How to choose a badminton racket

The five things that decide which racket suits you, in the order they matter.

Most players choose a racket the wrong way round. They start with the brand, the price, or whatever a top player uses. Start with your own game instead. Five things decide how a racket plays, and they matter in this order.

1. Your level

How long you've played, and how cleanly you hit, decide how much racket you can use. A stiff, head-heavy flagship rewards a fast, well-timed swing and punishes a late one. If your clear doesn't reach the back of the court yet, a racket built for professionals will make it shorter, not longer.

That doesn't mean a beginner needs a cheap racket. It means a forgiving one: a more flexible shaft, an even or slightly head-light balance, and a normal weight.

2. Balance

Balance is where the weight sits along the frame. Head-heavy rackets add power to smashes and clears. Head-light rackets swing faster for defence, drives and net play. Even balance does a bit of both. Racket balance explains it in full.

3. Shaft flex

Flex is how much the shaft bends as you swing. Flexible shafts give easier power to slower swings; stiff shafts give accuracy to fast ones. Brands rate stiffness on their own scales, so one brand's "medium" can be another's "stiff". See shaft flex.

4. Weight

Almost every club and county player uses 4U (80-84 g). Go lighter only for a reason, such as an arm or shoulder injury, or a younger or older player. See 3U, 4U or 5U.

5. How you play

Singles, doubles at the back, doubles at the front and mixed each ask different things of a racket. Singles, doubles and mixed explains how.

Then the price

Once you know the kind of racket you want, compare prices. A brand's second-tier models (often called Game, Tour or Play) usually share the flagship's shape and look with cheaper materials, and suit most club players well. Our best rackets under £100 ranks them.

Buying online? Very cheap flagships on marketplaces are often fake. Check the price before you pay.

The short cut

The quiz asks about all five and ranks every racket we track for you, with today's UK prices.