Shuttlecock

Badminton rules also provide for testing a shuttlecock for the correct speed: 3.1: To test a shuttlecock, hit a full underhand stroke which makes contact with the shuttlecock over the back boundary line.

A more sophisticated slicing action involves brushing the strings around the shuttlecock during the hit, in order to make the shuttlecock spin.

At the start of a match, the shuttlecock is cast and the side towards which the shuttlecock is pointing serves first.

In turn, this qualification must be qualified by consideration of the distance over which the shuttlecock travels: a smashed shuttlecock travels a shorter distance than a tennis ball during a serve.

Lifted serves may be either high serves, where the shuttlecock is lifted so high that it falls almost vertically at the back of the court, or flick serves, where the shuttlecock is lifted to a lesser height but falls sooner.

This overhead hitting allows them to play smashes, clears (hitting the shuttlecock high and to the back of the opponents' court), and drop shots (hitting the shuttlecock softly so that it falls sharply downwards into the opponents' forecourt).

Vertical position of the shuttlecock A player prepares for a vertical jump smash When the shuttlecock is well below net height, players have no choice but to hit upwards.

And you can forget about a proper badminton shuttlecock without cork, as the porous material that gives it its springiness and feather-like lightness.

Near the shuttlecock’s rounded-off bottom, though, the correlations are less reliable; time ceases to exist and is replaced by pure space.

The tail booms are known as “feathers” because their function is likened to the feathers of a badminton shuttlecock.

Adapted from various Shuttlecock Manufacturer's recommendations - RSL, Yonex, Carleton, among others by J. Wigglesworth.

After a successful drive or push, the opponents will often be forced to lift the shuttlecock.

Although badminton holds the record for the fastest initial speed of a racquet sports projectile, the shuttlecock decelerates substantially faster than other projectiles such as tennis balls.

A shallow lift takes less time to reach the ground and as mentioned above a rally is over when the shuttlecock touches the ground.

Deception Once players have mastered these basic strokes, they can hit the shuttlecock from and to any part of the court, powerfully and softly as required.

Drives and pushes may be played from the midcourt or forecourt, and are most often used in doubles: they are an attempt to regain the attack, rather than choosing to lift the shuttlecock and defend against smashes.

For example, a good crosscourt sliced dropshot will use a hitting action that suggests a straight clear or smash, deceiving the opponent about both the power and direction of the shuttlecock.

For example, a singles player may hold his racquet ready for a netshot, but then flick the shuttlecock to the back instead with a shallow lift when she or he notices the opponent has moved before the actual shot was played.

If an opponent tries to anticipate the stroke, he may move in the wrong direction and may be unable to change his body momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock.

If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let shall be called; yet, if the receiver attempts to return the shuttlecock, the receiver shall be judged to have been ready.