Badminton is a sport that has gained a lot of fame in recent months and we owe that to true wonders of this modality like Carolina Marín. A young woman from Huelva who competes in the women's individual category and has reached Olympus with her effort and her ability to excel. Badminton has always been present in our lives, but now it is even more so, so we are going to tell you what essential accessories we need to practice this sport in our spare time.
Playing badminton is fun, in fact, many children start in this sport because the racket is lighter than tennis and paddle tennis, and later they move on to other racket sports. It is also usually a sport that attracts attention for its ball, which is actually called a feather or shuttlecock. Throughout this text we are going to know many details of badminton through its accessories.
Essential equipment
In this section we will find those objects that yes or yes we must have if we want to play badminton. We are not going to put brands, or price, or anything, we will only say that they are necessary objects to start the game in this sport modality.
badminton net
We can skip this section if we are going to play in facilities where there is already a special badminton net or there is a net that does the trick for us. Otherwise it will be a good idea to get a network. On Amazon there are them for just over 20 euros, but we have to take into account some aspects, for example, It must measure one and a half meters high, 6,10 m long and 76 cm wide.
This net is fixed in the center of the court and must have a white band that does not exceed 7,5 cm in width. The shuttlecock should never touch the net, therein lies part of the difficulty of this game given the height of the net, which is reminiscent of volleyball.
Racket
Without a racket we can't play, it's obvious. Badminton rackets are very light and usually weigh between 80 and 100 grams. They are usually made of resistant materials such as carbon fiber, but they can also be made of reinforced plastic or aluminum, among other materials.
They are usually very elongated rackets with a small head made of a resistant and elastic string that favors the blows of the shuttlecock. The racket is held by the handle and never by the shaft, in addition, this part is very sensitive and can break with some impact.
There are badminton rackets for all types of players. If we have never played, it is best to buy one for beginners or neutral, and as we improve and change the racket to one that suits our playing technique.
Defensive Midfielder
It has dozens of names, but it is known as a shuttlecock and it is the projectile used in badminton games, just as balls are used in tennis or paddle tennis. It has a conical shape with a wide opening and is made up of 16 feathers, which are normally synthetic, and are inserted into its cork base that forms a semicircle and is covered by a thin layer of leather that is usually synthetic in some cases. Your weight fluctuates between 4,70 grams and 5,50 grams; the diameter of the cork is usually between 25 and 28 mm and the opening where the feathers are is usually between 54 and 64 mm. In addition, each feather usually measures between 6 or 7 cm.
The combination between feathers and cork is what encourages those movements that make the game difficult on many occasions. That is why professional tournaments are held indoors, that is, without wind, rain, or anything that makes it difficult for the feather to fly from side to side of the pig.
Sneakers
It is a special shoe. Let us remember that the playing space is small and although we do not believe it, we are exposed to making many sudden movements, jerks, strides and bad postures in order to reach and hit the shuttlecock. This is why the vast majority of badminton shoes have a ankle anti-twist system, extra cushioning for jumps and strides, great lightness and great stability.
When we are practicing a specific sport such as badminton, we must use footwear adapted to the movements that are expected, we cannot use fitness trainers or shoes with studs such as football boots.
Clothes
Badminton clothes can also be used for other sports. In this modality, the white color is mainly used, although that is the least of it. What is usually used is comfortable clothing that does not tighten and that allows us freedom of movement.
It is also key that it is breathable, so we will avoid cotton and we will choose technical fabric that does not help to avoid soaking in sweat and to keep us fresh for longer without giving an extra weight, feeling overwhelmed or the like.
Accessories
Among the accessories we are going to highlight the most essential, such as the cover for the racket, but we must also take into account others such as the towel, to dry the sweat, the plastic bag for dirty clothes, the adhesive tape, hair bands , the water bottle, energy bars, muscle bandages, knee pads, etc. It already depends on how professional we are, or if it's just a quick party on a beach with friends.
Grip and overgrip
The grip is the racket grip, that is, a tape that helps us to grip the racket more firmly and the overgrip is a tape that goes over the initial grip that helps prevent the hand from slipping if it sweats and also helps to absorb part of the vibrations. Although it depends on the quality of the tapes, the wear and the thickness and even the material of the badminton racket also influences.
The grip is mandatory and the overgrip is optional, it depends on each player, type of blade, style of play, if we sweat or not, etc. It is recommended to use both so we thicken the grip and ensure greater firmness in each blow.
Racket storage bag
It seems silly, but it is an essential accessory, since badminton rackets are very delicate, despite how resistant they are sometimes to many blows. Not only for this, but for comfort, it is better to carry it in the case and it slung over the shoulder, than to carry it in your hand along with the steering wheels, the water bottle, the towel, etc.
At this point we can choose, either just the cover or a sports bag to put our racket in, another spare, several packages of shuttlecocks, racket string, shoes, clothes for after the shower, and a long etc. We recommend starting with the cover, and as we improve our techniques and improve, we get new accessories.
racket string
The rope is strong and very flexible. This string is different from the string used for tennis rackets, so don't confuse the two. The string for badminton rackets has two factors to take into account, one is the string and the other is the tension. The string is decisive for the type of game we have, since it can improve our techniques or worsen them.
The tension depends on the types of blows we throw, only the player knows what he feels in each blow and what he wants to feel to reach his goal. If the tension is high, you usually get more control of the blow, and if the tension is low, what you get are more powerful blows.
portable kit
It is usually an all-in-one set where we have a racket with a cover, feather, net and grips. An all-in-one that is usually sold on Amazon and in specialized stores, and they are perfect for beginners who want to get started in badminton without spending a lot of money or having to spend a lot of time looking for everything they need for their first matches separately.
We recommend opting for this option if we are very new or for our children, but as we progress we will have to improve the accessories and adapt them to the style of play.