Question about Yonex AS50 Speed 3 offiziell Swiss Badminton

With respect, may I correct something here? In badminton, the aim of the rules is that the speed of the shuttles should be the same all over the world. However, since the same objects flying through the air do not always fly the same distance and the same speed in different environmental conditions, the industry makes different speed shuttles. The environmental conditions mentioned are, for example, temperature, air pressure, humidity and air density. Air density is of central importance, because it makes a difference whether a shuttle is flown by the sea below, in the Swiss midlands or, for example, in St. Moritz. With the same impact hardness, a shuttle flies about 30 cm less far at sea level than on the Swiss Plateau, i.e. at 400-500 metres above sea level. And in St. Moritz, at 1,800 metres above sea level, the shuttle flies 30cm further than on the Swiss Plateau.

In athletics, therefore, records in the jumping and throwing disciplines are often achieved at a higher altitude above sea level. The world federation does not intervene there. The ball in the shot put is always the same size and weight, and so is the javelin in the javelin throw. In badminton, however, where the flying object reacts very sensitively, the world federation says that the industry must provide products of different speeds. So that the shuttle always flies equally fast and far everywhere on this earth. So, strictly speaking, it is the decision of a referee (if there is one) at what speed to play. And this decision has exactly nothing to do with the level of play. So the world's elite play at exactly the same speed in shuttles as you and I do.

Of course, the world's elite do not play with plastic shuttles, but with shuttles with real feathers. And those are of the very best quality. But the quality is something quite different from the speed of a shuttle. A very good quality shuttle such as the AS50 simply flies more smoothly and lasts longer than a less good one. By the way, at the Swiss Open in Basel, every year in March, exactly this product is played.

So for the Swiss Mittelland, we recommend taking medium-fast shuttles in order to comply with the rules. For the plastic shuttles, these are those with a blue cap, and for the shuttles with real feathers, those with a speed of 2 to 3, which is just about on the tipping point. At higher altitudes, for example in Appenzell, the Jura or the Engadine, we recommend speed green or 1.

Of course, this is a free country and you can always play with whatever you want. But the rules of the sport dictate what speed should be played. Strictly speaking, you are no longer playing badminton if you play red or green shuttles in the Swiss Mittelland. But of course we don't want to be strict. With this in mind - have fun playing badminton!

Thomas Münzner, CEO Yonex Switzerland

btw, more information about shuttles can be found here: https://www.yonex.ch

They are very fast. They are played in the world elite. We only play with these now, the others are too slow ;-)