Badminton has been played for thousands of years and dates back to the ancient Egyptian and Roman societies, according to the University of Southern Mississippi. Badminton refers to a prominent racket sport played for recreation and competition. The racket refers to the playing tool that badminton competitors use to hit the ball, or shuttlecock, back and forth over the playing net. Badminton rackets have specialized designs to meet the needs of each badminton position.
Identification
The design of the badminton racket enables you to perform high-speed playing maneuvers. The head of the badminton racket refers to the area where the strings crisscross back and forth. The thin neck of the badminton racket stretches from the head down to the handle. Badminton rackets have a cylinder shaped handle that allows you to maintain control of the racket during game procedures, such as serving or returning the badminton shuttlecock.
Types
While each type of badminton racket features the same basic design, the head of the racket can differ. According to the Badminton Racket Guide, the two most common types of head designs are known as the classic and isometric. The head of the classic type of racket has a circular or slightly oval-shaped design. The top of the isometric racket has a squared off shape. The isometric racket shape helps to increase the sweet spot of the racket. The sweet spot refers to the area of the strings, usually located near the middle, that projects the shuttlecock with the highest amount of velocity.
Features
The classic and isometric badminton rackets commonly feature a wooden or metallic construction. Metallic rackets have the benefit of weighing less than the old school wooden designs. The shaft and head of the metallic badminton rackets often feature a titanium, graphite, steel or aluminum construction. Badminton rackets also feature a varying degree of stiffness. According to the Badminton Racket Guide, rackets with a high degree of stiffness have been designed for expert players who have a fast racket swing.
Size
The overall weight of the badminton racket has continued to decrease as the sport has progressed. As of 2010, most badminton rackets weigh 80 g to 90 g. Titanium rackets may even be as light as 70 g. According to the Badminton Racket Guide, racket manufacturers often have a system for ranking the weight of the racket. A common weighting system, known as the U system, gives rackets a U, U1, U2, U3 or U4 ranking. U rated rackets have a weight of around 90 g to 100 g. U4 rackets have a weight of 80 g to 84 g.
Function
The size of the badminton racket grip fluctuates depending on the function of the racket. Badminton rackets that feature a soft leather grip allow you to execute powerful shots for offensive maneuvers. Defensive rackets, used for volleying the shuttlecock back and forth, have a slender handle grip constructed with cloth. The smooth cloth grip allows you to rotate the handle in your hand to quickly change the angle of the racket head.
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