The badminton shuttlecock is so light that many compare it to a small bird. The object resembles a falcon decoy, used since ancient times in training game birds. Most commercial flyers today are made of plastic, but the originals contain bird feathers. Do you know how many he has to do exactly?
While some believe that the feathers bear some resemblance to those of a rooster, later you will discover the type of bird used in this badminton material. Although we warn that animals do not suffer, nor are they killed.
16 feathers on each ruffle
Historically, the badminton shuttlecock was a small cork hemisphere with 16 bird feathers attached and weighed about 5 grams. These types of shuttlecocks can still be used in the modern game, but the Badminton World Federation also allows shuttlecocks made from synthetic materials.
In large industries, they paralyze (or stun) the bird (goose/duck) and pluck some feathers from its left wings. However, not all feathers are plucked, nor are the birds killed. They are also kept in a very secure environment (so they can’t get infected and become useless), and they eat well. Also, they are not plucked when the birds are conscious.
Traditional shuttlecocks are made from 16 feathers hammered into a cork which is then covered with soft leather. Modern shuttlecocks are now made of plastic or nylon, although traditional players still prefer the feathered shuttlecock, which is used in professional play.
Only with left wing feathers
Either they use the left wing or the right wing, but they never mix. Preferably, you try to catch the 16 left wing feathers of the geese or ducks in a frill. Then they are crushed so that the steering wheel turn clockwise. We can also do the same thing with the right wing feathers of a goose and the badminton shuttlecock will turn counterclockwise. This is just a matter of consistency across manufacturers. Kind of an unwritten standard as players got used to spinning clockwise.
If 8 feathers from the left wing and 8 feathers from the right wing are mixed together, the flyer will start to wobble. If we mix 14 from the left wing and 2 from the right wing, it will be a clockwise movement, however, it will alter the quality of the flight. Therefore, only the left wing feathers are used, which determines the standard turn and flight.
In the case of wanting to use one type or another in a professional competition, the choice will also depend on the opponent. This is why it is advised that everyone use left wing feathers to watch it spin clockwise.
Plastic shuttlecocks do not have these kinds of dilemmas, so it will only be enough to pick up a racket to obtain all the benefits of badminton. In addition, they are much cheaper than one made of bird feathers.
