Just checked out Iron Byron, seems to be portable so I assume "on location". What about this one I already mentioned before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b_CaC9S5PY
If Yonex can transport 20-30 stringing machines to tournaments, 1 badminton testing machine shouldn't be a problem. Only problem is having these machines in smaller tournaments. However, I think this problem can be solved at factory level. A certain standard could be set. For example, say at 500 meters above sea level, 28 degrees temperature, 60% humidity, the recommended shuttle speed would be 77. These standard guidelines can only be set if the rules are set to allow for their implementation.
Machines that are used for shuttle feeding are not good enough to grade shuttlecock speed. Only those used at the plants are well calibrated under controlled environment. Also you do not use different machines to test for different speeds-one will do with a a high level of precision. The biggest variable affecting speed is altitude and next is temperature. For Malaysia where non-airconditioned courts are used it is speed 76 for the advanced players, speed 77 for the not so advanced players, and speed 78 for the others who are beginners. For both Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands it is speed 74, with or without airconditioning. At 500 meters it is one speed slower than a sea-level speed. The current standard is good enough and speed 77 or any other speed is not a fixed standard. The standard is altitude dependent and to a lesser extent temperature dependent. For example the standard for Malaysia is speed 76 at sea level to 300 meters and speed 74 for the two Highlands. Frankly, I am rather surprised at so much "noise" and misinformed information on a standard shuttle speed.
Thanks for the info Taneepak. It's probably just me that's making the noise and being misinformed. I guess you're probably more familiar with these machines since you're in the shuttle business. In terms of precision though, I would think that it's easier to calibrate a machine rather than humans to hit shuttles at fixed speeds. The mobile and high precision shuttle speed testing machine probably hasn't been invented yet. How much this will revolutionize badminton is debatable; which I guess explains the lack of investment in this area. In the mean time, i guess I'm in the not so advanced players category. Need to work on better stamina to get those fast moving shuttles
Well that's your opinion. I know what I'm testing for. You may be testing for something different. . . The basic premise is that you starting with the correct shuttle speed based on maufacturers & BF recommmendations. i.e. In the UK it's 78 in winter & 77 in summer. Shuttle manufacturers will have precise "test" machines to set those speed standards and QC will keep (i'm guessing)95% of the rated shuttles in that speed. Almost everyone is going to play to those recommendations & learn those flight characteristics. Whenever *I* test a shuttle I'm looking for that kind of performance. If I detect a shuttle that's part of the 5% out of tolerance then we'll discard it or tip it to slow/speed it up. I instinctively *know* from memory how well I need to hit the shuttle now to get the back line & I don't actually need to replicate that each time I test. If I don't get a good connection I'll expect the shuttle to land short & if I over hit it or at to shallow an angle I'll expect it to carry a bit further on. If I turn up for a match & the opposition club is playing with 79's They'll feel really quick, most of my team will probably quickly agree it's to fast & complain. The other club might be used to quicker shuttles & that's what they have been playing/testing to but they'll quickly find that they have a dispute with almost every club that comes there to play. Eventually BaOE or the County association will make a clarification & either everyone will go to that club expecting to play with the wrong speed of shuttle or they'll cave & switch to the right speed. I don't really think there's a need for specialised machines in tournaments. Any pro player will be able to hit the correct rated shuttle within inches of the service line. They'll take the expected speed shuttles & one speed up/down & test all three. I think 90% of the time the pro will hit the deafult speed shuttle bang on the line unless there's a variance in the playing hall. Edit: The other point is that the maufacturers/BF have done all the hard work in keeping standardised flight characteristics. If *I* speed test a 78 shuttle in the UK, I'll hit it on the Service line. When *I* go to Malaysia and do the same test (same technique & power) I'll hit a 76 to the service line straight away. It's nothing fancy on the players part. It's just everyone's playing with the same expectation of flight characteristics & the shuttle manufacturers give the right recommendations to suit the playing environment.
Er. . . . That's exactly what the manufacturers have done & those standards have been adopted by the Badminton federations.
You are rating the shuttle based on 'memory' and the best shuttle speed based on agreed consensus. How would the BaOE or County association decide which shuttle has the right speed? Probably based on a person of authority's 'memory' as well. That doesn't sound very scientific and probably not the best way to rate shuttles in a game decided by inches. My point is badminton needs an objective test that takes humans out of the equation. A test backed by machine precision that is solid and indisputable. Looks like I might be the only one thinks this way. It's my point of view anyway.
Perhaps the following will go some way in explaining how shuttlecocks are graded by speed at the plant. First, a shuttlecock's speed is influenced by weight, caliber, feather type (whether more leak-proof or less), right and left feather, and weight ratio of base to body. With so many variables manufacturers try to have set standards for most of them with one remaining variable to determine speed, which is usually total weight. This makes it simpler to make different shuttlecock speeds simply by the use of weight, heavier ones for speeds like 78 or 79 and lighter weights for 74 or 75. The final product, after a period of two to four weeks of curing, will then be graded by weight, and each grade will then be put through a speed machine that mimics the IBF shuttle speed test, that is it shoots from a low height in an upward trajectory into collection boxes. If the shuttles fail to drop into the boxes they are then of the wrong speed and not selected. Now here is where different grades get different treatment. The better grades are tested for other qualities like rotational speed, stability, flight characteristics, durability, etc, and the cheaper grades are sometimes not even tested for speed. Even among the better grades some of the collection boxes are no more than 20cm long for the highest quality and some are 30cm long. No memory is involved to decide what speed is used in any given hall. The only reason they test the speed of the shuttles before the games start is to test the accuracy of the rated shuttle speed, not the hall's required speed. This is because not all manufacturers are consistent in their shuttle speed rating. Simply put you can find out what speed to use in any hall simply by selecting say one speed as a "standard" and then use this speed and the altitude and temperature of the hall to add or minus this "standard" speed 77. As an illustration, let us say speed 77 "standard" is used to determine your hall's speed, the following should be a simple guide. 1. Speed 77 "standard" is set for sea level up to 300 meters altitude and within a hall temperature range of 22 degrees C to 28 degrees C. 2. At temperatures from 29 degrees to 35 degrees at sea to 300 meters speed 76 becomes the standard. 3. At temperatures between 15 degrees to 21 degrees at sea level to 300 meters speed 78 is the standard. 4. At temperatures below 15 degrees at sea level to 300 meters the standard speed is 79. 5. Irrespective of temperature, at an altitude of 300m to 500m, the standard speed is 76 6. Irrespective of temperature, at an altitude between 600m to 1200m, the standard speed is 75. 7. Between 1300m to 2000m the standard speed is 74, irrespective of temperature. Each speed has a distance difference of 30cm. Some manufacturers, not all, have set the various speed parameters at a fixed standard, i.e. caliber and others, and leave just one factor weight to determine speed. In such a case weight of the shuttle is used for speed grading, ie 5.1g for 100m-300m altitude, 5.0g for 300m-600m, 4.9g for 700m-1000m, 4.8g for 1100m-1500m, and 4.7g for 1600m-2000m.
My earlier post is based on an IBF standard, i.e. based on an above average player. However, for those who cannot come near the IBF shuttle speed test like those whose speed test sees the shuttle falling more than 11 inches from the back doubles service line, a higher speed is recommended for a more enjoyable game which will enable one to hit from back line to back line instead of playing mostly half court shots.
You still don't get the point do you. The big Manufacturer's already have machines that do that. They have set a flight profile based on initial speed, launch angle and height & designed their shuttles for that. They then create variants to match that profile with different altitudes & temperatures. They then publish the creteria for their products. Everyone uses those guidelines & learns how to play with that flight profile. If you take that machine & test a 78 in the UK it'll hit the service line. Then if you move that machine to Malaysia without making any adjustments & test a 76 it'll hit the service line with the same launch parameters. That's because the manufacturers have designed the shuttles & rated them to do just that. Each badminton association will just look at the charts from the manufacturers & say you should be using this type of shuttle. The purpose of the Human speed test is not to re-define the rating of shuttles. It's to detect defects in manufacturing processes/batces or variations of temp in the hall that would call for a change in the selection of shuttle. It's not scientific but for experienced players it's free & easy to do.
Taneepak's guide is a very useful guide. I'll probably use it myself. The problem is the guide isn't in the badminton rules book. Mindfields, the big manufacturers don't set the rules. They make equipment that abates to the rules. They may make high precision shuttles for different conditions, but they can't decide which shuttle works in which environment. The rules do. Do you know what the rules say? If the world badminton federation had a guideline like Taneepak's... I rest my case. But last I checked, the rules didn't use any machine or had any guidelines on temperature and altitudes. The rules rely on the old arcane test of hitting the shuttle from one end to the other end of the court. I say a rules update to include a guide line similar to Taneepak's is in order.
Typically you shouldn't be striking the shuttle as hard as you can. The best way for someone to learn shuttle testing is to have someone there who is confident with their own testing. Let them test the shuttle, and tip it to the correct speed, then let them test it again. Once they have confirmed, and you have seen where the shuttle should be landing when at correct speed, you should attempt to test the shuttle yourself. If it is going too far, or not far enough, you should adjust your swing until it lands where it should. Now it's just a matter of remembering the speed and angle at which you hit the shuttle. Remember to use a stroke that is comfortable to you, so that it can be easily reproduced in the future. There are also lines on some courts that show where the shuttle should be landing. The lines are roughly in front and behind the back doubles service line.
