Choosing a racket that is not suitable for you.

Playing style.

Make sure your badminton racket is made for you (unless you are buying an all-rounder racket to start badminton). Try few different rackets and choose one that suits your style best.

Balance of badminton racket.

Balance of badminton racket will affect the playing. As mentioned above, the balance of the racket should be chosen based on playing style.

Weight of badminton racket.

Rackets are available from very lightweight to heavy. You have to choose one based ones again playing style.

The shape of a badminton racket.

This is another aspect of racket that is very important for beginners. You can find some variations of oval shape. Some having more sweet spots than others.

Not choosing the best features for the price you pay.

This happens very often and the main reason is because of choosing rackets based on brand name only. You have to look for rackets from other brands and compare.

For example, you can buy a carbon fiber racket from a regional brand at the same price, you have to pay for an aluminum racket(which is most likely fake).

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Choosing an old model

This usually happens in the case of brands with very big channels of sales and marketing.

Even after the company stops production some old models will stay in the market for a very long time.

This is old stock stuck in warehouses and retailers. Make sure to not buy these because not only these are old & stored for a long time but new & better models are available in the market.

Make material

The most common materials are aluminum, carbon fiber, fiber composite, and some companies use proprietary materials.

Technology

The tech will define the durability, strength, weight, and string tension it can hold. So make sure you are getting the best value for the money you spent.

Brand

As mentioned above you could get better options sometimes from not the top brand. Some brands including regional and international are Cosco, Li-ning, Nivia, Yonex, Ashaway etc.

String tension

Some good rackets can hold more string tension than others. When choosing a badminton racket have a look at the max string tension it can hold. And compare it with other models.

Freebies

You can get some discounts when buying rackets. Make sure to ask for freebies or price discounts if you are buying from an offline store. You are not going to get any if you don’t ask.

Shipping package

The chance of rackets getting damaged is big. This is why you have to buy from trusted sellers plus good stores. If there is even a little sign of strain or damage make sure to replace it.

Often these small damages are indicators of big structural damage that happened while shipping.

Buying a fake racket without not knowing.

How to spot

We already have a detailed post on how to spot a fake badminton racket. Starting from the price to weight, there are many indicators that point to a fake racket.

Badminton Brands.

Some brands are more targeted by counterfeiters than others. Obviously, best-selling rackets have more fakes. And it is not easy to identify these.

Because sometimes they even use the same machines and tech to make rackets but only the material is different.

Verifying the authenticity of badminton racket.

You have to verify the authenticity of the badminton racket immediately after buying.

You can do this by going to the official website of the brand and putting serial code. Also compare with other rackets.

Online vs offline.

There are some benefits to both. But online stores have more fakes than offline stores. Some sellers are frauds, and you cannot do anything to get your money back after 10 days for the return period ends.

Choosing a wrong string & tension.

Choosing wrong string.

Again based on the playing style and type, you have to choose the best string.

Choosing wrong tension.

Another very important variable in control and speed is string tension. A wrong string tension would ruin a match and on the other hand, optimal string tension makes a game smooth.

Choosing the wrong grip & grip size.

Often overlooked but important aspect of badminton. This is the part which requires the most amount of repairs.

Buying online without feeling it, cheap & costly

Buying online.

You will get some not ignorable offers/discounts. But make sure to buy from trusted sellers. Also, there is an issue that you cannot feel different rackets in hand.

Offline stores will provide a better buying experience & after-sales service with of course an extra cost.

Going too cheap.

This is a mistake if you are a regular player. The first problem is that some sellers sell rackets at a very cheap rate because those are fake/defective.

Another issue is cheap rackets will end up breaking and you have to buy them within few months.

Going too costly.

This is another problem, especially with beginner players. Some people think the most costly racket will make them a better player.

You can buy a decent all-around racket first and improve your skills. After that, you can go more specialized and costly.