Prepare feather badminton shuttles

To prolong the life of your Feather badminton shuttles, it is very important to prepare them properly before playing. Badminton players who play with feather shuttles know how easily they can break. Once the spring of a shuttle breaks, it will affect the performance of the shuttle, and it will need to be replaced. However, they are not cheap....

Longer life feather badminton shuttle

You are wondering of course how you can make a feather shuttle last longer, so you don't destroy a whole tube of shuttles every match. Of course, we are going to explain this to you completely.

To extend the life of shuttles, the most important thing is to keep them away from high heat or extreme freezing temperatures, which make the feathers fragile. Due to the heat or cold, the feathers dry out and lose their quality, so it is best to always store them in a dry, dark and cool place. This is the best way to protect your shuttles. Despite these measures, it is wise to always prepare the shuttles before the training or match.

How do I prepare a feather shuttle?

The purpose of preparing feather badminton shuttles is to reactivate the oils in the feathers. These natural oils make the feathers more flexible, softer, and they can withstand better. With our method, you can prepare the shuttles 1 day in advance or weeks in advance. Moreover, the shuttles last up to 3x longer and the springs hardly break anymore, unless you really hit the shuttle wrong.

What you need:

• Kettle
• Water in the kettle
• Feather badminton shuttles including the tube
• Badminton racket or longer object that fits in the tube

Follow the KW FLEX step-by-step plan:

1. Take your tube of Feather shuttles
2. Remove both caps
3. Leave the shuttles in the tube
4. Turn the kettle on and make sure the steam enters the tube.
5. Using e.g. the handle of your racket, push the top shuttle out of the tube and put it in at the bottom.
6. Repeat this process, so that all shuttles have been out of the tube at least 1 or 2 times.

Preparation half a day in advance:

• After preparation, remove all shuttles and dry with a good moisture absorbing microfiber cloth
• Drying the tube
• Let all shuttles dry in the air

1 day prior preparation:

• After prepping, take out all shuttles and dry with a good moisture absorbing microfiber cloth
• Dry the shaft
• Return all shuttles to the case with 1 cap open to dry

Prepare 3 days in advance:

• After preparation, leave 1 cap open to allow everything to dry slowly

1-3 weeks prep:

• After preparing, replace both caps to keep the shuttles moist. 

*Of course, this is an indication and not always the same, as it depends very much on humidity, temperature, etc.

Tip: Use the handle of your racket to push the cloth through the tube

Always store the shuttle in an upright position, as indicated on the tube. This is in most cases with the springs up.

Don't make these mistakes when preparing?

• Do not steam a shuttle too long
  The feathers are glued/stitched to the cork, and the glue can become slightly liquid due to heat. This can cause the feathers to change position.
• Beware of too much steam
  If too much steam is used, the cork may be damaged and, as described above, the glue holding the feathers in place may also be damaged. If the cork becomes too wet, it can slow down the shuttle's flight.
• Determine in advance when you want to use the shuttles
  If you know in advance when you want to use the shuttles, then you know what drying method you should use for the desired result. If the feathers are too dry or too wet, it will not help.

Difference in quality of feather shuttles

In the production of feather shuttles, 2 different types are used. 

• Goose feather

The best competition shuttles are made of goose feather because the quality is higher and the shuttle has a better flight. There are 4 straight feathers per goose that are used for the best match shuttles. The other feathers are also used, but into the "cheaper" types. 

• Duck feathers

The training shuttles are made of duck feathers because there is more volume of these available. Therefore, the price of these shuttles is lower. However, these shuttles also have a very nice flight and play much finer compared to nylon shuttles.

Different brands of feather shuttles

At KW FLEX racket specialty, you can choose from different brands of shuttlecocks for badminton.

The best known are the Yonex shuttles:

• Yonex Aerosensa 10: made of duck feathers, which are ideal for training sessions
• Yonex Aerosensa 20: made of goose feathers, which ensures a high quality. Allowed up to class B competitions
• Yonex Aerosensa 30: made of goose feathers, which ensures a high quality. Used in international matches

Victor shuttles:

• Victor Master Ace: 100% made of goose feathers and the feathers have the AAA classification.
• Victor Gold Champion: 100% made of goose feathers and are used in various important tournaments.
• Victor Service: 100% made of goose feathers. Used in international competitions. Counterpart of the Yonex AS-30
• Victor Maxima: 100% made of duck feathers and used in training sessions and tournaments. 
• Victor Queen: 100% made of duck feathers and suitable for both training and competition matches.
• Victor Special: 100% made of duck feathers and suitable for training and competition matches.
• Victor Pro Court: 100% duck feather and perfect for training.

What are hybrid shuttles?

The hybrid badminton shuttles are a combination of two worlds. What makes this type of shuttle special is the combination of different materials. The traditional feather shuttle is completely made of natural materials, they are real feathers and the cork is also a natural material.

The badminton brands Victor and FZ Forza have both developed their own variant.

• FZ Forza Hybrid 5000 3-1 shuttle
  

The cap of this shuttle is made of cork and the 'skirt' for the feathers is made of plastic and this is combined with real duck feathers. This results in a feather badminton shuttle from FZ Forza that has a very good flight and is very durable. Furthermore, this shuttle is very competitively priced compared to the more expensive feather shuttles and cheaper nylon shuttles. The best of 2 worlds!

• Victor Carbosonic CS No. 2 shuttle
  

This shuttle is made of carbon fibers combined with synthetic feathers, which makes this synthetic shuttle already look more like a feather shuttle than the current nylon shuttles. This shuttle is an alternative for both feather shuttles and nylon shuttles. The flight of the Victor Carbonsonic CS no.2 is not (yet) as perfect as that of feather shuttles, but this carbon/synthetic shuttle is already very similar. The big advantage of this shuttle over most feather shuttles is its durability and price/quality!