What to use Synthetic or Goose (Shuttlecocks)

Member Name: badders-si

Product:	Shuttlecocks
Date:	23/10/08 (78 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Feathers - light and great feel to them & Plastics - cheap

Disadvantages: Feathes - expensive & Plastics - heavy and no feel to them

The shuttlecock is used in the racket sport of badminton. Badminton is the most played racket sport in England with over four million people playing the sport.

The shuttlecock (shuttle) comes in two diffent forms. Firstly there is the plastic shuttle which is the cheaper version. Then there is a the feather shuttle which is the more expensive option.

The shuttle is of an open cone shape with a rounded cork base. The cork base provides a plumb weight to the shuttle ensuring that the shuttle flys cork first in flight.

Most players will play with plastic or synthetic shuttles. The plastic refers to the skirt at the rear of the shuttle. The plastic skirt makes these shuttles more durable and last much longer. For this reason plastic shuttles are the cheapest option as they last longer.

On feather shuttles the plastic skirt is replaced by 14-16 goose feathers which are 70mm in length. When using feather shuttles in a game you will find that they are needed to be changed maybe 2 or 3 times in a game. This is because the feathers are brittle and break easily. Feather shuttles recently went up in price when there was the outbreak of bird flu through out the world as there was a shortage of feathers. They can be a expensive option.

When playing with plastic shuttles you will find that they fly slower as they are heavier when hitting them. Also they do not glide and slow down as feather shuttles.
Feather shuttles are lighter and therefore will travel at faster speeds when hit but will also float better when slowing down. This gives you longer to play the stokes but as they fly initially faster of the racket make the game look much faster.

In general feather shuttles are used by the players who are more skillful as you get a better feel with feathers than with plastics. You can get much better control with the lighter feather shuttles. You will find that local league clubs upwards use feather shuttles.

Usually once you have used the feather shuttles you will never go back to the plastics unless you have no option.

As with anything there are different standards of shuttles in plastics and feathers. It is always cost effective to buy good quality shuttles which every type of shuttle you use.

The shuttles come in different speed for use in different environments. The warmer the place you are playing in then the faster the shuttle will travel. Therefore you should be using a slower shuttle if playing in warm enviroment.

I would suggest the following shuttles as exapmles

Plastics - I would use Yonex Mavis 300 Cost around £9.50 for a pack of six
Feathers - Yehlex Tournament cost around £10.50 for a pack of tweleve

Remember though dispite how attractive the price looks for the feathers above plastics last months, feathers are lucky if they last a game.

But find a make and type you like and stick to it....

Summary: Its always feathers once you've tried them!!!