How to change the speed of a shuttle manually?


While playing a badminton match, you might have observed the speed of the shuttle. Due to various causes, the flight of the shuttlecock can be fast or slow. If you have not played badminton, you might have observed in International matches that the players are doing something with the feathers of the shuttle. 

Well, they are changing the speed of the shuttle. Every player must know how to change the speed of a feather shuttle. In this article, I have explained how to change the speed of the shuttle manually. However, this practice is not allowed in National/International matches as the shuttles used there are of high quality. But this situation can arise when you are playing a practice match at your academy. 

Tip of the feather shuttle
Image Source: https://badmintonisgreat.com/

The shuttle speed can be fast or slow and depending on it you need to change the speed.

  • How to slow down the feather shuttle?

A feather shuttle has a total of 16 feathers together. So if you want to slow down the shuttle you need to bend the tip of every 4th feather outward.  This will create friction, which will slow down the speed of the shuttle. Moreover, the more you bend the tip of the shuttle, the slower the speed of the shuttle. 

  • How to make the feather shuttle fast? 

Well, to make the shuttle fast, you need to do the opposite of what you did to make the shuttle slow. So, you bend the 4th feather of the shuttle inwards.  This will reduce unnecessary friction and make the shuttle move faster. 

Things to keep in mind while changing the speed of the shuttle 

  • The feathers of a shuttle are very delicate so, therefore, bend the tips of the feathers lightly. Otherwise, this will damage the shuttle. 
  • If you playing a National/International match and you want to make a change in the flight of the shuttle, you need to first take permission from the umpire. 
  • Bending the feathers too much can make affect the flight of the shuttle.
  • This technique should be used on new feather shuttlers, whose feathers are in good condition. 
Video Source: https://badminton-coach.co.uk/

Final Thoughts 

Remember to always ask your opponent if he/she is ready to change the speed of the shuttle and then do it. The decision should be always mutual. Everyone needs to be aware of how to change the shuttle. If you are not aware, your opponent might change the speed according to his/her preference without you even realizing it. Therefore, be careful and practice this technique during your training games. 

I hope you enjoyed this article. 

Thanks for reading. Keep playing.

Anushree Burad

Qualified as an MBA in Sports Management. A Sports fanatic and a passionate badminton player. My passion for sports drove me to foray into sports writing. This is my attempt at translating my thoughts into words. Looking forward to contributing to Sports through my writing.

Recent Posts