There is a wide range of racquets, but which do you choose?  Brands such as Carlton, ProKennex and Yonex have proven their worth down the years, but what is most important when you walk into a shop and pick up a racquet is its weight, handle, grip and overall feel.   Does it feel right?

Carbon, boron and other expensive materials give the top racquets lightness, strength and durability with the ability to produce speed, power and flexibility. In general you get what you pay for.

Racquets at the cheaper end of the scale will tend to be heavier, and will be strung with less hard-wearing and lower-tension strings. Some players prefer a heavier racquet, but the general rule is the lighter the better.

Grip is crucial. Small grips are best for small hands and large grips for large hands. Most handles are between three-and-a-half and three-and-five-eighths inches in circumference.

Many players build up their grip size by adding extra wrap-around towelling grips. Why?  Because racquet-head speed is generated by using short, fast strokes and a larger grip gives more effective transfer of power from arm to racquet. It can also mean less strain and injuries to the forearm, elbow, upper arm and shoulder.

SHOES, SHIRTS, SHORTS AND SKIRTS:

Badminton wear is designed to be light and allow for ease and full range of movement. There are numerous proprietary-designed garments on the market. The particular demands of badminton make it essential to ensure that shirts/tops are not too tight around the shoulders.

Design has evolved gradually over the years, and there is now a badminton shoe. The heel area should be well-padded around the sole to absorb the impact of landing from a jump.  The heel tab area should be cut low to reduce the risk of rubbing against the Achilles tendon while still giving ample support. The sole of the shoe should have plenty of gripping edges or serrations to prevent slipping. In addition, the sole should be wedge-shaped from front to back and should be thicker at the back. The shoe should be light and well-balanced but look durable and well-made.

SHUTTLECOCKS

The base of the shuttle should be made of cork or cork-substitute covered with leather. Feathered shuttles were always thought better than the synthetic variety because they were lighter off the racquet and gave more control, but advances in synthetic design over recent years have seen the gap close. Feather shuttles tend to be more expensive and the goose feathers can be easily broken. For beginners learning the game, synthetic is probably best.

16 feathers are used to make a shuttle and the best shuttles are made up of the feathers from the left wing of the goose.

Standards in manufacturing can vary, and it is always best to test the shuttle flight, whether feather or synthetic. As a general rule, if you stand on one back boundary line you ought to be able to hit the shuttle with an underarm stroke over the net and close to the opposite long service line.

Beware of shuttles which 'wobble' in flight. These are poor quality or faulty and should be returned or discarded.
 

Speed Chart

international	metric wt.	grain	description
1	48	75	slow, for use in highland
2	49	76	medium slow, for use in hotter area
3	50	77	medium, most sea level area
4	51	78	medium fast, cold area
5	52	79	fast, cold area, below sea level

Speed of Shuttlecock is one of the key factor.  A shuttlecock which is good in Hong Kong may not be good to use in London.  Because there's differences in temperature; humidity; altitude and air pressure etc. 

In an IBF tournament, most of the Chief Referee will test up to 3 different speed of shuttlecocks to ensure that particular speed is right for that particular place at that particular time.

Fast or slow do not represent the quality of the shuttlecock.  But, of course, the consumer has the right to choose. 

Table above is the 3 most common system using right now: 
 

Have you ever wondered what are the two small marks at the back of the court for?  They are used as markings for testing the shuttlecocks speed.  As you know the weights of shuttles vary a little and can be tested by striking them from the back of the court.  They should land around the doubles service lines.  The rule says a shuttle is of the correct pace when, hit by a player with a full underhand stroke, it falls not less than 53 cm and not more than 99 cm short of the other back boundary line.  Occasionally the test area will be indicated by two small marks as shown.