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A Guide to Lightweight Badminton Rackets
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What is the Lightest Badminton Racket?
The Lightest Badminton Racket in the world is the APACS Feather Weight 55 which weighs in at 58 g.
Why Choose A Light Racket?
The most common reason players often choose to use a lightweight badminton racket is to improve their defence. This is because a lighter racket allows for faster repositioning, recovery and stroke speed which are key attributes for a lightning fast and resolute defence.
Other reasons why people often choose to use a lighter badminton racket is because it will offer more speed and control for front court play. Some players also choose to use a lightweight badminton racket because it can be easier on the wrist and shoulder joints, good if you already have an injury or just want to avoid them full stop.
Is A Lighter Racket Better?
Is a lighter racket better? Well, it depends. The question should be is a lighter racket better for me? As with most things in badminton, it is dependent on the player.
Firstly you should ask yourself what style of player am I? Do you like to attack with powerful smashes or do you like fast rallies with intricate play and quick defence?
Often, those players who favour fast rallies with lots of control over the shuttle for precise shots and a quick defence would benefit from a lighter racket.
However, this doesn’t mean that if you like to smash you can’t use a light racket. It is true that a heavier racket will help provide more power, but if you can still achieve a fast racket speed with a light racket, you can still deliver a fast smash.
As you may have guessed, lighter rackets are often favoured more by doubles players thanks to the advantages provided to your defence and the increased control over the shuttle in the forecourt. The most popular weight for a doubles racket is 4U (80-84g) (See the Weight Chart below). Typically singles players will use slightly heavier rackets (3U 85-89g) as this weight provides a little more power. This is advantageous for instances when the shuttle is played in behind the player to the back of the court. Also, quick racket head speed isn’t as crucial in the singles game therefore a singles player can afford to use a heavier racket.
Badminton Racket Weight Guide
Here is a guide to the weight grades given to badminton rackets. Yonex and Li Ning have a slightly different scale, so I have also provided them in separate tables.
Weight Grade | Weight |
2U | 90g & above |
3U | 87g – 89.9g |
4U | 84g – 86.9g |
5U | 80g – 83.9g |
6U | 74g – 79.9g |
7U | 60g – 73.9g |
8U | 59.9g and below |
| Yonex Weight Scale | Weight |
| 2U | 90g – 94.9g |
| 3U | 85g – 89.9g |
| 4U | 80g – 84.9g |
| 5U | 75g – 79.9g |
| F | 70g – 74.9g |
Li Ning Weight Scale | Weight |
W1 | 72g – 80g |
W2 | 81g – 84g |
W3 | 85g – 89g |
Some of the Lightest Badminton Rackets
Here we have listed some of the lightest badminton rackets by brand for comparison.
Brands
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed your guide to lightweight badminton rackets. As you can see, there are both advantages and disadvantages to a lightweight badminton racket. The best thing to do is get one and see what you think. Remember the most important thing is to get out, play badminton and enjoy.
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