What’s The Difference Between Badminton And Shuttlecock?

It’s surprising how many times I have heard people asking what’s the difference between badminton and a shuttlecock. Both of these words are weird if you haven’t heard them before, but you still know they are related somehow.

In this article, you will learn precisely the difference between them, an in-depth explanation of what they are, and more! But first, badminton vs. shuttlecock: what’s the difference?

The difference between badminton and a shuttlecock is that badminton is the sport, and the shuttlecock is the object it is played with. A shuttlecock is like a ball in tennis or ping pong that is made from feathers or plastic.

For example, shuttlecocks such as Yonex Mavis 35 are used to play badminton. Therefore, badminton is the sport, and shuttlecock is the playing object.

That being said, there is undoubtedly more to badminton than there is in shuttlecocks. Next, let’s go over badminton and see what kind of a sport it is.

What Kind of A Sport Is Badminton?

Badminton is a racket sport that requires a racket, shuttlecock, court, and a net to be played. It’s also important to have proper badminton shoes or other sports shoes with similar attributes to reduce the risk of injury and to provide comfort.

Badminton is the world’s fastest sport, meaning that a shuttlecock is the world’s fastest object used in sports. The fastest badminton strike made the shuttlecock travel at the incredible speed of 265 mph, roughly 426 km/h.

Anyways, let’s take a closer look at the equipment used in badminton:

• Racket: A badminton racket is a very light (under 100g) object used to play the spot. Its frame is often made from graphite, aluminum, or carbon fiber composites. The strings that are at the head of the racket are made out of nylon, polyester, or natural gut. It is more delicate when compared to a tennis racket, for example.
• Shuttlecock: The shuttlecocks in badminton are like the ball in tennis; however, they certainly do not look like one. The pro-level- shuttlecocks are made from 16 feathers that are glued to the cork head. Feather shuttlecocks have better aerodynamics than nylon shuttlecocks, which are great for durability and outdoors.
• Court and Net: A badminton court is 13.4m (43ft) long and 6.1m (20ft) wide. The best material used for badminton is wood, which is recommended by the BWF; however, there are acrylic and cement floors as well. The net is set to the height of 1.55m (5ft 1in).
• Badminton Shoes: There are shoes for every sport, but badminton shoes need some special features. Lateral support is a must in badminton because it will secure your ankles. Also, shock absorption and extra cushioning on the midsole and inside of the shoes are essential as well, so your feet won’t hurt after badminton.

When it comes to the cost of badminton, it isn’t nearly as high as tennis, ice hockey, baseball, golf, and many more. However, it isn’t free either and the biggest cost is often the badminton racket or shoes.

The playing cost of badminton is often close to $10 for one hour of court time. If you go with a friend or even three like I do sometimes, your share of the cost is $5 or $2.5.

Oh, and badminton is one of the world’s played sports as well. Badminton is played by over 220 million people worldwide which is a lot when compared to the world population. In the United States, however, badminton isn’t so popular (Find Out Why) with only 1.3 million players.

If you want to see comparisons where I compare Badminton and Tennis or information on whether you can play badminton with a tennis racket, feel free to check them out.

Take a look at the video below of 10 incredible badminton plays so you’ll have an idea what kind of sport badminton really is.

What Is A Shuttlecock?

When it comes to the shuttlecock (also called the shuttle or birdie), is the object badminton is played with. A shuttlecock is often white, but nylon shuttlecocks can be yellow as well. Of course, other colors may be but they are usually for recreational use only.

The feather shuttlecock often has feathers from goose or duck. The 16 feathers are added into a rounded cork base where the shuttlecock is struck. The cork of a shuttlecock is covered with really thin leather.

A big difference between feather and nylon shuttlecocks is that feather shuttlecocks have better aerodynamics, meaning that they will perform better. Nylon shuttlecocks are far more durable and also weatherproof so moisture or sunlight won’t affect them.