Be Kind to your Birds - by Ken Crossley (Chairman of Badminton)

Why don’t shuttles last as long as they used to? Why do these shuttles break up so quickly? Oft heard expressions of disgust. The answer lies mainly with you, the player. Before I elaborate, let me present a few little known facts about the frustrating object of your dismay and delight.

The modern feathered shuttlecock has 16 feathers, which are taken from a goose or duck, eight feathers from the right wing and eight from the left. After being lightly washed, the feathers are inserted into a cork base, Portuguese cork, the same as in wine corks. The base is covered in a thin layer of synthetic leather (Polyurethane). The feathers are then fastened to the base with thread; a delicate and most important process. If the thread is too firm you will have a crisp shuttle but there is more stress on the feathers. Too loose feathers last longer but the shuttle is soft. The shuttle is then tested by machines for flight and speed.

The Laws of badminton require a shuttle to weigh from 4.74 grams to 5.50 grams. At Ebbisham, we use R.S.L. shuttles which are graded for speed from 73 to 85 grains. (You will be anxious to know that there are 7000 grains to one pound --- 0.45 kg.). Each grain adds approx. 4 inches to the length of flight.

At Ebbisham, one would expect to use speed 77 and 78 during the summer months and 79,80, 81 for winter. We seem to insist on playing with 78’s throughout the year!

The Law governing the testing of shuttles is, of necessity, delightfully vague, e.g. “a full underhand stroke”, but it does stipulate that the shuttle be struck, making contact over the back boundary line. To be of correct speed, it should land not less than 530mm. and not more than 990 mm. short of the back boundary line. The courts at Ebbisham are clearly marked to show this area, the Testing Marks. Unfortunately, this directive is usually ignored and a shuttle is deemed to be correct for speed and accepted if it lands anywhere up to three feet short of the marks.

Why do our players today insist on playing with slow shuttles? Perhaps because it makes the game easier? It is well nigh impossible for most players to hit a slow shuttle the full length of the court, so there is less danger of losing rallies by hitting out at the back. But, by the same token, it is increasingly difficult to finish a rally with a smash. Consequently the game is slower; the rallies are longer with the shuttle being struck far more times per point than with a shuttle of correct speed. Some would argue that the modern men’s doubles is a very fast game in spite of slow shuttles. This is largely illusory in that most of the play takes place mid court, meaning that the space between the back line and the long service line is rarely used.

A slow shuttle cleared high to the back of the court loses its forward momentum and the “parachute effect” comes into play as the shuttle drops in a near vertical line. The receiver of this shot, when smashing the return, is almost bound to catch the feathers before striking the base. A hard smash or, worse, a mis-hit inevitably results in damage to the shuttle.

On the other hand, a faster shuttle, in the same clear, travels in a parabola with the final drop a gentle curve away from the vertical. In this case more punishment is taken on the base rather than the feathers and so less harm ensues and the shuttle enjoys a longer playing life.

In the good old days, there were only two types of string. Nylon, as in Woolworth’s best or Bow Brand sheep gut. Natural gut was much kinder to shuttles. Today’s synthetics are harsher and are not kind to shuttles. When I first started stringing racquets (wooden) I was criticised by the Rep. from Bow Brand for stringing badminton racquets at 10 lb. tension and advised to reduce this to 9lb. Today, it is not unusual to have requests for 24/30 lbs. This results in the surface of the string bed being up to 60% harder than in the days of wooden racquets.

This high tension is allowed by the construction of the modern (top of the range) racquet, which uses materials far harder and so more damaging to shuttles than the softer wood. Because of the materials used, modern racquets are far lighter and infinitely more flexible than their predecessors. As a result our techniques have changed. The “wristy”, “snatching” techniques can lead to an increase in frame shots. Racquet head speed has increased dramatically with consequent greater impact on the shuttle.

So, you see, it is all your fault! You have brought about this “PROGRESS”. You want the equipment and the techniques to enable you to bash seven bells out of this bundle of feathers with a weapon as hard as a board. But a goose is still just a goose and until genetic engineering creates a “super goose” there is not a great deal can be done. Or, you could try using a faster shuttle!!!

There are 1.2 billion Chinese eating goose. What will you do if they ever adopt McDonalds instead?

Ken Crossley