Standard feather birds for International tournaments?

Yonex does sponse most major tournies, but other manufactures do have a share as well.

 

I'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter who sponsors the tournament, they still use Yonex AS-50s. I believe that was true even when Wilson had their name all over a big tournament last year: either the China Open. I am sure that they did not use Wilson shuttlecocks there. As far as I know, Wilson doesn't make anything that can compete with the AS-50. Then again, neither do Carlton or Victor or Gosen or any other brands. That 2005 China Open, incidentally, was the only time, apart from the Olympics, that I've seen a name other than Yonex on the court mat.

It is certainly true here. Victor sponsors many tournaments but the KBA has already made the decision that Yonex shuttles are to be used for all senior tournaments.

 

So they use the A-50s? Ok, 'cause I was wondering too, I always use the Yonex Mavis 350 or 500 when playing plastic, but I use various companyies' birds.

 

Is it always the AS-50? I can't be 100% sure. I'm pretty sure it is in Korea. If you look at the Yonex Japan website, though, the AS- series isn't even there. They have, instead this F-90 shuttle that says "Tournament" on it. Come to think of it, I might have seen this type shuttle tube at some televised tournaments.

I seem to remember something on the IBF website that mentioned a list of shuttles from different manufacturers that were approved for international competition. In other words, it didn't seem to say that Yonex HAD to be used. This is unlike in Korea where the KBA makes that decision, which overrides the tournament sponsors.

If you look at the Yonex int'l website, it curiously doesn't mention the China Open or Malaysia Open or the Olympics as being among the 2004 tournaments that used Yonex shuttles. I don't know why that would be. I can't imagine what, if not Yonex, these tournaments could have used.

 

They used the Yonex AS-40 during the 2006 Philippine Open.

 

Yonex are the main sponsor for most IBF star level tournies, therefore, I am not surprised to see Yonex shuttles were used from most of the tournies. Other companies such as Wilson, Victor, etc might have their banner or even court mat in, as they are also the paying sponsor, but does not necessary sponor in the "shuttle" way. From TV screen, do you want the ppl to see a giant size banner, or you expect them to tell what shuttles are used? Of course, the big banner stuff catch more eyes.

I believe there are also high level IBF tournies using other shuttles than Yonex. I remember there was an article about 2-3 years ago, during SC or TC/UC time. The CHN players were complaining the sponor only provided 1 tubes of shuttles per day for them to practice. The sponor was a local brand from the host, but not Yonex.

 

Yep, this is true. I spoke to a Yonex Representative at the 2005 WCs and he said roughly, the AS-40, AS-50 and "Tournament" shuttles all come from the same batch (AS-40 batch). The difference is:

+AS-50s come from the Top 10%-20% of the AS-40 batch
+Tournament Shuttles come from the Top 10%-20% of the AS-50 batch

So in a nutshell: the AS-50 is an elite AS-40 and the Yonex Tournament shuttle is an elite AS-50.

Make sense?

 

So if i buy 10 box of as-50 i may get tournament shuttlecocks? ahhahaha

 

Do they sell the tubes that say "Tournament" on them outside of the Japanese market, then? The tubes used at the World Juniors all say AS-50 on them.

 

Good question and the answer is no. You cannot buy the Yonex tube that says "TOURNAMENT" on it (nor the shuttle, obviously). The tube is identical to the AS-50 except for the wording, says "TOURNAMENT" instead of "AS-50". I've only been to one large international tournament, WC2005 and saw the Tournament Tubes. The few local tourneys that were Yonex sponsored all used AS-50s. This includes (if I recall correctly) the U.S. Open at OCBC.

So, I believe only major tourneys such as the AE or WC get the Tournament Shuttles.

 

You can buy the Tournament shuttles, F-90, from shuttle-house.

Please refer to BlueJeff's F-90 review.

 

I just noticed that the animation on the BZI homepage, which is a slide show of the 2006 Denmark Open, shows an open tube of HEAD shuttles.

 

from an inside information while i was at the MO 2007 .. i ask them which model of wat brand the shuttlecocks ar used during tournaments ... can i buy it off the shelves somewhere ??? they say ... nobody could possibly buy em unless they have contacts n its hard to get the same quality bcos all the "shuttlecocks is pre-selected for the tournament" and its not marketed on shelves for sales as the same shuttlecocks, probably some similarity ....

i wonder who can confirm this with me ? and please define "pre-selected shuttlecocks" as in wat do they see in the shuttlecocks ?? weight ?? feather quality ?? makers ?? goose from which country ?? hehe

read from somewhere that yonex use goose feather from goose somewhere in china ?

thanks

 

Would expect the major sponsor to supply the feathers or if there not a producer of shuttles to get a second/third/fifth level sponsor to supply the feathers.

 

Dang, missed this post. Doh! You are correct (as usual), I should have said, one cannot buy the TOURNAMENT (F-90) shuttles in the U.S. The only place that I know of where it's available is Shuttle House in Japan for over $30/tube:

http://shuttle-house.com/new-cgi/page2_i.php?mk=YO&hid=F-90&lan=e