Graphite Badminton Racquet

Details

A racquet whose frame and shaft are both carbon fibre in an epoxy matrix, at roughly 60 percent fibre by volume. Graphite is the loosest word in this category. A racquet described as graphite may be a carbon head on an aluminium shaft, which is heavier and flexes differently and costs a fraction. It may be a graphite composite, where a large part of the reinforcement is glass fibre and the word composite is carrying the difference. Or it may be genuinely carbon throughout. From the outside all three look identical under paint. The settlement is a matrix burn-off to ASTM D3171 on a sectioned frame, which leaves the fibre behind to be weighed and identified, and we run it on every production lot. There is no aluminium in this racquet and no glass fibre substituting for carbon in the frame. The weight class is the second place claims go soft. Badminton uses a U scale, unstrung: U is 95 to 99 grams, 2U is 90 to 94, 3U is 85 to 89, 4U is 80 to 84 and 5U is 75 to 79. It is common to see a weight in grams that does not sit inside the class printed beside it, which means one of the two figures was chosen rather than measured. Both figures here are measured on every racquet, and they agree. Balance is the third. It is the distance from the butt cap to the balance point on a 675 mm frame: under 285 mm is head-light, 285 to 295 is even, over 295 is head-heavy. This one is even at 290 mm in both weight classes.

• Carbon fibre frame and shaft, about 60 percent fibre by volume, verified by ASTM D3171
• No aluminium shaft under a carbon head, and no glass fibre standing in for carbon
• Weight class and gram weight both measured on every racquet, and they match
• Even balance, 290 mm from the butt cap on a 675 mm frame
• Medium shaft flex, isometric head, 72 string holes, G4 grip at 83 mm
• Rated to 30 lb tension, which is a tested limit and not a marketing figure
• Supplied strung at 24 lb in 0.70 mm synthetic gut, or unstrung on request at the same price
• Replaceable grommet strip sold on its own for five years, which most brands do not sell
• Cotton towel grip fitted, one spare in the tube, full-length padded cover included
• 3U carries more mass behind a smash and is slower to swing. 4U swings faster and gives less on a deep clear. Neither is the better racquet and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling one of them.