How to take care of badminton racket
A badminton racket is without a doubt the biggest weapon on the badminton court for a player. As without it, the game cannot be fun. The racket must be light in weight, the strings must be of good quality, grommets should be fixed properly and there are many more things to check while buying one, so that while playing you just focus on your play instead of the gears and accessories. It is always good that you take good care of your racket always. So that when there is a tournament you do not have to waste time on preparing your racket instead you can spend that time on practice.
Players spend a lot of money to buy one racket, not only money but it also takes a lot of time to choose the one racket which fulfils all your requirements. Therefore, once you get the badminton racket of your choice than it becomes your responsibility to takes proper care of it. Keeping your racket clean, stringing it on regular basis and there are many other things which are required to be taken care of to keep your racket in good condition. Some of them are listed below-
1) Strings:
These are the primary thing one should always take care of as the rackets can only do their job well if the strings are in good condition. In case the string tension is not in line as per your standards or if the strings are broken you would not be able to give 100% performance. Hence, it is vital to always keep a check on the condition of your racket strings. Another important point is that how regularly you restring the racket? As the string gets loose after a certain period of time. Experts say that one should restring the racket according to the usage, if you use it regularly then you should restring it every second week. But it also depends on your playing conditions, style, intensity, etc as well.
2) Do not forget about the grommets-
Grommets give security to the strings, else the string would press itself against the frame. An easy miss-hit can result in critical pressure being put on a string, pushes in the frame, which might break the strings or loosen them. By replacing the broken grommets in time increases the life of the strings and frame . A complete grommet replacement takes up to 15-30 minutes. If you are a professional player you must understand how critical it is and it takes a lot of time and expertise to repair it. Well, it is not always difficult to repair it, the old rackets specifically with the hollow metal head can at times also take 1 hour to complete the job. There are few grommets which require specific size or strips and its price depends on its availability, so you should always have these gears in advance to avoid any problems when there is a tournament.
3) Store it carefully-
The way you keep your racket has a great impact on how would it last. If it is not kept or sheltered in the right manner, its durability reduces. You should never leave your racket in the casual backpack with other gears and clothes as it would not do much good to your racket. If you leave your racket in a damp place it would have a negative impact on our racket. You should always try and store your racket in a cushioned bag. You should buy a good badminton bag which would provide great support and cushion to your racket. In case you live at a place where the temperature is really high or you are travelling to any such place, in that case, you should go for a thermal lined bag to shield your racket and strings from any damage.
4) Avoid heat as much as you can- It is always recommended to keep your racket in a dry, cool place and put it away from any type of direct or indirect heat if possible. Not all, of the players, would place the rackets at a hot place, in touch with the direct heat. But there are many players who tend to leave badminton rackets in the car or at any hot surface before leaving.
On a bright sunny day, cars usually heat up and which in turn heats up your racket as well. Usually, the rackets are constructed by using carbon, and when the racket gets heat, carbon molecules in the racket drift to get out of shape and gets pulled because of the string tension. This can acutely damage your racket and reduce the durability of it.
5) Grip-
Grip plays a major role while playing badminton, it does not matter whether you are a professional player or you are playing the game for fun. You should never ignore the fitting of the grip. If the grip does not meet your standards, you should change it instantaneously. There are numerous types of grips available in the market these days to suit the requirements of players. Select the one which fits your needs and switch in a few weeks.
In case you are playing badminton in humid conditions or you have sweating issues, then you should ensure that you change the grip on a regular basis. If the grip is humid it becomes a nurturing ground for bacteria which can lead to infection. Sweat can also damage the wooden handle of your racket which tends to lessen its life span. So, it is important to keep the grip of the racket clean and should change it on a regular basis. You should opt for perfect badminton racket as they provide the best grip which absorbs the sweat easily.
6) Frames-
Players usually say that frame of the badminton racket is the portions where most of the damage occurs. Normally, you would find paint chips on the frame because of moisture or sweat or at times the heat as well. Even though paints chips do not affect the rackets in any way, but it does not look pleasant when you look at the racket particularly if you have more than a single chip on the frame.
Paint chips generally happen when the racket clashes or if there any sort of crash on the frame. Well, there is nothing to worry about as paint chips are not a serious problem but are more of an aesthetic element. So you should make sure that there is no direct contact with heat or water to avoid it, as it makes the life shorter of the racket.
7) Cracks on the frame -
One thing that a player should check out for is the cracks that come on the frame of the racket. These are very serious and normally reduce the rackets lifespan. Cracks are seen where there is paint chipping off because if its impact on the frame is intense enough to generate a crack, the paint would for sure come off too. You can recognize a crack on the frame of the racket as a sleek black line that is pretty much noticeable as the racket frame would look grey as the paint comes off. The intensity of the crack also depends on the depth and size of the crack. If severe enough, the frame would collapse and deform because of the tension in the strings which would act as a weakened spot upon the frame.
Once you observe a crack on your racket frame, you might be able to string your racket only a few more times and at a lower tension, else it might break. So you should be careful enough and if you see a crack on the racket get it repaired immediately.
Few more tips to keep your racket intact:
• Clean your racket on a regular basis and treat it like your prized possession.
• Store it in a cool, dry place so that you protect it from heat and moisture which would keep your frame and strings safe
• You should buy frame protection tape for your racket available in the market as it would aid you in increasing the head weight of the racket
• You should not scrape your racket on the ground as it can lead to damage of your frame and strings • Keep the grip dry and change it regularly to avoid infection
Your work dose not just end up by purchasing an expensive badminton racket. You must make sure that the racket you bought is in perfect shape. Always tray and shelter it from damage, keep the moisture free and do not forget regular maintenance of it so that it lasts longer. If you take the required steps for protecting the badminton racket, you would be able to make use of it for a longer time.
