The league I play in (Mens 4), the home club are allowed to choose what type of shuttle they play with and it can be anything, no limitation. Some clubs have now taken to playing with a more obscure brand of (fast) feather. The rest of the clubs play with Mavis nylons. What this means is that the clubs that use the feathers have a much greater chance of winning at home as the other clubs are not used to the feathers. However when the these clubs play away with nylons it is an fair match as everone is used to playing with them.

Is this the case in other leagues?

Personally I don't care what kind of shuttle is used but I think everyone should have to play with the same kind. :mad:

(p.s. I'm not geting into 'what kind of shuttle' debate, this is about fairness)

Similar up here in the Midlands (Staffordshire and Shropshire, anyway).
The home team chooses what sort of shuttle to play with (plastic or feather), but they have to stick with their choice for the whole season.

Division 1 is all feather
Division 2 is a mixture
lower divisions are mostly plastic

I used to play at a club that was plastic only, and hated having to play teams that used feather. it took me the first match to get used to them, and that was too late.
But quite often we would beat them when we played at home with plastics, and they would moan about the plastic shuttles just as much as we moaned about their feathers.

It's not unheard of for a club to have their 1st team play with feathers and 2nd team play with plastic.

it's definately an imbalence, I need to do something about it maybe learn to use both, I can't believe it's not standardised. As it stands clubs are just taking it in turns to have an unfair advantage, it's rediculous.

It's something you need to take up with your own club's committee and then the league.

In the league I play in plastic shuttles are used for cost reasons. We use Mavis 370 as defined in the league rules and ratified at each league AGM. Feathers were proposed once but never adopted beacuse it would have cost too much.

At my standard of play (ie somewhere between rubbish and excellent ;) :p ) it doens't really matter to me whether it's plastc or feathers.

Doesn't sound right to me. The powers that be, federation/association, shouldn't allow different type of shuttles (nylon and feathers) in the same serie IMO. I play in a "league" for recreational players (or former active) with 6 different divisions. The first divison plays with feathers and all the lower uses nylon. *No* mixing of shuttle types in resp. division, but of course you are free to use which ever brand you want to. Note this is not a serie arranged by the swedish badminton federation but a local one arranged by an association called "Korpen" which is present almost everywhere in Sweden to get the masses to exercise. Still there are convenient rules, compared to your situation.

/mats

It's something you need to take up with your own club's committee and then the league.

I think I'm going to have to. it just seems so unprofessional to me.

this seem unfair to me.The away team might not be used to feather/plastic shuttle.Maybe,the league should have few offical shuttle.

I think if you can't change the rules, then you need to find a way to get use to it. For example, say you play with nylon in club. Maybe just use feather in the session(s) right before the match (if the home team use feather), and try to get the feeling of it. :rolleyes:

For example, say you play with nylon in club. Maybe just use feather in the session(s) right before the match (if the home team use feather), and try to get the feeling of it.

that's what I did when I was a team captain at the club that used plastic.
I arranged a practice session for the team and brought in feather shuttles.

that's what I did when I was a team captain at the club that used plastic.
I arranged a practice session for the team and brought in feather shuttles. I'm the captain of cyal8r's team, the club we play at wants extra money, £3 a night for the feathers if we're to practice with them, on top of the £160 a year we pay to play there it seems a little excessive. I think if the league changed to all feathers or all plastics the club might change their shuttles to suit without charging more.

it seems a little excessive.
Is it excessive?
How many people have to pay the £3 and how many shuttles do you get in a night?

Have you seen the club's accounts?
Where does your money go?
Court hire, shuttles, insurance, BAofE fees, County fees, team registration...

----------
Club membership is on the decline. Finances are getting tighter and tighter.

If the county or league declared that all matches had to be played with feathers, some clubs wouldn't be able to afford it.
Or they would have plastic club nights and feathers only for matches

That would be as fair as the football league saying that a club can't join the league because it's ground isn't good enough.

If the county or league declared that all matches had to be played with plastics, the players wouldn't like it.

Nothing will please everybody.
I think what there is is a reasonable compromise

Some clubs have now taken to playing with a more obscure brand of (fast) feather.

If they've deliberately picked feathers that are too fast, get them to tip every shuttle until the fly the required distance.
And play shots with a lot of slice to break the shuttles faster, and keep stopping the game to change shuttles, test the speed, get them tipped, test the speed.

Check the league rules and see if you can complain about them using incorrect speed shuttles.

the club we play at wants extra money, £3 a night for the feathers if we're to practice with them, on top of the £160 a year we pay to play there it seems a little excessive.

What about the players who want to try feather shuttles bring in their own? This way, the ones want to doing better in matches can have the "get ready" session, while the others can choose stick with nylon and save $$$.

For my practice session I personally provided the shuttles, not the club.

Is it excessive?
That would be as fair as the football league saying that a club can't join the league because it's ground isn't good enough.
I think what there is is a reasonable compromise
I think that confuses equipment with location, a closer comparison would be if some football teams used a different type of ball. Could you see that happening? Me neither, though I can see it's still not a totaly fair comparison.

You are right though, we have a comprimise, but I believe it is a bad comprimise when it is to the detriment of the sport and to fair play.

I think that confuses equipment with location, a closer comparison would be if some football teams used a different type of ball.
yeah.
I'd started out thinking in terms of money. If a football team wants a better ground, they only(!) have to pay for it. If a badminton club wants to lay with feathers, they only have to pay for them.

Football pitches are allowed to have variable width though, at the home teams discretion. And can be changed for every game. If the away team is good down the wing the home team can narrow the pitch to give them less room.
And, vice-versa, widen the pitch if the home team is good.

Would you call that a detriment to the sport, or to fair play.

You get home court advantage in badminton too.
I hate going away and finding horrible halls with funny lighting, and funny coloured walls, and difficult to see court markings, etc.

yeah.
Football pitches are allowed to have variable width though, at the home teams discretion. And can be changed for every game. If the away team is good down the wing the home team can narrow the pitch to give them less room.
And, vice-versa, widen the pitch if the home team is good.

Would you call that a detriment to the sport, or to fair play.

In short yes. But I'm sure it's limited to a reasonable point and I think we are getting a little sidetracked by a comparison. Also in the case of badminton we are talking about a variable that effects the very heart of the game, every single shot.

Perhaps a more resonable comparison might be Tennis.

First of all, I'd like to point out that it is NYLON shuttles not PLASTIC. Just like BIRD and not BIRDIE. Please keep this in mind.

I know that it is hard to get concencous on which bird to use. This happens in all levels of competition, even if it's nylon to nylon, feather to feather. There are just too many options available. I remembered that back in the 80's, during the Canadian National championship, the women singles finalist couldn't agree on which bird to use, and ending switching birds everytime the service is changed. One of the most ridiculous things I've every seen.

I personally think it's fine to have a mixture of birds in a league, as long as for the level of play, there is a standard bird to use in case of a dispute. Meaning, if both parties can't agree on using a bird (nylon or feather), then they'll be force to use a standard one the league picks. That way, all parties are happy, and there won't be any arguments. This rule can be applied specific to each game. Therefore, there won't be a problem with home games, or away games.

I personally do not like to playing with nylon shuttles because of the 'brute' game. Most people who prefer playing with this shuttle are generally people who win by brute force, which includes a lot of over powering, drive serves, etc. This is the main reason why feather bird players don't like to play with nylon, because the lower skill players have a greater chance to win. Vice-versa, the nylon shuttlers don't like the feather bird because they tend not to have any prognation (wrist snap) in their shots. I've once played against a person that can smash the nylon shuttle really hard, but can hardly make the feather bird move.

Hope this helps.

First of all, I'd like to point out that it is NYLON shuttles not PLASTIC. Just like BIRD and not BIRDIE. Please keep this in mind.

I know that it is hard to get concencous on which bird to use. This happens in all levels of competition, even if it's nylon to nylon, feather to feather. There are just too many options available. I remembered that back in the 80's, during the Canadian National championship, the women singles finalist couldn't agree on which bird to use, and ending switching birds everytime the service is changed. One of the most ridiculous things I've every seen.
Hope this helps.
I'm amazed to learn the issue is a problem at all levels. What it meas to me is that it's a problem I need to deal with myself by learning switch between different types of shuttle more quickly. A training session before hand as suggested is a good idea.

Do other players train in the use of different shuttles?

Different grades of shuttles affect the flight and the durability. I for one practice with the bird that the provincial badminton association approves. Other players that I know tend to stick to one brand of birds, because of availability.

The IBF has rules to for both nylon and feather birds, on which is acceptable to play with. Before the start of each game, it's a standard practice to test the bird to make sure the speed of the bird is in the comfort zone of both parties (this was how the argument in the 80's started, because they couldn't agree on the speed).

If you truly want to improve your game, I would stay away from the nylon birds, as my experience tells me, people who play nylon tend to learn short-cuts in the game (illegal drives serves, brute power smashes, etc), and lack skill. Also, in advance badminton, hardly anyone plays nylon.

I'm aware that feather birds cost a lot of money, and that usually differs people away from training with it. At the college I go to, the team goes through over $200 worth of birds/practice!! They switch to nylon for certain drills as a result.

I would still recommend that each league has a standard bird that is readily available at all competition. A nylon version for the lower level players, and a feather one for the intermidiate to advance level. I would suggest the Yonex Mavis 300 for nylon, and a tournament grade bird such as Victor Tournament for feather. My experience with these 2 birds have been good price/performance. I know there are better ones out there, but these 2 have given me the least problems in terms of availability.

Also, if money is an issue for the league, then I would suggest that the players who want to use feather birds bring their own, and each player chip in a bird for each game. If both parties can't agree, then use the nylon bird.

First of all, I'd like to point out that it is NYLON shuttles not PLASTIC.

Nylon is more correct, but plastic is not wrong.

Nylon is a sub-set of plastic.

Plastic includes:
Polyethylene
Polypropylene
Polystyrene
Polycarbonate
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Nylon

Bird/Birdie ?
I call 'em shuttles.
Feathers or plastics.
Talk about nylons in the UK and people think you are talking about stockings
:D

Nylon is more correct, but plastic is not wrong.


Bird/Birdie ?
I call 'em shuttles.
Feathers or plastics.
Talk about nylons in the UK and people think you are talking about stockings
:D

and talk about birds and they will think you are talking about women!

and talk about birds and they will think you are talking about women!talk about Birdie's and they'll think you're a pimp? :D

talk about Birdie's and they'll think you're a pimp? :D
or worse, a golfer!

What it means to me is that it's a problem I need to deal with myself by learning switch between different types of shuttle more quickly. A training session before hand as suggested is a good idea.

My experience was that 1 practice session made very little difference. My practice was during the last club night before the match, so that feathers were the most recent shuttle everyone had played with.
I think it would have been a lot more useful (but very impractical) to practice during the hour (or even 30 minutes) immediately prior to the match.

I used to play about 5 hrs/week with plastics.
Since this year, I play about 6 hrs/week feathers (club) + 1 hr/week plastic (social) + occasional 2 hrs/week plastic (club)
Changing between plastic and feather doesn't trouble me any more.

For your matches with the feathers, have a good knock-up to try to change your timing to the different speed. When I wasn't used to feather and had to play with them, I was always playing my shots a bit to early. I was playing my returns before the smash or drive had reached me, or my overheads before the shuttle had dropped enough.

Good luck

lol,


Back on topic however in many cases in the leagues I play in there are choices. The deciding factor is the lowest quality:

(for example):

Div1- Yonex AS40 or equivalent Quality
Div2 to 4- Yonex AS 20 equivalent or higher (varies however, some leagues use plastics in these leagues)
Below div4- Plastics or higher.


With regards to people using faster speeds of shuttles, you can test the speed of the shuttle from the markings on the doubles tram lines. (if they are present). However this test isnt accurate as people may hit it at different speeds.

probably a stupid question here - is there a standard way of slowing down plastic shuttles?

in the southport badminton league up north we have 8 divisions and the rules are that every club has to play with feather shuttles. and my yearly fee is £30, £160 is a bit expensive

in the southport badminton league up north we have 8 divisions and the rules are that every club has to play with feather shuttles. and my yearly fee is £30, £160 is a bit expensive
Woah, I'm moving back up north. :p

probably a stupid question here - is there a standard way of slowing down plastic shuttles?
not that I know of.

what options are available?
1. make them lighter
if you're using Yonex, buy the slower speed plastics
red=fast, blue=medium, green=slow
(I've used all of these, and red is definately faster than blue, but green doesn't seem to be slower then blue. I've heard of a slower speed, light-green=2 slow, but I've never seen any)

2. increase air resistance
push them onto the floor skirt first to try to flare out the skirt?

In short yes. But I'm sure it's limited to a reasonable point and I think we are getting a little sidetracked by a comparison. Also in the case of badminton we are talking about a variable that effects the very heart of the game, every single shot.

Perhaps a more resonable comparison might be Tennis.I think the league rules are the main issue and if the other club has a big advantage by using feathers, then other clubs just have to accept it as home advantage.

That doesn't stop your club from playing with feathers. If all clubs but one decided to play with feathers then the one that plays with nylons has the 'unfair' advantage!

My advice is to enjoy the other teams expense of providing feather shuttles and try to cope as best as possible until the league rules change.

I remember one district league I played in had a rule of using plastic shuttles with plastic bases (not even cork bases) in their league match. My solution was to go to the neighbouring town where the local league played with feather shuttles;)