The racket a shop recommends to a beginner is usually the one a good player would choose, and those are close to opposite things. Here is what actually matters, in order.
Weight comes first
Rackets are graded by a U number, and it runs backwards — a higher U is lighter.
- 3U, about 85-89g — heavier, more power, harder work
- 4U, about 80-84g — the right answer for most people
- 5U, about 75-79g — very light and quick, with little punch
Start at 4U. A heavier racket adds power to a good swing and punishes a bad one, and as a beginner most of your swings will be bad. A lighter frame lets you correct your position mid-shot, which is what you will be doing constantly.
Balance matters more than the marketing
Rest the racket flat on one finger and see where it sits.
- Head-heavy — power on the smash, slow in defence. Built for attacking singles
- Even balance — the sensible middle, and what nearly every beginner should buy
- Head-light — fast hands at the net, little power. For doubles players at the front
Shops push head-heavy rackets because power sells. If you cannot yet hit the middle of the strings reliably, extra power at the tip only makes your mistakes travel further.
Shaft flex
The shaft bends as you swing and snaps back as you strike. A flexible or medium shaft does some of that work for you, which is exactly what you want while your technique is forming. A stiff shaft only rewards a fast, well-timed swing and is genuinely worse in a beginner's hands.
Buy flexible or medium. You can move to stiff later, if you ever need to.
String tension — lower than you think
Tension runs roughly 20 to 30 pounds.
- 20-23 lb — a bigger sweet spot, more forgiveness, more natural power. Start here
- 24-27 lb — more control, less forgiveness. Intermediate
- 28 lb and above — for players who hit the middle every time
High tension does not give power. It gives control, and only to someone with the technique to use it. A beginner on 28 lb is playing with a plank.
Restring every few months if you play weekly. Strings lose tension whether they break or not.
Grip size
Grips run from G4 (larger) to G6 (smaller), and most adults in India fit G5.
Hold the racket: there should be roughly a finger's width between your fingertips and the base of your thumb. Too large and you cannot rotate the racket for the wrist action badminton depends on. Too small and you squeeze, which tires the forearm and is a fast route to tennis elbow.
You can always build a grip up with an overgrip. You cannot make one smaller.
What to spend
₹1,500-3,000 buys something genuinely good from a reputable brand. Below that the frames flex unpredictably and the shuttle goes where it likes. Above that you are paying for materials whose benefit you cannot yet feel.
A better use of the extra money: a second racket of the same model. Strings break, always mid-game, and a spare that plays identically is worth more than one slightly better frame.
Before you buy anything
Play a few sessions with a borrowed or venue racket. You will learn more about what suits you in three sessions than in any amount of reading, this included.
Courts at KGB run at ₹90 an hour, and a coach can watch your swing before you commit to a frame.