If you are a sports person then you must be well aware that each and every sport has its own equipment requirements for play. It is no different for badminton, it also has some unique equipment or gear that is used by players during the match and on the court. Below is information regarding badminton and five essential badminton gear that every player should carry or must have.
Those who do not know much about this sport generally get confused between tennis and badminton because both these sports are played using a stringed racket. But there is a lot of difference between these sports. In tennis, a large oval shape racket is used to hit a bouncy ball, whereas in badminton, a small size racket with an isometric head shape is used to hit a shuttle over the net.
If you’re willing to step into this particular sport, then firstly you need to learn the basics and know all about it. To start, here is some basic badminton gear that a player must have, whether he is a beginner or a professional.
5 Essential Badminton Equipment Items
Here, we have listed some gear that are essential for badminton players.
Badminton Rackets
A racket is the most essential equipment, or we can say the top gear that is required for playing badminton. Rackets are mainly designed by keeping the style of play in mind, and range accordingly in price and quality. Badminton rackets are usually made of carbon fiber composite or steel, which makes them more strong and durable. The lightweight rackets are much more efficient than the heavy-weight rackets. A perfect racket should weigh between 71-90 grams.
The rarely manufactured rackets are made up of wood and are expensive due to their weight and features. But in today’s time, there are different kinds of top badminton rackets available in the market with different designs, but you need to choose the most appropriate badminton racket by keeping these features in mind:
- The racket should be flat, check this as older or cheap rackets may be defective and have curved faces.
- A typical racket length is between 665m to 675mm, but should not exceed 680mm
- The racket head should be 11 3/8 inches long, the breadth not be more than 9 inches.
- And the exterior frame of the racket should be 3/8 inches wide.
- The length of the strings pattern should be 11 inches long and 8 5/8 inches wide.
Shuttlecocks
The shuttlecock is also known as a birdie, which is hit with the racket to deliver it from one side of the net to another. A shuttle is manufactured in an aerodynamic design and holds a conical shape. These shuttlecocks are made up of nylon or the real feathers of a goose. The fiber made shuttle is good and durable. You should buy a birdie according to your gameplay. Both kinds of shuttle hold a cork end that has a leather or a synthetic cover.
The weight of a shuttlecock is between 4.75 to 5.50g. There are 16 feathers in a shuttle and these feathers have a length of 62 to 70 mm, the diameter of the cork is 25 to 28mm.
The cost of a shuttle depends on its quality and features, a player must always buy a shuttlecock according to his game level.
Badminton Shoes
Shoes play an important role during the match, they are essential to increase the performance of a player to the next level. Badminton players have to move a lot back and forth on the court which puts a lot of pressure on the feet. Consequently, they require shoes with a very good grip, and with flexibility and comfort.
Before buying badminton shoes, you should keep these few things in mind:
- It should prevent you from injuries.
- Should be flexible and help you in effective footwork.
- Also work as a shock absorber.
- These shoes should be stable.
Of these features, the main thing is the shoes should be lightweight, because a badminton player cannot run very effectively and quickly around the court in heavy shoes.
Badminton Attire
If we talk about badminton attire, then you must know that badminton players basically wear shorts or a skirt with a light t-shirt. You should avoid long-sleeved –T-shirts and tracksuit pants while playing badminton, and even cotton materials like cotton t-shirts or shorts.
Here, are some badminton attire that a player must have:
- Cotton sports socks with a good quality
- Sports shorts or a skirt
- A light T-shirt
- Top grip badminton shoes
Sweatbands and wristbands are sometimes worn. While not compulsory, they can be useful as badminton players can sweat a lot.
Grips
The grip is the way or manner of holding a badminton racket to hit the shuttle or the shots during the match. In terms of equipment, the grip refers to the material used to wrap around the handle of the racket. You can find a variety of grips available on the market, that you can choose according to your satisfaction or by their texture, thickness, color, material and surface.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading the article. We have mentioned the five basic badminton gear that is used by the player whether they are professional, intermediate, or beginner. These pieces of equipment are a must in a competitive match. Because a proper playing kit and a proper attire of a player also define his game and level. So, before participating in a badminton match make sure that you have all of this equipment or gear.
Related Pages
- Badminton Equipment & Facilities
- 5 Badminton Accessories Players Can’t Live Without
- Badminton Court Dimensions
- Badminton Equipment in our online store.
- Badminton Terminology