Equipment
Shuttlecock
A lightweight, feathered or plastic projectile hit back and forth in badminton.
Equipment
Overview
A shuttlecock, also called a shuttle or birdie, is a cone-shaped projectile with a rounded cork or rubber base and a skirt of feathers or moulded plastic. Its open, feathered shape creates high drag, so it flies fast off the racket but slows quickly in the air.
This unique flight — quick then decelerating, and always turning base-first — is what makes badminton play so distinctive compared with ball sports.
Good to know
- Also called a shuttle or birdie.
- The feathered skirt creates drag that slows it quickly.
- Feather shuttles are more delicate than plastic ones.
Where it’s used
Sports that use shuttlecock:
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Techniques
- Badminton ClearAn overhead stroke that sends the shuttlecock high and deep to the opponent's back court, resetting the rally or buying time.
- Badminton SmashA powerful, steeply downward overhead stroke that drives the shuttlecock sharply into the opponent's court to win the rally.
- Padel BandejaA controlled overhead shot in padel, hit with slice and moderate pace to keep the player at the net without over-committing.
- Table Tennis Forehand DriveA controlled attacking stroke in table tennis, played on the forehand side with a compact swing and light topspin.
- Topspin ForehandA forehand groundstroke hit with a low-to-high swing that puts forward spin on the ball so it dips and kicks up on landing.
Beginner guides
- Your First Badminton SessionA warm, honest look at what your first time on a badminton court actually feels like — how a beginner session runs, what surprises newcomers about the shuttlecock, and how to enjoy it without worrying about keeping score.
- Your First Informal Game or KickaboutA relaxed kickabout, hit or pick-up game is a genuine way into a sport — you learn by playing, the courtesies are simple, and nobody expects you to be good yet.
Skills
Rules
- Badminton serve rulesThe rules for how a badminton serve must be delivered and where it must land.
- Throw-inThe method of restarting football when the ball fully crosses a side line, taken by throwing it back into play.
- Backcourt violationA basketball rule breach for returning the ball into a team's own defensive half after it has crossed into the attacking half.
- Two-bounce ruleA pickleball rule requiring both the serve and the return to bounce once before players may hit the ball out of the air.
- Three-hit ruleThe volleyball rule that a team may contact the ball at most three times before it must cross the net.