HomeOnce you have a good racket, you had better get some shuttles. While not as complicated as choosing a racket, the right shuttles can make or break you game. There are two main types of shuttles today, feather and plastic. Feather shuttles are considered the standard shuttle to play with and I would highly recommend that you invest in and stick with feather shuttles. You will likely never play a competitive match or tournament with a plastic shuttle. Also, shuttles are going to be by far the most expensive part of badminton. While you may spend $200 once on a quality racket, with years of playing badminton, feather shuttle costs will eventually far overshadow that initial investment.
Plastic Shuttles
Now, that being said, plastic shuttles do have their purpose. Many high schools and beginners play with plastic shuttles because they last much longer than feather shuttles. If you are an absolute beginner having never played badminton before and the cost of feather shuttles is prohibitive, then I would recommend playing with plastic at least until you have become consistent with your swing. Plastic shuttles tend to fly more consistently than feather (because the skirts [feather part] are all manufactured identically) but they do not “play” as well. They are lighter than feather and tend to fly faster and farther than feather as well. However, beginning players have a tendency to hit the shuttle improperly and this can quickly destroy a feather shuttle. At an average of $1 each, a beginning player can get through an entire dozen feather shuttle in just a few hours. Plastic shuttles generally come in a tube of 6 shuttles for about $12-$15. These six plastic shuttle can expect to last (depending on how much you play) up to a few months.
Note that while all feather shuttles have actual cork for the “cork” portion of the shuttle, some plastic shuttles use a firm foam “cork” as the part of the shuttle that you actually hit. Know that these materials have a great impact on how the shuttle plays and, if possible, I would recommend that you stick with shuttles with actual cork for the head. There are a number of plastic shuttle manufacturers but the Yonex Mavis line seems to be the most popular (though others from Carlton, Head, and Black Knight are popular as well).
Feather Shuttles
There are two types of feather shuttles: duck and goose feather. Duck feather shuttles are considered a lower quality shuttle and are generally reserved for youth or practice/club play. You can spot a duck feather shuttle in that they tend to have thinner spines and are slightly transparent compared to quality goose feather. Depending on the quality, the spines also tend to have a slight curve in them, changing the flight characteristics.
Goose feather shuttles are considered top-of-the-line when it comes to badminton. They tend to be thick, solid, longer lasting and produce true flying shuttles. All major tournaments are played with top quality goose feather shuttles. Of course this also means that goose feather shuttles are more expensive.
As with everything in badminton, shuttles differ by quality, even within the duck and goose feather categories. You can have high quality duck feather outperform a low quality goose feather shuttle. Given this variation, it is generally a good idea to find a shuttle manufacturer and line that works for you and stick with it. If you browse for shuttles online, you will immediately notice that the price range of shuttles varies widely. This is all because of the quality of the feathers used in producing that line of shuttle.
Shuttle Speed
If this wasn’t complicated enough already, shuttles also have a speed rating. The speed of a shuttle is dependent on its weight and feather quality and arrangement. So now your probably wondering why does shuttle speed matter? Well, it matters a great deal and it has to do with weather. A shuttle that works well in Boston may not work well in San Diego. The reason is that air characteristics like density, humidity, and temperature all effect how far and fast a shuttle will fly.
Fortunately, shuttle manufacturers rate their shuttles based on speed and/or weight. You should choose the shuttle speed that corresponds with the environment you are in. Here is a great page with good coverage of shuttle speeds.
Shuttle Cost and Budgeting Strategies
If you are on a budget and/or are still a beginning player and have decided to go with duck feather shuttles for the time being, you can expect a price range of between $8-$20 for a tube (each tube contains 12 shuttles) of shuttles. If you are serious about badminton and have the money, then with goose feather shuttles you can expect to spend about $12-$40 per tube. Personally, I generally buy goose feathers at about $15-$18/tube but this is really something that you will need to experiment with on your own.
Like most things, the more you buy the cheaper they become and shuttles are no different. Given that you will likely be purchasing shuttles online, I would recommend that you invest and purchase a good number of tubes at once based on the frequency of your play. This is especially true if you are purchasing from overseas, which can offer more options in both selection and price. Also, if you have a few buddies that you play with, agree on a supplier and purchase a large quantity; you will probably qualify for a discount. See the references for some recommended suppliers.
One last note, when shopping, you will probably notice that there are ton of brands of shuttles. Keep in mind that even though you may see a large number of brands, there are only a limited number of major shuttle manufacturers that sell the exact same product to a number of different brands. In other words, across the brands, you are probably using similar if not the exact same shuttle!
Feather Shuttle Care
It seems that the majority of beginning badminton players don’t really understand that when making the switch to feather shuttles, there are certain maintenance tasks that really need to be followed that ensure you get the best life and performance out of the shuttles. Here are a few guidelines for badminton feather shuttle care:
- Do not store the shuttles outdoors or in overly hot/dry areas (for the truly dedicated, storing shuttles in the refrigerator is ideal). Heat will dry out the feathers making the shuttle brittle; reducing the life of the shuttle. If possible, store them indoors and do not leave them in your car for extended periods.
- Steam/humidify the shuttles you plan on using 1-2 days prior to playing. This conditions the feathers and increases the durability of the shuttles. To steam shuttles, leave them in the tube but remove both end caps. If you have a hand-held steamer (used for cleaning or de-wrinkling) shoot steam into the bottom of the tube (where the shuttles are removed from) avoiding the cork. If you do not have a steamer, hold the open tube over a small pot of boiling water. Continue either method until steam emerges from the far end of the tube (a few seconds). Seal the tube with the end caps.
- An alternative method is to place about 2-3 inches of hot water into a shallow bowl. Remove all the shuttles and, holding the cork, dip the feather end of the shuttles into the hot water for about 1-2 seconds. Because fathers repel water, it will not soak through. However, the small amounts of hot water that do collect will be enough humidify and moisten the feathers over the course of the next 1-2 days. Immediately place the shuttles into the tube and seal it.
During breaks in play, if you notice that the feathers of the shuttle are in disarray, gently run your fingers between the feathers such that they become aligned and straight. This will help prolong the life of the shuttle during play.
When a shuttle begins to fly awkwardly or looses its feathers, it’s time for a new shuttle. However, chances are that the used shuttle can still be used for drills like hitting against the wall, shuttle pickups, net drops, and other drills where consistent shuttle flight is not absolutely necessary. I almost always keep a tube of used shuttles in my bag for this specific reason.
References
1. http://www.shuttlecock.com/Resources/Shuttlecock/speed_info.php
2. http://www.mybadmintonstore.com/shop/
3. http://www.badmintonwarehouse.com/Badminton_Shuttlecocks_s/22.htm
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