Here at Racquet Network, our customers — many of whom are teens — test drive more than 1000 racquets every year. This is not surprising. We have a large selection of badminton racquets to choose from. We also allow customers an entire month to test drive them. So teens who are thinking about buying a new racquet have ample opportunity to find one that is perfectly suited to their current level of development.
So what is the point of test drive? Chances are, that if you give your teen the racquet he wants and just let him go play with it, he will come back saying he loves it. But how do you know if this new $250 racquet is better than the $90.00 racquet he was already playing with? Believe it or not, there is actually an objective way to tell the difference. The tests below will tell the tale and they can all be completed in a total of 20 minutes.
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Tests 1 & 2 – Baseline to Baseline Forehand/Backhand Tests
To begin the first test, two players take up positions in the center of the court along the baselines on opposite sides. They hit the shuttle back and forth, baseline to baseline. If the teen who is test driving a racquet is able to stand on one baseline and hit the shuttle out the back of the opposite court three out of four times consistently, that racquet passes the Baseline to Baseline Forehand Test.
The Baseline to Baseline Backhand Test is the same thing, but on the backhand side. If the teen who is test driving the racquet is able to stand on one baseline and hit the shuttle out the back of the opposite court three out of four times consistently, that racquet passes this test as well. If the teen cannot do this, the racquet is not flexible enough for the teen’s needs.
Tests 3 & 4 – Corner to Corner Forehand/Backhand Tests
The next two tests are more difficult, but they are extremely important. Players start the test by taking up positions near the corners of opposing baselines diagonally from each other. They try to hit the shuttle diagonally from corner to corer first on the forehand side, then on the backhand side. If they can hit the shuttles out of the court (past the corner) three out of four times consistently, the racquet passes. If not, it fails.
Speaking frankly, virtually all of the racquets that teens test drive will fail the Corner to Corner Backhand Test because most teens are not adept enough at this stroke to get the shuttle that deep on the diagonal backhand. So this test becomes a matter of good/better/best. In other words, the best racquet for each player is the racquet that allows them to hit the shuttle the deepest on the Corner to Corner Forehand/Backhand Test.
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For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more. |
Tracking the Results
Since the trial period lasts a month or more and since most teens will test drive eight or more racquets during this period, it is important to keep notes. The simplest way to do this is with your smartphone’s camera app. Just figure out the average depth the shuttle is reaching on the final test (Corner to Corner Backhand Test). Place the head of the demo racquet on that spot with the handle pointing at the corner you were hitting from and take a picture. If you have two racquets out that are reaching different spots, but them both on the court in their appropriate spots and include them in the same photo.
Why These Tests Matter
While playing matches with a racquet gives players a lot of subjective data about that racquet, these fours simple distance tests provide some important objective data. Because let’s face it, an inability to hit the shuttle from baseline-to-baseline and corner-to-corner will result in failure during matches. In order to win consistently, a player must be able to hit the shuttle deep enough to prevent opponents from going on the attack.
All too often, teens want a particular racquet because Lin Dan or Lee Chong Wei use it or because it has certain offensive features that they believe will help them hit harder or faster. But the single most important question that every player should ask about any racquet they are considering is this: can I hit the shuttle deep enough to reset when I (or my team) gets into trouble defensively? If the answer to this question is yes, then that particular racquet should go on the Maybe Right for Me List. If the answer is no, then the racquet should go on the Not Right for Me Right Now List.
Building the Maybe List
As players test drive badminton racquets, they will be putting each racquet onto one of two lists. The first list is the Not Right for Me Right Now List. This is the list of racquets that have failed the four distance tests above. The second list, the list of racquets that have passed the test, is the Maybe Right for Me List. For shorthand purposes, we call these the Maybe List and the No List.
Once a player has a selection of racquets on their Maybe List, they can start comparing them by playing with them. At this point, it makes sense to start judging racquets by more subjective criteria. And if two racquets are judged to be equal in every other way, then it’s fine to make a determination based on a favorite player’s endorsement. In fact, at this point, players can even make a final determination based on colour if that is important to them.
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For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more. |
What to do When they All Fail
So what should a player do when all racquets fail the four distance tests we have been discussing? This is not an uncommon situation. Teens, women and even some adult male recreational players often encounter this situation. This is because they are unable to hit the shuttle to full depth when hitting corner to corner on the backhand side.
In this situation the best option is the racquet that produces the best results. Remember the pictures we recommended taking with your smart phone during the distance tests? This is where these become important. The best racquet in this case is the racquet that produces the best result.
Once the best option is determined, our racquet technicians can help the player tweak the racquet to give it additional power. This will help get the shuttle a little deeper and make the best option even better.
But having said all of that, we find that the vast majority of teens under 14 who actually do these tests learn that the stiff and extra stiff racquets used by professional badminton players are not the best racquets for them. What they learn actually surprises them. They will actually score more points and win more matches when they play with racquets from the teen category. Why? Because these racquet are designed for players at their level of development.
It doesn’t matter what you are buying — racquets, shoes, string, accessories — price should not be your most important consideration. If it is, you will almost certainly make a poor decision.