. However, if you tend to channel more force into your strokes, higher string tension will be needed for your racket.
It is also important to know that string tension standards vary from region to region. This is due to the impact temperature has on string tension. Higher string tension is often favoured in places that are hotter as strings tend to expand in places with higher temperatures.
Find best badminton strings in the following article>>>
Hand Grips
The two major factors that affect the grip of a racket are its size and type. These will be discussed in greater detail below but I also have a more in-depth article here:
Types of badminton grips
There are two different types of grips. These are either towel or synthetic.
Towel grips are softer and good for absorbing sweat. In saying this, however, they are more prone to collecting germs and bacteria. With that being said, the frequent replacement of towel grips is required compared to that of a synthetic grip.
A synthetic grip is slick and less messy. However, they are seen as less comfortable to play with as the ability to absorb sweat is very poor.
Most rackets available on the market come in 4 sizes. It is considered that the bigger grips are favoured by players that prefer a tighter feel as it helps them generate more power. Contrary to this, players that like to use deception in their games are likely to prefer grips that are smaller. This is because it allows for better manoeuvrability.
The Best Badminton Brands
There are a number of great brands that offer high-quality badminton equipment on the market today. These products are used by the topmost badminton players in the world. Each badminton player wants to own a racket that will provide them with the most exceptional quality as well as be convenient to hold and use while giving them confidence on the court. This is why the reputation of a brand is so important. This is why we have comprised a list of some of the best badminton brands available to help you decide on your next purchase.
Yonex
Yonex is one of the most reputable brands for badminton rackets. They offer extremely robust quality and innovative features. Their rackets are the best for enhancing acute smashes, stability, and speed.
Li-Ning
This is a Chinese brand that is one of the most important and leading brands within the badminton world. Their innovative technology sets them apart and helps provide excellent rackets onto the market.
Victor
The reputation of this brand is impeccable. The quality of Victor rackets is outstanding and perfect for delivering powerful smashes. These rackets are extremely versatile and admired by both amateur beginners as well as advanced players.
If you would wish to know more about top picks for badminton racket brands, then click the link down below.
Budget Rackets vs. Premium Rackets
There are a variety of things that separate a budget racket from a premium racket. However, the most significant thing is arguably the materials used. The materials help in adding value. Using more expensive materials helps in making the racket more durable, powerful, and weigh.
Therefore, making them more expensive and seen as premium rackets. Some of these materials are carbon fibres, graphite, and titanium. In saying this, budget rackets are made from cheaper materials like alloys. These make the racket less durable and weigh more. However, innovative technology has been used on cheaper rackets to make them more competitive against premium rackets.
FAQ
In this section, you’ll find the answer to the most typical questions about badminton rackets:
Q: How do I know what type of racket I need?
A: Identify the key traits of your style of badminton, it is a sliding scale in many cases. Decide if you are attack or defence, or somewhere in between.
Do you like power or control? Are you just starting or an advanced player. Knowing the answers about yourself will help you choose a racket that can complement, or improve, your traits.
Q: Do I really need to buy a new racket?
A: Of course, if this is your first time buy, then, of course, the answer is yes! However, if you are looking for an upgrade, you need to ask yourself two questions. What do I not like about my current model, and what am I looking for, or looking to improve, with my next one.
If you feel your game is improving for instance, and you need more accuracy, then you know that perhaps your old racket is too flexible, and you are looking for a less-bendy design.
Or, are you simply looking for a better version of the current type of racket you already have? While equipment can be similar in approach, not all of them are created equal. Decide if you are happy with the type of racket you have and if it is simply going to be an upgrade.
Q: Will a new racket improve my game?
A: A lot of people will set out for a new racket simply in the hopes of suddenly being a better player. Unfortunately, it is not as clear-cut as that, the equipment can only aid you slightly, and can only help certain parts of your game. If you are hoping to improve your serve power, then yes, perhaps it is worth buying a new racket that is heavier and has a higher balance point.
However, it is important to remember if you start looking for improvements in one part of your game, you could compromise the other. A firmer racket will make you more accurate, but you could lose a substantial amount of power on your shots.
Q: Is it worth buying a new racket?
A: There needs to be a reason to buy a new racket. If you feel you have reached a plateau in your game, or you feel the type of player you are changing, then new equipment can facilitate the changes. However, it is not worth buying a new one in the hopes that it will change, or improve you.
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Image credits:
Yonex logo: By Unknown author – Vektordaten: http://www.yonex.com/badminton/topics/AT900_A4.pdf Farbinfo: http://www.yonex.com/common/image/logo_yonex.gif, Public Domain, Link
Babolat logo: By Babolat – Babolat, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Victor logo: By 堀井 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Li-Ning logo: By Liningindia – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
