By Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion.
Last updated July 26, 2024
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4 min read
Are you struggling to find the best badminton racket for beginners?
In this post, you will discover the best badminton rackets to buy, if you want to quickly level up your game. Specifically, you’ll discover:
Why should you listen to me? I’m Justin Ma, a professional badminton player since 8 years, and 7x US Junior National Champion. In the last 18 years of playing badminton, I’ve used 100s of rackets.
In this post, you’ll discover which badminton racket is best for you if you’re a beginner.
As a quick overview:
| Racket | Weight | Balance | Flexibility | Recommendation | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yonex Nanoray 10F | 4U (80-84g) | Head-Light | Flexible | This is a super lightweight racket that is very cost-effective. | $55 |
| Victor G 7500 | 4U (90g) | Even-Balanced | Medium Flexibility | This racket is ideal for power-based players (hard smashes). | $64.42 |
| Li-Ning Wind Lite 700 | 5U (75-79g) | Head-Light | Flexible | The lightest badminton racket on the market. Ideal for players with stamina challenges. | $115 |
| Apacs Finapi 232 | 3U (85-89g) | Even-Balanced | Medium Flexibility | A good budget option that isn’t part of the big 3 badminton brands. | $83 |
Let’s dive right in:
When choosing a badminton racket, I recommend you look out for 4 simple attributes:
See also in this illustration here:
To give a bit more context on what to look out for in each of these 4 attributes:
As a beginner, decide between a light-weight (4U) and medium-weight (3U) racket, depending on your own shoulder, elbow, and wrist strength.
With medium-weight rackets, it’s easier easier to hit hard shots. However, this comes at the cost of increased stamina and arm strength requirement.
Recommendation: Light-weight rackets are better for beginners.
Head-Heavy rackets give you much more power but are harder for beginners because the weight is at the top of the racket. This can feel very heavy.
Even-balanced rackets feel the same weight throughout, making them more natural for beginners who may be used to playing other sports.
Head-light rackets are preferable for people with less arm strength, as it will be easier to move the racket head where it needs to go.
Recommendation: Head-light rackets are better for beginners.
Flexible shafts are ideal for beginners because it allows you to generate more power with less effort, so that you can cover the full court with your shots.
Stiffer rackets give a bit more control with less power, so it may be harder for beginners to use.
Recommendation: Higher flexibility rackets are better for beginners.
The choice of racket grip size depends on your own personal preference, hand size, and feel. Normally, smaller grips (G5) give you more control. Larger grips (G4) give you more power.
Recommendation: Smaller grips are better for beginners.
Description: Slightly heavier racket that gives beginners more options depending if they want to focus more on their control or their power. This is good budget option that isn’t part of the big 3 badminton brands.
There are a bunch of questions you might be having about choosing a beginner badminton racket. Here are the most common questions I’ve answered:
The best badminton racket for beginners is the Yonex Nanoray 10F. It is lightweight, head-light, and has a flexible shaft, making it easier for beginners to handle and generate power without straining their arms.
The Yonex Nanoray 10F is the best Yonex badminton racket for beginners. Its combination of a lightweight frame and head-light balance ensures ease of use and comfort for new players.
The lightest badminton racket for beginners is the Li-Ning Wind Lite 700. Weighing between 75-79g, this racket is ideal for players who need a very light option to improve their stamina and reduce arm fatigue during long playing sessions.
