Training Racket

E'epak's recommendation:

LF (La Fleche?) Training racquets from 120 grams to 160 grams in 10 grams increments. I have the 140 grams and 150 grams versions. Good luck !

 

I think they're otherwise referred to as squash racquets.

Just kidding.

What Pete said.

 

Yes I have seen and tried one of those LF racket before - they are specifically meant for training. Quite pricey too - if I recalled correctly it was in the range of HKD700 (or USD90).

I also saw on a seperate occasion a youth training with a old wooden round-frame squash racket. What the coach did was standing beside her tossing the birdie up and she did a overhead clear. Amazingly she hit it on the right spot everytime and send the birdie to a fair distance - very good technique indeed. This must be an effective way in makign sure you hit the sweet spot consistently.

 

My coach was used Squash racket for all finger trainings when he was in National Team.

 

A 5 lbs racket??? I doubt anyone can really swing it... It might be even way too heavy for a tennis training racket...

 

Today's specially made badminton training racquets weigh from 120 to 160g. Would you believe it that these were the type of racquets I used as normal racquets in the late 1950s and 1960s? It is strange, but that at that time it never occurred to me they were heavy at all. All I remember was that they were damn good for smashing, and nothing else.

 

Were the rackets in 50 to 60's in all wood?? What tensions can they support??

 

Yes, they were all wooden racquets, with the later ones-I think it was Dunlop Maxply-having a short steel shaft in the middle of the shaft. These racquets would warp easily unless they were put on a heavy wooden press with tightening nuts. These heavy and bulky wooden presses inflicted countless bruises on me. Tension was of course very low. We never restrung any new string when the string was broken. It was a patch-up, repair job. I don't actually recall having seen any stringing machine at that time. Strings were mostly gut, which did not require very high tension.
There was only one brand of shuttles, 'Blue Bird', at that time, until a new upstart, RSL, came along and knocked out "Blue Bird' from the badminton scene. Come to think of it, the then RSL shuttle was better but the Blue Bird was more durable.

 

i think ive seen a training racket made by ashaway. sold for $90

 

get those cheap yonex b-460 rackets. they are real heavy. if not heavy enough, go to shop that sells tennis gear and ask for lead tapes. tennis players use these to increase weight or satbalise their racket. they are like 3M tape, just that make of lead and you can roll them onto your racket to increase wt or tape nearer to framehead to make it head heavy for training your wrist.

need something heavier you can try a squash racket

 

Lead tape can be dangerous. It may cause cancer. Use gloves to handle and wash your hands thoroughly.

 

Well, OTOH, lead tape use is prevalent in tennis and golf, but we don't see tennis and golf players dropping like flies from cancer, do we?

You probably don't want to make lead tape part of your regular diet, so, as long as you don't develop a taste for it, don't worry. Also, try to get out of the habit of boiling or otherwise cooking your racquets. Besides, sports lead tapes are coated. You'd have to splice it open and lick it to ingest the lead content.

IMHO, washing your hand is what you should do after an exercise regardless whether lead is a part in it or not. I mean, come on, you get sweaty, you handle shuttles off the floor, you probably use your hands to wipe the sole of your shoes, you shake hands with other similarly sweaty players, then you go home and eat without washing your hands? Lead is the least of your concern.

 

LF training's price goes up that much!!!??? I got mine for HKD450 to HKD500 at most in 2004.

 

Responsible lead tape manufacturers will display a label indicating that lead tape can cause cancer and that you should wear gloves when handling them. Lead can cause cancer of the lung, brain, stomach, kidney, colon & rectal cancer. It can also damage your nervous system as well as lowering your intelligence. The state of California makes it mandatory that a warning label be shown on lead tape. I suggest you throw away the gloves after use.
To check your lead tape on your racquet, use a white tissue and swipe it firmly along the lead tape. If the tissue shows a greyish colour, you know what you have. And don't breathe too hard.

 

From the American Cancer Society:

"Lead is carcinogenic in animals, and there is some evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. Moreover, lead is toxic to humans in many other ways. Therefore, you should make every effort to minimize your exposure to lead."​

Source: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_1_3X_Lead.asp?sitearea=PED

 

Hmmm. The American Cancer Society also recommends regular exercise.

Among vigorous activities, they include singles tennis and racquetball.

Among moderate activities, they include badminton

 

But....................b-460 cannot support high tension.

 

thanks for the reminder!

lead tape is used so widely in tennis....most advance players ahve lead tape on their rackets to increase swing wt.

in school, my students use pencils w leads too.....