Feather vs Nylon adjustment

**twlih** · 03-03-2004, 03:41 PM

Hi,
I play nylon bird twice a week and feather once a week.
I am having problem adjusting to the feathers. I have been working
on defferent stroke and method but always I play far better in nylon.
When it comes to feather, I just kinda below my performance.
Does this happen to anyone?
Does it really a feather vs nylon problem or something else.
Just your thoughts.

**wood_22_chuck** · 03-03-2004, 04:11 PM

Think this is the 2nd or 3rd time, BUT ... if you have two rackets, string one at a higher tension for feathers, the other lower for nylons.

-dave

**Oranjmaan** · 03-03-2004, 05:17 PM

just relax when u're warming up with feathers, n' take a good long warm up too, ur body just need sum time to adjust to the slight difference in timing. there's not much u can realli consciously do, cuz the differences are THAT big.

**other** · 03-04-2004, 07:53 AM

yeah, just try to warm up lots with the feather, as they will take time to adjust to if u usually play with nylons. Why do we need higher tensions for fether shuttles?

**Neil Nicholls** · 03-04-2004, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by SheldonZhang
Why do we need higher tensions for fether shuttles?

Dunno, but it works for me.

Alternatively, use lower tensions for plastic. I remember some threads from ages ago where people talked about getting arm pain when using plastic after being used to using feather.

**ryeung** · 03-04-2004, 12:56 PM

Alternatively, use lower tensions for plastic. I remember some threads from ages ago where people talked about getting arm pain when using plastic after being used to using feather. [/B]

You're right. The odd time that I play with plastic, my arm and shoulder will be sore the next day. The coach at our club suggests not switching between the two. I do use my secondary racket for plastic. It is a couple of pounds lower in tension.

**xofrevlis** · 03-04-2004, 01:22 PM

I think it's because feather shuttlecocks have faster recovery times than plastic ones, hence you string rackets at a higher tension to get the most out of feathers before they start to recover and slow down. I can't remember too well, but I think I read somewhere that it takes feather shuttlecocks around 0.015 seconds to recover its normal flight path whilst it's been more for plastics. The newest Yonex plastics, (Mavis 370s, I think) are quoted to have a recovery time of 0.020 seconds.
I've have looked into this very shallowly so it's probably best not to trust it too much.

**other** · 03-04-2004, 01:42 PM

you're right about the times.....well i'm used to plastics...the feather ones are too slow (after some of the feathers start coming off) and they are too expensive to keep replacing.

higher tension to get the most out of them before they start to slow down? what did u mean?

**JChen99** · 03-04-2004, 11:51 PM

Originally posted by Neil Nicholls
Dunno, but it works for me.

Alternatively, use lower tensions for plastic. I remember some threads from ages ago where people talked about getting arm pain when using plastic after being used to using feather.

It dont happen to me. What happens is when I play with plastic I just use more wrist than when I play feather. You can still get a LOT of power into your shots

**weekey** · 03-05-2004, 11:14 AM

my suggestion is dont play with palstics any more. playing with plastics is not real badminton.

**LazyBuddy** · 03-05-2004, 11:44 AM

Originally posted by weekey
my suggestion is dont play with palstics any more. playing with plastics is not real badminton.

Maybe that's true for a lot of ppl. However, the cost for feather shuttles is quite high in north america. Many high school teams and recreation clubs have to settle for plastic to save $$$ with its superior durability.

**cooler** · 03-05-2004, 12:07 PM

there are pluses and minuses for both feather and nylon shuttles.
If you're really good in badminton, you should be able to be good in both feather and nylon. While at this topic, I think the cost of feather shuttles could be partly to blame for badminton from being popular in north america. If u compare with the staple sport in the US like basketball, football, basefall, volleyball, etc. The initial and subsequent costs of equipment are lower.

basketball - around 30 USD and last almost lifetime
baseball - leather gloves 50 USD and last almost lifetime. Each ball should last for years
volleyball - around 30 USD leather ball, last for years
football - around 30 USD leather ball, last for years
tennis - racket dont break under normal use, balls last for days (when played constantly), last for weeks from casual plays.
lacrose - equipments last for years (popularity rising fast)
soccer - ball last for years

feather shuttle - last for 10 minutes or less, 1 to 1.5 USD a pop

**mlvezina** · 03-05-2004, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by cooler
there are pluses and minuses for both feather and nylon shuttles.
If you're really good in badminton, you should be able to be good in both feather and nylon. While at this topic, I think the cost of feather shuttles could be partly to blame for badminton from being popular in north america. If u compare with the staple sport in the US like basketball, football, basefall, volleyball, etc. The initial and subsequent costs of equipment are lower.

basketball - around 30 USD and last almost lifetime
baseball - leather gloves 50 USD and last almost lifetime. Each ball should last for years
volleyball - around 30 USD leather ball, last for years
football - around 30 USD leather ball, last for years
tennis - racket dont break under normal use, balls last for days (when played constantly), last for weeks from casual plays.
lacrose - equipments last for years (popularity rising fast)
soccer - ball last for years

feather shuttle - last for 10 minutes or less, 1 to 1.5 USD a pop

You do raise an interesting point Cooler. I guess an extension to this point would go as follows:

1\ If you decide to dedicate yourself to a sport in order to make a living out of it and you are faced with so many choices in your country, which one will you choose ?

2\ For those remaining after point 1 who wish to dedicate themselves to a sport just for the fun of it (i.e. no expectation of revenue), which one will they choose when faced with so many choices in their country, given the respective costs involved ?

3\ Those remaining after points 1 and 2 can only be considered real badminton fanatics

Cheers,

Mike

**LazyBuddy** · 03-05-2004, 02:10 PM

Originally posted by cooler
there are pluses and minuses for both feather and nylon shuttles.
If you're really good in badminton, you should be able to be good in both feather and nylon. While at this topic, I think the cost of feather shuttles could be partly to blame for badminton from being popular in north america. If u compare with the staple sport in the US like basketball, football, basefall, volleyball, etc. The initial and subsequent costs of equipment are lower.

basketball - around 30 USD and last almost lifetime
baseball - leather gloves 50 USD and last almost lifetime. Each ball should last for years
volleyball - around 30 USD leather ball, last for years
football - around 30 USD leather ball, last for years
tennis - racket dont break under normal use, balls last for days (when played constantly), last for weeks from casual plays.
lacrose - equipments last for years (popularity rising fast)
soccer - ball last for years

feather shuttle - last for 10 minutes or less, 1 to 1.5 USD a pop

Also, facility renting could be a pain as well. The above sports almost all can use out door fields, or at least, plain school gyms. Badminton facility has tons of more additional requirements which means, price up.

**weekey** · 03-05-2004, 04:04 PM

fortunately, I am not in north america, I am in england. I had never play with plastics before I came here. and i was shocked when I saw people playing with plastics. I do agree the plastic shuttles are more durable, but i also think the game with plastics is less enjoyable. do you guys enjoy the game with plastics?

**cooler** · 03-05-2004, 04:29 PM

Originally posted by weekey
fortunately, I am not in north america, I am in england. I had never play with plastics before I came here. and i was shocked when I saw people playing with plastics. I do agree the plastic shuttles are more durable, but i also think the game with plastics is less enjoyable. do you guys enjoy the game with plastics?

why the shock? i think it's snobbish and one dimensional to think plastic players are not badminton players. It's like saying people who dont use yonex are not badminton players. Feather is just an adopted standard for IBF sanction tournament, same as white color attire. It is just a long carried tradition. It is just a status symbol.

How can u conclude that plastic shuttles are less enjoyable when you havent play them before?

Do u know that wooden racket and real gut strings are first used in badminton like the feather shuttle? How come you are ok playing with titanium/carbon fiber/kevlar/boron composite racquet and NYLON strings? Shouldn't you also use wooden racket and gut string to go with your feather shuttles like a real badminton player?

**Gollum** · 03-05-2004, 04:57 PM

Come on Cooler, there's little doubt that feather shuttles have superior flight characteristics and "feel" compared with plastics

They are not just a status symbol. How do you think the professionals would react if the IBF forced them to switch to plastics?

That said, there are many high-standard clubs who play with plastics, for reasons of economy. But feathers are clearly better if you have the money.