Which badminton racket is the best for beginners?

What is the most suitable recreational badminton racket? Who are recreationists? These are players who only play badminton for fun. There are ex-top players who now jokingly call themselves recreationists and still knock almost all competition players off the court. In this blog, we provide information and advice for the group of recreational players who play weekly, but have never reached a high level.

What kind of badminton racket for beginners?

Enjoyment and pleasure are paramount! It is therefore essential to choose a racket that can prevent injuries and overload. In addition, it would be ideal to have a racket with built-in sensors and motors that will automatically return all shuttles for you. Unfortunately! Such a racket does not exist yet, so we will have to go for a racket that compensates as much as possible for the limited hitting technique.

There are a few points for attention for such a badminton racket:

1. Material of the racket & price
2. Maintenance of the racket & price
3. The flexibility of the racket
4. The weight of a racket

Which materials are used for badminton rackets?

There are different materials to make badminton rackets. KW FLEX makes the following distinction between:

• Aluminum & carbon (up to approx. 30 euros)
• Full carbon / graphite (40 - 200 euros)

We only recommend recreational badminton rackets made of full carbon. These rackets can prevent injuries, give much more power, much more precision and also provide a considerable energy saving because they are lighter.

If we have to mention a disadvantage of the full carbon rackets, it is the higher price and that they are more vulnerable to collisions with other rackets. Fortunately, you are always careful with your racket and watch out for it!

However, these "disadvantages" do not outweigh a tennis elbow, golf arm or shoulder injury. In that case, the game is certainly not more fun and one visit to the doctor can be more expensive.

What does a beginner badminton racket cost?

Should you have doubts about whether you like the sport, have a limited budget or do not yet know how fast your technique will improve. Then we recommend orienting yourself in the price range between 40-60 euros. These recreational badminton rackets are ideal for starters.

If you have a bigger budget, you can also orientate yourself up to the 100 euro price range. But please ask our expert for advice. However, do not focus on the highest price range, it will probably not improve your game. It may even backfire and only make your game more frustrating.

As an advanced recreational player, though, you would do well to shop in the advanced recreational badminton rackets category. Advanced recreational badminton players are badminton players who already have a good technique and therefore have a fine to good command of many strokes. Of course, you handle your rackets very sparingly and your budget is at least a little more than that of a starting badminton player.

What is the cost of maintenance for my badminton racket?

Do you also take into account the maintenance costs for replacing grips and strings? These parts are more important than the frame itself and determine more than half of the playing characteristics. Think about 40 euros per year for optimal maintenance with an average of 1x per week playing. This includes 1x replacement of a tension and 4x replacement of a basic grip.

It is also possible to replace your grips less frequently or to have your racket strung, but this is at the expense of playability, control and power.

Get information from your local badminton shop or specialist. You may also be able to test the difference between a new / old tension and a new / old grip. This will give you more insight to determine how often you want your racket to be serviced. Of course, this is possible at KW FLEX Badminton specialist shop, and we can tell you all about: How do you maintain a badminton racket?!

What is the importance of the flexibility of a badminton racket?

A healthy and fit body is paramount!

Do you have an injury prone arm? Then take a flexible shaft. It works like a slingshot because the stem absorbs shock in front of you, traps this energy in a bending position, and then springs back like a slingshot. Little technology is needed to get maximum power from a flexible racket. Stiff ○○○○● Flexible

Has your arm always been healthy and fit? Then both a flexible and medium-flexible shaft would be fine: Stiff ○○○○● Flexible or Stiff ○○○●○ Flexible

Do you have a fit, strong arm & wrist because of your profession or other sports, and do you have the right technique? Then the following flexibility is good: Stiff ○○●○○ Flexible
A stiffer shaft has the following advantages: More accuracy & smash speed.

"Safety first", don't start with a very stiff shaft. If you have too little technique (including little speed in stroke movement), the shuttle will not reach the back of the field. In addition, the risk of injury increases, because the shock from the shuttle will flow more intensely to the arm.
Eg. A carpenter with muscles who have no experience is likely to have a powerful but slow stroke. A heavy racket will help, but a very stiff badminton racket will not. Advice: Top heavy and medium stiff badminton racket.

Badminton rackets with a flexible shaft are not available at all stores, in the price range around 40 euros. Our badminton specialists can always provide you with advice and, if desired, we will let you feel the difference!

The weight of a racket

Which weight of a badminton racket is suitable for a beginner? Unfortunately, there is no one-size fits all weight and there are always advantages or disadvantages. In any case, it is a myth that you can hit harder with a light racket. A heavy racket can give more power, but a badminton racket that is too heavy costs more energy, reduces your agility and can also cause overload.

Racket choice

First choose 1 of the options below, and then you must determine which flexibility suits you best by carefully reading the paragraph flexibility.

Option 1:

We recommend the following combinations for recreational users who have a lot of trouble getting the shuttle deep in the back and do not intend to train fanatically:

75-80 grams - balanced, head heavy *
80-85 grams - balanced to headlight *

Option 2:

For recreational users who have a lot of trouble getting the shuttle deep in the back, but have the intention to train fanatically, we recommend the following combinations:

80-85 grams - balanced to head heavy *
85-90 grams - balanced to slightly head heavy *

Option 3:

For recreational users who have a lot of wrist strength and can easily hit the shuttle deep in the back, we recommend the following:

80-85 grams - head heavy *
85-90 grams - balanced to head heavy *

Option 4:

For recreational users who have a lot of wrist strength, can easily hit the shuttle deep in the back and want to train fanatically, we recommend the following:

85-90 grams - head heavy *
90-95 grams - balanced to head heavy *

* The stated number of grams includes strings.

Do you need help with choosing, stress or other questions? Contact us by phone + 31-616501686, [email protected], Instagram or Facebook! We are always ready to help you with your choice.