Overview
The object of the game of badminton is to hit a small device that resembles a rubber ball with a ring of feathers attached to it, called a shuttle, back and forth across a raised net using a racket. The badminton racket is lightweight yet strong. Once made of wood, these rackets are now made of high-tech materials. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) defines the laws that determine the parts, form, shape and weight of badminton rackets for competition use.
Materials
Traditionally, badminton frames have been made out of wood. Although still available, wood rackets have largely been abandoned due to the availability of lighter, more durable synthetic materials such as carbon fiber, lightweight metal alloys and ceramics. These are used in most modern badminton rackets today.
Frame
The body of the racket itself is called the frame. It consists of the head, the stringed area, the throat, the shaft and the handle. According to BWF laws, the length of the frame should be no longer than 680 millimeters or wider than 230 millimeters. The weight of a fully strung frame should be within 80 and 100 grams. Frames can come in different shapes, with larger or smaller sweet spots, and can be more or less flexible, depending on the materials used and their construction.