If you have been playing badminton for a while and have gotten more and more experience, enough to consider yourself as an intermediate player, you might want to re-look at your badminton racket again. After all, you are neither a beginner, and aspiring to be an expert and your badminton racket needs to reflect your intermediate status and in this piece we have a list of the best badminton racket for this year for intermediate players like yourself.
It’s of utmost importance that the right racket is used depending on your style of play and your age in the game. The same racket which you used as a beginner might not do justice to you now once you have grown substantially in badminton.
However, at the same time, a badminton expert would use a very different racket. Hence it is pertinent you go for the most suited racket while playing badminton. Below is a list of our most-liked rackets for intermediate badminton players.
Please note, if you are a badminton beginner, here’s a list of rackets you can choose from, while here’s a list of top badminton rackets for power and control.
Let’s begin by defining who is an intermediate badminton player.
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Am I an Intermediate Badminton Player?
The answer to this question can be found in getting a yes to most of the questions found below.
- Have you been playing badminton for a while now, say around a year or so at least?
- Do you understand all the rules of badminton including its scoring?
- Are you a part of a club and have taken part in the odd tournament there?
- Are you yet to achieve any kind of success in these badminton tournaments?
- Are you yet to receive any kind of formal training for badminton?
- Do you think you lack the skills and strength and stamina to match up to some of the best players in your club?
If the answers to most of these questions is a yes, then you are an intermediate player who could be looking to take that step forward to becoming an advanced one (you can also get more information on badminton for advanced players here).
And the first step towards that is to get yourself a badminton racket which underlines your current prowess.
Our Best Recommended Badminton Rackets for Intermediate Players
Our best ever recommended badminton rackets for intermediate players can be found below. Please note we will keep updating this list every year, so you have the best for that year.
- Yonex Astrox 77 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
- Victor Brave Sword 12 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
- Li Ning XiPhos X1 White
- Babolat Satelite Gravity 74 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
- Yonex Archsaber FB (Check Price on Amazon Here)
- Apacs Phinapi 232 Graphite
- Yonex Voltric 5 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
- Li Ning Woods N90-II Racket (Check Price on Amazon Here)
Also Read:
Here’s a deeper analysis on why we have opted for the aforementioned badminton rackets for intermediate players.
Yonex Astrox 77 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
Yonex is one of the most popular and leading brands in the sport and its Astrox 77 racket is one of the best for intermediate players.
It is a very accurate and quick racket which is ideal for the player who likes to attack and overwhelm their opponents with the swiftness of their return. It has a G5 grip size and weighs around 85 to 89 grams which are considered to be lightweight in the category.
The racket comes in a two-tone black design and with a full-length cover. It has a very attractive design and comes pre-strung when one buys it. According to the manufacturer, the string tension should be anywhere between 20 to 28 pounds.
It has a semi shift staff and players who have been playing the sport for a while will quickly get used to its grip and stiffness.
Just like all the lightweight rackets, Astrox 77 provides excellent control and adds the ability to return the shot quickly. It also has excellent power in its strokes and is a great choice for attacking players. As per a test run done by the manufacturer, the racket increases the speed of the shuttle by 7.1%.
It is also a very good racket if one wants to play drop shots. The only downside of this racket is its length. It is too short for many players’ liking.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight racket which is easy on the arms
- Increases the power in the strokes and provides excellent accuracy
- Ideally suited for players who like to play aggressively
Cons
- The length of the racket is a little short, so not the best option for short players.
- One needs to have substantially developed technique to make full use of its features
Victor Brave Sword 12 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
Victor Brave Sword is manufactured by Chen Den Li, a Taiwanese company. Victor rackets have quickly become one of the trusted brands in the sport and Brave Sword 12 is one of its top-selling rackets. It is a very quick and powerful racket which has quickly become a very popular choice in the market.
It is very much a balanced racket but is a great choice for players who like to defend but at the same time want a lot of power in their rackets. It offers amazing performance and long-lasting durability.
The racket falls under the lightweight category of 3U and weighs between 85 to 89 grams. It has a G4 grip to it and semi-stiff flexibility. Being a lightweight racket, it offers great control and is easy to manoeuvre without having to put a lot of effort into it.
The racket is made of high-quality material and is ideally suited for defensive players. Its sword frame allows for quick reaction time and even though it is a great singles racket, it is best utilised as a doubles racket. Many Korean players use this racket in doubles matches.
Pros
- The lightweight racket that offers excellent control
- Its unique design allows for faster reactions and is ideal for defensive players
- Amazing speed in the racket
- A great choice for doubles category
Cons
- It is an expensive racket
- Probably lacks a little in terms of sheer power that it can offer
Buy This Racket from Amazon Here
Li Ning XiPhos X1 White
This all-white racket is a great combination of simple design and impressive features that allows for durable long-lasting performance along with great stroke-making.
The XiPhos X1 White is suitable for players who like to play both the singles and doubles categories. Very high-quality carbon has been used in the frame to add strength and performance whilst maintaining enough aerodynamics to keep the racket quick.
The racket weighs around 85 to 89 grams and is categories as 3U with a G2 grip size, which is quite a large grip size compared to other rackets in the market. It has a head heavy balance and semi-stiff in terms of flexibility.
Its design allows for very good power while retaining its manoeuvrability. The flat design of its head ensures that there is greater control in the strokes and becomes a great option for players who are looking for both power and control.
Pros
- The racket offers excellent power
- Great grip and balance makes it a wonderfully comfortable racket to play with
- Easy to control and its lightweight makes it easy to move around
- Ideal for attacking players
Cons
- Lacks the responsiveness that many other rackets give
- The all-white design can get a little dirty after a while and requires maintenance
Babolat Satelite Gravity 74 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
Babolat is another one of the most trusted manufacturers in the sport and its Gravity 74 is one of the lightest rackets in the market. Only weighing at 74 grams, its an incredible feather light racket and allows great manoeuvrability.
It is categorised as 6U in terms of its weight category and has a grip size of G2. It is ideally suited for defensive players because of its quick ability to return the stroke and limited amount of power.
It has great response during the gameplay and allows for amazing accuracy. Any player whose game revolves around being defensive and making sure that accuracy and quick responses are high on priority should go for this racket.
It doesn’t have a lot of power due to its ultra-light design but it more than makes up for the extra time it allows and increased accuracy. It is also priced at a very affordable price range.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight model and can be played with for hours at a stretch without tiring out the arm
- Offers great control and can be manoeuvred easily
- Extremely affordable in terms of its price
- Offers one of the best accuracies in this range of rackets
Cons
- Limited in terms of power that it offers
- Sometimes can feel too light for comfort
- Not ideal for aggressive baseline players
Buy This Racket from Amazon Here
Also Read:
- The 2012 London Olympics Controversy in Badminton
- Best Cool-Down Exercises after a Game of Badminton
Yonex Archsaber FB (Check Price on Amazon Here)
The Archsaber FB racket is Yonex’s answer to increasingly popular Babolat Satelite Gravity 74. It is the lightest racket on offer from the brand and is a great choice for players who want speed as well as control in their rackets.
It weighs around 73 grams and comes with a G4 grip. This combination will allow for quicker response to the opposition’s attacks.
Its lightweight and ability to quickly respond with accurate strokes makes Archsaber a great racket for defensive players. It reduces the response time and stress to deal with opponent’s strokes and makes it easier to deal with hard hitters also.
Pros
- Ideal racket for players with a defensive playing style.
- Extremely lightweight racket which is easy to manoeuvre
- Offers excellent control and accuracy
Cons
- Not suitable for players who are still developing their game
- Lacks power due to the lightweight frame
Buy This Racket from Amazon Here
Apacs Phinapi 232 Graphite
Apacs Finapi 232 Graphite badminton is designed by using carbon nanotube elements which helps in increasing the strength of bending and impact of between the shaft and the frame. It is isometric in shape and this helps to enlarge the sweet spot in the racket. It increases the power in the shuttle and the users can gain excellent force in their strokes as a result.
Most of the power that the racket generates comes from its shape and weight of around 86 grams. It also has a substantially big G2 grip and the racket itself comes unstrung when purchased. A new concept called the triple speed system has been used in this model to provide extra strength and reduce the resistance to air. The racket is made of 24T Japanese high-grade graphite material and the ideal stringing tension is around 26 pounds.
Its heavy head allows for quick and effective strokes along with excellent accuracy. The only downside of this racket is the fact that it doesn’t come strung and without a cover, so that is the additional cost that one has to bear.
Pros
- Offers excellent power and control in the strokes
- Ideal for players with attacking playing style
- Made of high quality 24T Japanese graphite material
- Perfect weight, not too heavy to tire out the arm, but sufficient enough to give excellent power to the strokes
Cons
- Low flexibility of the shaft
- Not ideal for players starting in the sport
- It comes unstrung and without a protective cover
Yonex Voltric 5 (Check Price on Amazon Here)
The Voltric 5 is one of the most balanced rackets in the market that offers great power, excellent control and amazing speed without really compromising on any aspects of the game. It is priced affordably and offers long-lasting performance when compared to many high-end rackets. The fact that it does not pinch the pocket in no ways reflects any compromise in performance or quality.
It comes with a G4 classification and medium level flex which makes it a perfect racket for intermediate level players. The racket has excellent air resistance ability which makes it easy to hit powerful strokes along to catch the opponent off guard.
It has a very well balanced design which is head heavy and slightly on the heavier side when it comes to its weight. It is classified as 3U and weighs around 85 to 89 grams. It provides excellent clears due to its string tension and results in more accuracy when playing smashes.
Its design has focused on the fact that the weight of the racket is attributed in the head and that is where all the power is located. This is a perfect solution for intermediate as well as beginners in the sport. The racket more than enough compensates for the lack of power in novice players.
Pros
- The racket offers excellent power and accuracy
- The very high-quality material used and priced at an affordable price point
- Ideal for beginners and intermediate players in the sport
Cons
- The racket weight is slightly on the heavier side
- Not suitable for advanced level players
Buy This Racket from Amazon Here
Li Ning Woods N90-II Racket (Check Price on Amazon Here)
The racket’s name “Woods” is based from a proverb in Sun Tzu Art of war that means, “When in movement, be as swift as the storm. When in tactics, be as intricate as the woods. When in stillness, be as ready as the rocks.”
This racket has been designed as per the suggestions of former World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist Lin Dan and is the second generation racket from the manufacturer. It has an S2 grip which is 3 ¼ inches in size and is a 3U in terms of its weight category, weighing around 85 to 89 grams.
Its design is head heavy and has a balance point of 304 mm. All of these makes it ideal for attacking players as rackets high elasticity ensures that it generates excellent power even if the shuttle is not hit in the middle.
The grooves of the racket are compressed to create more resistance to the air and according to the manufacturer, the performance of the racket is increased by 20% due to the design. The frame head is made of TB Nano Powertec and along with carbon fibre in the mainframe, the overall racket has excellent strength and durability.
Pros
- Great power and ideal racket for attacking players
- The very high-quality material used in the racket which will give excellent performance for a long period
Cons
- Extremely expensive racket which makes it out of reach for many players
- Not ideally suited for beginners and requires a fully developed technique to unlock the full potential of the racket
Buy This Badminton Racket from Amazon Here
Final Words on the Best Badminton Rackets for Intermediate Players
If you have been playing badminton for a while and have steadily shown improvement, you could shun that tag of a beginner badminton player. In that case, it could turn out to be a good idea to get yourself a change of rackets, get yourself a racket more suited for an intermediate player than a beginner.
In the piece above, some of the latest and best rackets for intermediate players have been mentioned.