What Badminton Equipment You Need… And Don’t Need

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive guide on essential badminton equipment, rating each item on performance, injury prevention, and style enhancement. It covers the importance of choosing the right racket, strings, and grip, emphasizing the need for suitable shoes to prevent injuries. The video also discusses shuttle types, clothing, and off-court equipment like bags and massage tools, concluding that while gear is important, it's practice and dedication that truly improve one's game.

Takeaways

• 🏸 The importance of choosing the right badminton racket depends on your skill level, with beginners needing a lightweight and flexible racket and more advanced players requiring stiffer and often more expensive options.
• 💰 Beginners don't necessarily need the most expensive racket, but investing more than a basic budget one can provide better performance and development.
• 🔢 Racket string tension and thickness recommendations vary by skill level, with beginners using thicker strings and lower tension, and advanced players opting for thinner strings and higher tension.
• 👐 Grip selection should consider hand size and personal preference, with different types available such as spongy, overgrip, and towelling grips.
• 👟 Badminton shoes are crucial for performance and injury prevention, offering necessary cushioning, support, and grip, with higher-end shoes providing better quality and durability.
• 🎾 Shuttles come in various types, with plastic ones being more beginner-friendly due to their durability, while feather shuttles offer superior performance but are more prone to breakage.
• 👕 Clothing's impact on performance is minimal, though good socks can aid in injury prevention by reducing blisters.
• 👜 Badminton bags are important for transporting and protecting equipment but have a low impact on performance and injury prevention, with style being a significant factor.
• 🎽 Off-court equipment like massage balls and foam rollers are beneficial for physical recovery and injury prevention, despite not being badminton-specific.
• 👚 Style is subjective and can be enhanced by choosing aesthetically pleasing equipment, but it should not overshadow the importance of functionality and performance.
• 🔪 Essential items to carry include scissors for string maintenance, a theraband for warm-ups, a towel for sweat and grip, and deodorant for personal hygiene.
• 💡 The script emphasizes that while equipment is important, it's the dedication to hard work and purposeful practice that truly makes a difference in one's badminton skills.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video discusses the essential badminton equipment for players of different skill levels and rates them based on performance, injury prevention, and style.

Why is a badminton racket important for a player?

A badminton racket is crucial for playing the sport and is rated 10 out of 10 for performance. Choosing the right racket can also help prevent injuries and enhance a player's style.

What type of racket should a beginner choose?

Beginners don't need the most expensive racket but should invest more than the budget one from the local supermarket to get a lightweight, flexible racket suitable for developing skills.

How does the choice of badminton strings affect performance and injury prevention?

String choice can significantly impact performance, with a preference for higher quality strings over a good racket with bad strings. Tight strings can lead to elbow or shoulder injuries, hence the importance of proper string tension.

What are the recommended string tensions for different skill levels?

Beginners should use a thicker string around 0.70mm with a maximum tension of 24lbs or 11kg. Intermediate players should aim for 24 to 27lbs tension, and advanced players should go upwards of 27lbs, both with a string thickness of 0.61mm to 0.70mm.

Why are badminton grips important for players?

Grips are important for performance, rated 7 out of 10, and injury prevention, rated 7 out of 10, as an inappropriate grip can cause elbow, wrist injuries, or lead to losing control of the racket.

What factors should a player consider when choosing a grip?

A player should consider their hand size and personal preference. Smaller hands may prefer a thinner grip, and personal preference could sway towards spongy, overgrip, or towelling grips.

Why are badminton shoes considered more important than other equipment for injury prevention?

Badminton shoes are rated 10 out of 10 for injury prevention due to their role in providing cushioning, support, and grip, which are essential for the sport's physically demanding nature.

What are the differences between plastic and feather shuttles?

Plastic shuttles are more durable and beginner-friendly, while feather shuttles offer better performance but are more prone to breakage and are recommended for non-beginners.

How does the choice of shuttle impact the game and player's style?

The choice of shuttle affects the game's speed and performance, with feather shuttles rated higher. Using lower quality or battered shuttles can negatively impact a player's style and perception by others.

What is the importance of clothing in badminton in terms of performance and style?

While clothing has a low impact on performance, rated 2 out of 10, it significantly contributes to a player's style, rated 10 out of 10, emphasizing the importance of looking good on the court.

Why are badminton bags considered less important for performance but still valuable for transporting equipment?

Badminton bags are rated 1 out of 10 for performance as they don't directly affect the game. However, they are essential for conveniently transporting and protecting equipment.

What off-court equipment is recommended for serious badminton players to aid recovery and performance?

A massage ball or foam roller is recommended for serious players to help with muscle recovery and loosening, contributing to a 7 out of 10 performance rating and an 8 out of 10 for injury prevention.

What items are considered essential to carry during badminton matches for practical purposes?

Scissors for cutting strings, a theraband for warming up, a towel for sweat and防滑 purposes, and deodorant to maintain good hygiene are considered practical items to carry during matches.

What is the final verdict on the importance of equipment compared to hard work and practice in badminton?

While equipment is important, the video emphasizes that nothing substitutes hard work and purposeful practice, warning against developing 'gear acquisition syndrome'.

Outlines

00:00

🏸 Badminton Racket Selection and Importance

This paragraph discusses the essentiality of choosing the right badminton racket, emphasizing the need for different types of rackets based on player skill levels. Beginners are advised to avoid the cheapest options but not necessarily the most expensive ones, highlighting the importance of a lightweight, flexible racket for skill development. As players advance, they should consider stiffer and potentially more expensive rackets that suit their playing style. The importance of a racket for performance is rated 10 out of 10, while the right racket's contribution to injury prevention and style is rated 7 and 7 out of 10, respectively, with an overall importance rating of 8 out of 10.

05:05

🧵 The Significance of Badminton Strings and Tensions

The paragraph focuses on the importance of badminton strings and their impact on performance and injury prevention. Beginners are recommended to use thicker strings with lower tension for a larger sweet spot and durability. Intermediate and advanced players should opt for higher tensions and thinner strings to improve shot quality and reduce string breakage. The choice of string and tension also depends on personal preference. The performance rating for strings is 9 out of 10, with injury prevention rated at 7 out of 10, and style at 5 out of 10, culminating in an overall importance rating of 8 out of 10.

10:08

👟 Prioritizing Badminton Shoes for Performance and Safety

This section underscores the significance of high-quality badminton shoes for performance, grip, durability, comfort, and support. It contrasts the value of investing in higher-end shoes that last longer and provide better physical support against cheaper alternatives that may need frequent replacement. The importance of shoes in preventing foot, knee, and ankle injuries is rated 10 out of 10, with performance at 8 out of 10 and style at 8 out of 10, resulting in an overall importance rating of 9 out of 10 for badminton shoes.

🚀 The Role of Shuttles in Badminton Play

The paragraph discusses the different types of shuttles available, from plastics to feathers, and their suitability for various skill levels. Plastic shuttles are recommended for beginners due to their durability, while feather shuttles are preferred for their superior performance, despite being more fragile. The importance of shuttles for performance is rated differently for plastic (4 out of 10) and feather shuttles (7.5 out of 10 on average). Injury prevention is rated at 4 out of 10, style at 6 out of 10, and the overall importance of shuttles is 7 out of 10.

👕 The Impact of Clothing on Badminton Performance

This section briefly touches on the role of clothing in badminton, noting that while it does not significantly impact performance, good socks can prevent blisters, and frequent clothing changes can reduce the risk of injury due to excessive sweating. The style aspect of clothing is considered important, receiving a full mark of 10 out of 10, but the overall importance rating for clothing in badminton is 4 out of 10.

🎒 Accessory Essentials for the Badminton Player

The final paragraph covers various off-court badminton equipment, such as badminton bags, massage balls, foam rollers, scissors, therabands, towels, and deodorant. While these items may not directly impact on-court performance, they contribute to the overall experience and preparation of the player. The importance of these items varies, with badminton bags rated 3 out of 10 overall, massage balls and foam rollers at 7 out of 10, and other quick items not warranting individual ratings but collectively important for a complete badminton kit.

Keywords

💡Badminton Racket

A badminton racket is the primary equipment used to play badminton. It is essential for striking the shuttlecock. The video emphasizes the importance of choosing the right racket based on skill level, with beginners not needing the most expensive ones but rather a lightweight and flexible one to develop their skills. As players advance, they may opt for stiffer and often more expensive rackets that suit their playing style.

💡Performance Rating

The performance rating in the video is a scale from 1 to 10 that measures how much a piece of equipment will help a player's performance. It is a critical metric used throughout the script to evaluate the importance of various badminton equipment. For instance, the badminton racket receives a performance rating of 10 out of 10, indicating its absolute necessity for playing the sport.

💡Injury Prevention

Injury prevention is a significant theme in the video, focusing on how certain equipment choices can reduce the risk of injuries. The video rates equipment on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their potential to prevent injuries, such as shoulder and elbow injuries from using a racket that's too stiff or heavy. Badminton shoes receive the highest injury prevention rating of 10 out of 10, highlighting their role in minimizing foot, knee, and ankle injuries.

💡String Tension

String tension refers to the tightness of the strings on a badminton racket, measured in pounds or kilograms. The video suggests that beginners should start with a thicker string at a lower tension, while intermediate and advanced players may opt for higher tensions with thinner strings. This affects the size of the sweet spot and the durability of the strings, which in turn influences performance and injury risk.

💡Shuttlecock

A shuttlecock, also known as a birdie, is the projectile used in badminton. The video discusses different types of shuttlecocks, including plastic, hybrid, and feather, each with varying performance characteristics. Feather shuttlecocks are recommended for non-beginners due to their superior performance, despite being more prone to breakage.

💡Badminton Shoes

Badminton shoes are specialized footwear designed for the sport, providing cushioning, support, and grip necessary for the physical demands of badminton. The video emphasizes their importance in performance and injury prevention, assigning them a high overall importance rating. The choice between lower and higher range shoes often comes down to durability, comfort, and price.

💡Grip

Grip in badminton refers to the covering on the handle of the racket that players hold. The video mentions different types of grips, such as spongy, overgrip, and towelling, and discusses the importance of choosing the right grip based on hand size and personal preference to ensure a secure hold and avoid slippage during play.

💡Style

While not directly related to performance, the video acknowledges the role of style in a player's choice of equipment. Aesthetics can influence a player's confidence and enjoyment of the game. The video rates various pieces of equipment on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how much they contribute to a player's on-court style, with clothing receiving a high style rating.

💡Equipment Importance Rating

The overall importance rating is a composite score given to each piece of equipment, reflecting its significance in terms of performance, injury prevention, and style. The video uses this rating to help viewers prioritize their equipment choices, with badminton shoes receiving the highest rating of 9 out of 10.

💡Gear Acquisition Syndrome

Gear acquisition syndrome is a term used in the video to describe the tendency of players to focus on acquiring new equipment rather than improving their skills through practice. The video cautions against this syndrome, emphasizing that no amount of equipment can substitute for hard work and purposeful practice.

💡Sponsorship

The video mentions a sponsor, Sakura Sport, and provides a discount code for viewers, illustrating the relationship between content creators and sponsors. This is a common practice in online media where creators promote products or services to their audience, often in exchange for financial support or free products.

Highlights

The video shares essential badminton equipment and rates them on performance, injury reduction, and style.

Badminton rackets are crucial, with recommendations for beginners to invest more than a budget one for better performance.

As players advance, they should move to stiffer and often more expensive rackets that suit their playing style.

Racket importance for performance is rated 10 out of 10, but finding the right one is rated 8 out of 10.

Choosing the wrong racket can increase the risk of shoulder and elbow injuries, rated 7 out of 10 for injury prevention.

Badminton strings are essential for performance, rated 9 out of 10, with recommendations for different tensions and thicknesses based on skill level.

String tension and thickness can impact the sweet spot size and durability, affecting both performance and cost.

Grips are important for performance and injury prevention, rated 7 out of 10, with personal preference and hand size considered.

Badminton shoes are critical for performance and injury prevention, with higher-end shoes offering better support and grip.

Shuttles are necessary for play, with plastic shuttles recommended for beginners and feather shuttles for advanced players.

Feather shuttles offer better performance but are more prone to breakage compared to plastic ones.

Clothing's impact on performance is minimal, but good socks are important for preventing blisters.

Badminton bags are convenient for transporting equipment but have a low rating for performance impact.

Massage balls and foam rollers are recommended for serious players to aid muscle recovery and prevent injuries.

Scissors, therabands, towels, and deodorant are essential items to carry for on-court preparedness.

The importance of not developing 'gear acquisition syndrome' and focusing on hard work and practice is emphasized.

A discount code for Sakura Sport is provided for viewers looking to purchase badminton equipment.

Transcripts

In this video we're going to share what badminton  equipment you need and don't need yeah we're  

going to rate everything on a scale from 1 to  10 on how much they'll help your performance  

how much they'll help you reduce injuries and how  much they'll help your style we'll then use these  

to give you a final overall importance rating.  Of course this will change depending if you're  

a beginner intermediate or Advanced player so  keep watching to find out what you need!

So to start we have a racket obviously you need a badminton  racket to play badminton the only question is with  

over 200 different rackets available what should  you buy? Well we recently made an in-depth video on  

this which we'll link below but in short if you're a  beginner you don't always need the most expensive  

racket however you should invest more than getting  the budget one from the local supermarket if  

possible making this initial investment will give  you a nice lightweight flexible racket to develop  

with which is what most beginners typically need  as you improve and become an intermediate or  

Advanced player you'll move on to something more  stiff and also unfortunately often more expensive the  

most important thing as you get into these top of  the range rackets is to find a racket that suits  

you and your playing style again you can watch  our video on that if you want to learn more so  

how important is a racket for your performance?  well obviously you need one to play so it would  

be a 10 out of 10 but in terms of how important  getting the right racket for you is we're going  

to rate this 8 out of 10 how much is a racket  going to help prevent any injuries? Well choosing a  

racket that's too stiff or too heavy can increase  the risk of shoulder and elbow injuries so we're  

going to rate this as 7 out of 10 and how much  will it help your style? There are some beautiful  

rackets out there 7 out of 10 so what is the  overall importance rating? Well we're going to say  

an 8 out of 10 now feel free to make a racket  in the comments if you disagree with this and  

stay tuned to see if we actually rate anything  at overall 10 out of 10 but let's now move on to  

item number two the strings. Similar to a racket  you obviously need some strings to play badminton

a lot of rackets come with string in them but  if you're looking to level up the performance of  

your racket we'd recommend getting it restrung  when you buy it. This can become overwhelming quite  

quickly but generally we'd recommend beginners  getting their rackets strung with a thicker string  

of around 0.70mm and a maximum tension of 24lbs  or 11kg for intermediate players we'd recommend a  

tension of around 24 to 27lbs and advanced players  27lbs and upwards both with a string thickness of  

0.61mm to 0.70mm. These recommendations are for  two main reasons one lower tensions increase  

the size of The Sweet Spot meaning it's more  forgiving on your body and shoulder if you don't  

play regularly a bigger Sweet Spot also means  that if you don't hit the center of the strings  

every time your shot quality won't be impacted  as much and two a thicker string and a lower  

tension means that if you don't consistently hit  The Sweet Spot then you're less likely to break  

the string helping you save some money the string  and tension you choose will also depend on your  

personal preference and we have a whole article on  our website going into detail on this and as with  

everything we mentioned in this video we'll leave  a link in the description below if you want to  

check that out. So what are we rating strings? Well  in terms of performance they are important and  

we'd much prefer to use a worse racket with good  strings than a good racket with bad strings 9 out of 10 

For injury prevention if you have them too  tight it can be bad for your elbow or shoulder so  

we'll rate this 7 out of 10 and for the style it's  not very important but you can get nice colors  

five out of 10 so for the overall importance  rating of strings we're going to go 8 out  

of 10 but let's not string this section out too  long time to move on to our third item! Staying on  

the racket we have grips there are generally three  different types of grips a spongy grip an overgrip  

which is thinner and then a towelling grip when  choosing your grip you need to consider two things  

first is your hand size generally if you have  smaller hands you would have a thinner grip and  

the second thing is your personal preference for  example I like to use an overgrip whereas Greg  

prefers towelling grip. You can use the original  grip that the racket comes with just be careful it  

isn't too slippery you don't want to be letting go  of your racket mid shot! Okay on to the ratings so  

for performance we're going to rate it 7 out  of 10 for injury prevention well having your grip  

too thin or too thick can cause elbow and wrist  injuries and your racket could hit your partner  

if it's too slippery so we're going to go a 7 out  of 10 again and how much is it going to help your style? 

Not loads 3 out of 10 so for the overall  importance for grips we're going to rate them a  

6 out of 10 now you've got a grip on that let's  drop it down to our feet and discuss shoes! Badminton  

is a physically demanding sport and because of the  constant lunging jumping and changes of direction  

it's very demanding on your feet so having a good  pair of cushioned and supportive shoes is really  

important now we wouldn't say there's such thing  as a beginner pair of badminton shoes apart from maybe  

your casual running shoe which we'd definitely  avoid but there are low range and higher range shoes 

yeah in general the higher range shoes will  give you better grip be more durable because of  

the better quality materials and Technology  usually be more comfortable and also give you  

more support all of this will definitely help  your performance giving you both the ability  

and confidence to move fast around the court! Now we know these higher specs often come with  

a higher price but if given the choice of a $30  shoe that you need to replace every 2 months or  

a $120 shoe that lasts you 12 months and it's  better for your body and it can help you move  

faster what would you choose? We know which we to  go for! Yeah and the last thing we'd say as we're  

trying to keep these sections short is that it's  important to check that a shoe can't easily bend  

or twist as this shows it will support your foot  when you're jumping and quickly changing direction  

so on to the ratings for the performance we're  going to rate shoes 8 out of 10 as they'll  

give you the cushioning support and grip that you  need but how much are shoes going to help prevent  

any injuries? Well this is our first 10 out of 10  a good pair of badminton shoes really can minimise a  

lot of different injuries from foot knee and ankle  injuries to blisters and what about the style?  

Again a nice pair of shoes can definitely elevate  your on court style 8 out of 10 therefore our  

overall importance rating for shoes is 9 out of 10  so now you know to choose a good pair of badminton shoes  

let's move on to our next item to see if anything  else will beat this score. Our next piece of badminton  

equipment is shuttles. From plastics to hybrids to  feathers there's a lot of choice. Plastic shuttles  

are typically more beginner friendly this is  because beginners will likely be miss hitting the  

shuttle more so plastics are a much more durable  option but what should you use if you're not a beginner?

Well we'd always recommend feathers as  their performance is much better and this isn't  

to say that beginners can't use feathers but do  be warned you will break a lot of them! We've made  

an entire video on feather shuttles where we  tested 10 different shuttles at various price  

points so again we'll link that below if you  want to watch it after this so for the ratings  

similar to a racket shuttles are of course 100%  necessary to be able to play but for us we'd rate  

the performance of plastic shuttles as a 4 out of  10 and feather shuttles which is what we use from  

a 6 to a 9 out of 10 depending on the quality so  we'll average that out at 7.5 and can shuttles  

prevent any injuries? Well technically yes if you  have a shuttle speed that's too slow you're going  

to need to use your shoulder muscles a lot more  which can lead to stiff muscles and potentially  

even injuries so we'll go a 4 out of 10 and can  shuttles help your style? Well it's been known for  

certain people to look down on others for using  plastic shuttles and you don't want to be using a  

battered one or even be seen taking one from the  bin that was a throwback we'll give the style 6  

out of 10 and overall importance 7 out of 10! So  let's put a lid on shuttles and move on to our  

next item, clothing. Yeah and for this and the  next item we're going to go straight into the  

ratings with a little description of each so can  clothing help your performance? Well we're going  

to give it a 2 out of 10 a nice t-shirt or a pair  of shorts is isn't going to help your performance  

much but a good pair of socks actually is kind  of important and this brings us on to injury  

prevention which we're going to rate a 3 out of 10 this is because having a good pair of  

socks and frequently changing them can help you  avoid blisters. Frequently changing your clothes  

can also prevent injuries - when we were training in  Thailand I once forgot a spare pair of shorts and  

had to stop training after just an hour as I was  sweating that much I was creating puddles on the court!

Okay back to the ratings and your clothing  does play the the biggest part in your style and  

style matters to some people look good feel good  play good so we'll give Style 10 out of 10 but  

an overall importance rating of 4 out of 10  now let's put a sock in it and move on to the  

off court badminton equipment that may or may not help  you on the court! Firstly badminton bags, how important  

are these for your performance? Well the main aim  of this is to be a convenient way to transport  

your rackets and the other badminton equipment we've  discussed to and from playing badminton and they  

do also help protect your rackets and string as  long as you don't leave it in a cold place because  

this can make your strings break easier but for  a performance rating we're looking at a 1 out of 10

Okay but can it reduce the risk of injury?  Well if you're cycling to training without a bag  

and carrying two rackets a pair of shoes and some  shuttles then it might be a good idea to get a bag  

but in all seriousness for injury rating assuming  you're not being a silly cyclist 1 out of 10 but  

again we're going to rate the style quite high at  an 8 out of 10 as a good bag does make you look more Pro  

This gives us an overall importance rating of a  3 out of 10. Now you know that bagging a good  

bag maybe shouldn't be your highest priority let's  keep the ball rolling and move on to the next item  

a massage ball slash foam roller we believe every  serious badminton player should have one of these  

in their badminton bag - if you have one! Yeah as we  said earlier badminton is a physically demanding  

sport so being able to quickly loosen off your  quads before playing or help your glutes recover  

after a tough match is so important. These aren't  items that are specifically made for badminton  

we've seen some players use golf balls and we've  even used our Badminton Insight Bottle if we've ever  

forgotten our massage ball! Badminton Insight bottle by  the way performance and injury reduction 9 out of  

10 as hydration is crucial and style we're going  to say 10 out of 10 if you want to get one we'll  

leave a link in the description below and don't  bottle it! Anyway back to our massage ball and foam  

roller performance 7 out of 10, injury prevention  we're going to give it an 8 out of 10 but style  

1 out of 10 and we're going to give these items  an overall importance rating of 7 out of 10 now on  

to a quick fire round of items that we think are  important to carry with you but didn't warrant  

their own section in this video. Scissors for  cutting your strings out if they break to reduce  

the tension on your frame, a theraband for warming up  and also strengthening your muscles, a towel which  

has the Dual use of wiping your sweat but also you  can add water and use it as a foot towel if your  

floor is really slippy - just don't use the same one  for your face and some deodorant you don't want to  

put off your partner! And there were no overall  10 out of 10's we hear you say and you're right as  

much as equipment matters nothing can substitute  hard work and purposeful practice so don't develop  

the infamous gear acquisition syndrome! Hopefully  you've now got an insight into what you need and  

maybe don't need to buy and if you're in search  of any of these items then check out our sponsor  

Sakura Sport and you can save yourself a huge 10%  by using our discount code Badminton Insight at checkout  

but before you do that make sure you SMASH the  Subscribe button if you haven't already give  

the video a like if you've enjoyed it and we'll  hopefully see you on another one very soon, bye :-)