I notice that some racquet are 669mm long some 670mm (most of them) and some are 675mm long... What is the normal lenght of a racquet and what is the point that some racquet are a little longer? Is that better? And why? Thanks!
the traditional "normal" is 660mm to 665mm. the supposedly "long" racquets that came out later, by yonex for example, "Ti-10 Titanium Mesh Long" is about 10mm longer. some brands have even longer racquets, at 680mm long. the length of the racquet has the ability to improve your reach, basically. theres a bunch of physics related (wont' go in detail), but more reach, means more angle on your smash and stuff. however the longer that racquet, it gets slightly more flexible. this slightly additional flex will for some, say it will generate more power. this additional flex and length however will also mean your racquet head will move around a bit slower than say a shorter racquet. its all up to you. personal preference. i prefer "short" racquets and feel that it hasn't inhibited my power and reach in any real way, whereas a friend will refuse to buy anything shorter than 67cm. remember that this extra bit of reach is insignificant compared to how much more we can cover had footwork been a little bit better than the level we are at now.
I also agree that at high level, a few millimetres really isn't going to make much difference. Although if you're playing with one of those short little junior racquets, well, that just might affect your game
i think at high level, it makes a difference but not at average level. at high levels of badminton, international/nationals and stuff every thing counts.
I'm going to disagree. I think skill, practice, experience, training, determination makes up 95% or more. Look at the guy (I'm pulling a blank on his name) that won olympic sprints barefooted in the 80s. Or Steve Nash, being one of the shortest guys in the NBA. Yeah, equipment makes things easier, especially where great technological leaps are concerned. But the emphasis on equipment shared by many in this forum makes me sad. The right racquet, the right shoes, the right grip... is but a very thin layer of icing on the cake of hard work and determination. Nobody is going to say that Lin Dan beat Taufik in the Malaysia open becuase of the racquet he used, will they?
probably taufik used an indonesian version and lin dan used a chinese version, thats why he got the upper hand. i do agree equipment is not everything but at the professional level, everything still counts, look at string tension, some players change rackets after a set. thus, every pro player would want to maximize on their ability by taking into account every single detail, big or small including racket length. some may say that racket length is personal preference so it might also be the same with the pros, pro ABC would prefer a longer racket and if he used a short racket, he might be performing at his best. same with pro DEF using a long racket if he prefers short ones.
don't forget that Lin Dan loves using yellow grips, nothing beats yellow grips. yellow grips make you a pro, yellow grips pack more punch into your smashes, not to mention the decisive shots you can play with yellow grips.
And what colour were Taufik's strings? If they were black, he DEFINITELY lost for that reason. Lost all the deception, right there.
