Badminton feather shuttlecocks

[DB_SamX]

If there's anyone if the know on here, could you recommend some feather shuttlecocks?

Nothing too fancy or expensive. We're just a bunch of guys who play after work once a week for recreation. We use standard Yonex plastics ones from JJB but fancy feathers for a change. Durability and cost is probably more important than anything else tbh as we don't fancy replacing them every session.

 

[Hamster]

Buying very cheap feathers is false economy. They aren't as durable and they don't fly particularly well. Go for some of the more affordable Yonex, like the AS20, or RSL shuttles and factor feathers into the cost of your game nights. I would also avoid Yehlex which, in my experience, don't last very long. Feather shuttles don't last nearly as long as nylon either; at my local club we sometimes go through 2 dozen in 2 hours on 3 courts. One slight mis-hit and the shuttle is not playable in a match.

It also depends on how you feel about playing with slightly damaged shuttles too; we keep them and use those for training and knock-ups.

Most clubs that play with feathers buy them in bulk and it's definitely worth phoning around and asking if you can buy some from them rather than buying just a few from a racket shop.

Good choice on switching to feathers though They feel and fly much better and if you're like most players after you start playing with them regularly you will never enjoy the prospect of playing with nylons again!!

 

[semi-pro waster]

I used to use nylon shuttlecocks for the warm-ups and then quite often feather shuttlecocks for the actual games as a form of compromise. Unfortunately however you probably will have to replace them after every session, as JoeMama says they're a consumable item - it wouldn't be at all unusual to go through a feather shuttlecock every game or maybe every couple of games if it wasn't a particularly taxing one.

If you really don't want to or can't afford to replace them regularly then nylon shuttlecocks are the better option but they just don't have the same feel.

 

[DB_SamX]

Thanks. Totally understand that cheap ones won't be durable but we don't need expensive pro ones either. I don't think we'll mind playing with slightly damaged ones either. It's really to see how we fare with them; will check out the recommendations.

 

[Hamster]

I used to use nylon shuttlecocks for the warm-ups and then quite often feather shuttlecocks for the actual games as a form of compromise.

That's interesting; i've never seen people do that before! I would still much prefer knocking up with knackered feathers than plastics though. A knackered feather is much closer to a good one than nylon in my opinion. I suppose it is personal preference though

SamX, i've not tried them myself but Yonex's latest nylon, Mavis 2000 are claimed to fly a bit closer to feathers than any of their previous ones (300, 370 etc) so you may want to give those ago if you decide to revert back to nylon. Saying that, i do urge that you give feathers a few weeks to get a proper comparison as it can take a little time to adjust to the change. I think you'll enjoy the feel, consistency and crisp sound when you hit it. You won't get that from any nylon!

Please keep us updated on which ones you decide to go for and how you feel about them; it would be interesting to hear your thoughts

 

[platypus]

I hate nylons, they just don't fly fast enough.

 

[CooK1E]

I hate nylons, they just don't fly fast enough.

Me and the missus tried using feathers and just couldn't get along with them. Altough we only tried it for one session, she was adamant that we should change back. Is the difference that noticible?

We were using the Yonex ones from JJB and I wrongly assumed that they would be rubbish! I will see if we can get some of the Mavis 3000 ones to try next.

 

[semi-pro waster]

That's interesting; i've never seen people do that before! I would still much prefer knocking up with knackered feathers than plastics though. A knackered feather is much closer to a good one than nylon in my opinion. I suppose it is personal preference though

When I say knackered I mean at the point where most of the feathers have fallen off so it's almost like hitting a cork ball around. Nylon shuttlecocks used to last us much longer as it didn't really matter too much how often you kept them - these were reasonably quality Yonex ones though, I used to rip through Carlton shuttlecocks at about the same rate as I would with feather ones.

Me and the missus tried using feathers and just couldn't get along with them. Altough we only tried it for one session, she was adamant that we should change back. Is the difference that noticible?

If you (or she) really don't like feather shuttlecocks then there's not much point in forcing yourself to use them, the game is meant to be for enjoyment after all. However I'd recommend at least another go to see if you like them better the next time as they can take a little bit to get used to.

 

[Hamster]

When I say knackered I mean at the point where most of the feathers have fallen off so it's almost like hitting a cork ball around. Nylon shuttlecocks used to last us much longer as it didn't really matter too much how often you kept them - these were reasonably quality Yonex ones though, I used to rip through Carlton shuttlecocks at about the same rate as I would with feather ones.

Ah i see; i didn't realise they would be that bad! I agree with the Carlton shuttles; the ones i have played with in the past have been dire!!

If you (or she) really don't like feather shuttlecocks then there's not much point in forcing yourself to use them, the game is meant to be for enjoyment after all. However I'd recommend at least another go to see if you like them better the next time as they can take a little bit to get used to.

Agreed. It can take a few sessions to get used to them or they could have been poor feathers or maybe wrong speed for the court. Like you say, it's all about enjoyment and some people just prefer nylons anyway.

We were using the Yonex ones from JJB and I wrongly assumed that they would be rubbish! I will see if we can get some of the Mavis 3000 ones to try next.

Mavis 2000 and also go for medium speed shuttles unless your courts are freezing cold! As i stated previously, i've not actually tried them but a few people that have say that they're the best nylons they have used.

 

[platypus]

Me and the missus tried using feathers and just couldn't get along with them. Altough we only tried it for one session, she was adamant that we should change back. Is the difference that noticible?

Considerably.

However, as SPW said, you're supposed to enjoy the game, so whatever works for you .

 

[stevogums]

There are many shuttles to choose from out there...
Trust me i haved tried lots...
Depending on what level you play at determines the shuttles you should opt for...
Feathers are an expnesive item if you are just starting out or dont play too often.
The trouble being is if you dont hit the shuttle true you will destroy a feather shuttle with one blow of your racket...
If you want to try them then by all means do but do expect to go through a lot quite quickly..
Problem with feathers of a lesser quality is they do not last very long so lets say you buy a tube(dozen) cheap shuttles for around £8-10 you wont get much life out of them.
I play a lot of club badminton and we use all the Wilson range.. from the topline 70s to the topline 100s..
My friends and i use topline 90s .These retail at £13.99 dozen .
We buy 4 dozen between four of us and they last a good 3 months.We play 3 times a week..
Few tips if buying feathers do pre steam them a good 24hrs before play this prolongs the life of the shuttle...And use the broken or raggedy ones to warm up with...
It is like everthing in life you only get what you pay for..I have tried lots of cheap brands and the shuttles dont last a minute..
There are also many great makes other than Wilson ..
Yonex,Yehlex,Carlton,RSL...
Have a look on Central Sports Website they are always pretty competitive price wise..
And good luck..Once you use feathers though you will never want to go back to plastic..(although as someone above has mentioned the Mavis 2000s are as close as you will find to feather but they are as expensive as feather so dont really see the point)

 

[Hamster]

There are many shuttles to choose from out there...
Trust me i haved tried lots...
Depending on what level you play at determines the shuttles you should opt for...
Feathers are an expnesive item if you are just starting out or dont play too often.
The trouble being is if you dont hit the shuttle true you will destroy a feather shuttle with one blow of your racket...
If you want to try them then by all means do but do expect to go through a lot quite quickly..
Problem with feathers of a lesser quality is they do not last very long so lets say you buy a tube(dozen) cheap shuttles for around £8-10 you wont get much life out of them.
I play a lot of club badminton and we use all the Wilson range.. from the topline 70s to the topline 100s..
My friends and i use topline 90s .These retail at £13.99 dozen .
We buy 4 dozen between four of us and they last a good 3 months.We play 3 times a week..
Few tips if buying feathers do pre steam them a good 24hrs before play this prolongs the life of the shuttle...And use the broken or raggedy ones to warm up with...
It is like everthing in life you only get what you pay for..I have tried lots of cheap brands and the shuttles dont last a minute..
There are also many great makes other than Wilson ..
Yonex,Yehlex,Carlton,RSL...
Have a look on Central Sports Website they are always pretty competitive price wise..
And good luck..Once you use feathers though you will never want to go back to plastic..(although as someone above has mentioned the Mavis 2000s are as close as you will find to feather but they are as expensive as feather so dont really see the point)

Aah good call on the steaming. You will know this but for everyone else, the shuttles will become brittle when dry and will break more easily when used. It is recommended to get some moisture back into the shuttles before playing. Steaming is one method but i usually put a small damp sponge in the bottom end of the tube a couple of days before playing. It's also good to keep them stored somewhere cooler than room temperature.

Also the point of the Mavis2000 shuttles isn't the initial cost. It's the fact that they ought to last a lot longer than feathers so will be more economical over time.

I've never bought feathers from a shop but always directly from clubs but i'm going to have to give the Wilsons a try. How do you find them compared to say AS40/50shuttles?

 

[CooK1E]

Deffo going to try the Mavis 2000 then We inititally didn't like the extra 'weight' they seemed to have but I will see if she fancies trying them again.

 

[DB_SamX]

Well, I bought a dozen RSL No.3 Tourney for £15.

Having played 90 mins with them among 4 (singles and doubles) this evening, my initial thoughts is that they feel very different. Nor worse, maybe better, but different. Satisfying whack, possibly faster and better flight. But it will get some getting used to over the next few weeks and we'll see whether to carry on with feathers or not.

I can imagine steaming or moisture making them less brittle, so I'll try to figure something out for next time.

And after today's session, this is how they fared. I put the damange mainly to us being amateurs and hitting them wrong though. The heads ended up very soft by the end too.



On a related note, I need to replace my racquet. My existing one needs replacing having lasted over 14 years from when I took lessons aged 12, many string and grip changes; cost me under £10! If anyone could recommend one - all rounder I guess, I would be grateful. Looking to spend £25, maybe more if worth it.

 

[Disco Boy]

Durability and cost is probably more important than anything else tbh as we don't fancy replacing them every session.

Best not use feathers then...

edit: you found out for yourself it would seem

 

[CooK1E]

I'm no expert but those feathers look knackered!

 

[fretted]

Best not use feathers then...

edit: you found out for yourself it would seem

+1 I wouldn't recommend feathers for anyone, unless one is prepared to buy a new tube for every 2 hour session of playing. I think steaming is a myth, but even so its a lot of faff to do before a session.

With regards to racquets, they are pretty much all the same (around £25). Maybe look out for ones, where you can get buy 1 get 1 free (can chip in with a mate) - www.pwp.com sells Pro Kennex racquets quite cheap. No need to go for the expensive Yonex racquets.

 

[PiKe]

Any old racquet from Sports Direct or wherever will do.

Don't get anything too expensive else you won't have anything to blame for being crap

 

[DB_SamX]

Any old racquet from Sports Direct or wherever will do.

Don't get anything too expensive else you won't have anything to blame for being crap

Poor gripping shoes will need to be replaced soon.

 

[CooK1E]

Any old racquet from Sports Direct or wherever will do.

Don't get anything too expensive else you won't have anything to blame for being crap

I was going to consider a new racket, but you have made a damn good point. My £10 thing will have to do for now!