I thought about this the other day as I was doing it. Badminton gyms usually has a very high ceiling. So you hit the shuttlecock as high as you can using forehand and backhand a few times and see which racket you can hit the highest with. Then that's the racket you should use. It can be applied to choosing string tension or string brand as well. Of course, not everyone has the means to test many rackets this way. I'm just wondering if this concept is a valid idea physics-wise.
If you are only interested in power this might be a way but imo this is a foolish way. The best way still is to use the racket in a match situation.
i don't think it's a good idea since you wouldn't need to use this particular shot (that goes straight to the ceiling) in a real game recreational or competitive. besides, i think i can use any racket and hit a shuttle high enough to smack the ceiling so this test wouldn't be any good for me at least. i still think that the best way to test a racket would be to play a serious game like you would in a tournament. make every shot counts, that's when you're actually counting on your racket to perform.
Of course it would be great if we get to test many rackets for many months in matches but imo that's not practical. If your gym's ceiling isn't high enough then just use any open space with minimal wind and a very tall object nearby. It's not a shot that will be used in a match but the motion and muscles used are quite similar. The problem with testing by playing is...well it could take many weeks to get used to a new racket. There's no measurable standard. Unless you have a speed camera, in most cases you can't really measure if your smashes have improved. Not to mention how and who you're playing at the time might make a biased opinion. I guess this test wouldn't account for frame stability and speed but would it at least account for ideal flex and balance? The theory, of course, the right mix of flex and balance will yield the highest power thus repulsing the shuttlecock the highest.
if you're not testing for yourself and how it performs in your hands, but just for stats then just take it as is from whatever the manufacturer claims since they probably have all the machines needed to test a particular racket. if you're testing for yourself, then the idea place would be in a game where the shots actually count.
Nice idea, but I would say not really. I would be interestet in how swinging the racket feels, care about a crisp feeling for the shuttle at impact, is the frame stable enough to take high tension, how do the grommets and their placement look like for stringing, length and size of the grip and so on. Some rackets feel to light or kind of flexy for hard hitting, so that would be about the "power" you are trying to mesure. Funny thing is i observed quite the opposite for beginners and a lot of recreational players, they seem to get more out of a light and flexible racket. So instead of hitting to the roof i would prefer to play a bit as you would be on court anyways. And a lot depends on strings and tension. In the end i can play with any racket, still use my old cab 8 sometimes. It is just toys for playing and some are more fun and easier to play with. But if you like your new toy you can get used to about anything.
the beautiful thing about badminton is that we have such a huge spectrum of shots. from the slowest but most incredibly delicate net shots, to the 200mph thundering jumpsmash. and all of these shots maybe used equally in a typical rally. hitting a vertical lift to reach as high as possible do not even close to capturing the variation that a racket need to be subjected to during a real game. this maybe perhaps a good type of testing for golf, where golfers can switch clubs depending on the shot needed, or maybe even tennis where the majority of shots in rally are baseline shots. but not for badminton.
I for one feel that for less powerful shots, you will get used to the racket. Take any kind of racket, eventually you learn how to power any racket just enough to land the most delicate net shots. Not so with power shots such as clears and smashes. You would want a racket that gives you the best power for your effort. This is hard to measure by playing because you'd be relying on "feel" which I often find unpredictable and takes a long time. That's the theory behind it anyways.
for me, my simple test of whether the racket has proper swing wt or string tension, is to hit high clears standing at the baseline hitting to the other baseline if i hit with 100% power and effort and it just goes out by less than a few inches, then it's perfect for me (using a shuttle with the proper speed rating of course)
