How to wrap a badminton racket? Detailed instructions
Source: https://www.badmintonpassion.com/how-to-wrap-a-badminton-racket/
Wrapping a racquet may seemingly appear to be an easy task but it is not as easy as it is presumed to be.
This is because there are several mistakes that most people make when working on wrapping a badminton racket.
For instance, less overlapping when wrapping the racket can cause the tap to come off the handle with time.
This can be dangerous as it makes it hard to grip the handle firmly when playing thereby making it possible to injure your triceps muscles when swinging to hit the shuttle.
There are also other people who replace the grip on the wooden handle, but with time, this may cause the handle to deteriorate.
Here are several things to know about wrapping a badminton racquet:
Choose the right wrapping material
There are different types of racket wrappers in the market.
Some are of high quality while others are of poor quality hence unreliable.
As such, you need to be cautious so that you only settle for the best quality wrapping material; one that will reliable and durable.
You also need to ensure that the wrapping material is resistant to dirt and wear and tear especially due to scratching as well as other damaging effects.
Ideally, the right wrapping material should protect and enhance the life of your racket.
Currently, wrapping comes in 3 main types: alternate winding, smooth wrapping and fabric wrap.
Wrap replacement
This is the type of wire that is used by the manufacturer. Common materials used to produce alternatives are polyurethane or PU.
The PU wrap provides comfort and acts as a buffer between your fingers and the grip while helping to sweat well and prevent slipping.
Woven Straps
The winding is made of PU material similar to the alternate winding wire but they are thinner and cheaper.
However, they still allow you to have a thicker grip to grip harder than badminton.
Fabric Wrap
Fabric wrap is usually made of cotton, which helps to absorb sweat very well.
However, the racquet wrap is very thick and sometimes heavy, which affects the balance of the racquet.
If you sweat often, fabric wrap is a great choice for you.
Use the right wrapping technique
Unknown to most people, right handed and left handed rackets are not wrapped in the same way.
Mostly, people follow factory wrapping styles which are predominantly meant for right-handed rackets.
However, despite the type of racket you are wrapping, you should always start wrapping your racket from the base of the racket head towards the handle.
For purposes of firmness and strength of the wrapping, you should let each end of the wrapping material to overlap the next end by a few millimeters.
Customize the wrap
Always wrap your badminton racquet using your preferred style, technique and pattern.
This will help you in customizing the racket to feature your personal preferences and tastes.
For instance, you should wrap the racket to your preferred thickness depending on the type of grip of preference.
This helps you in having a racket that you can easily relate and hence make it easy for you to enjoy playing with the racket.
Unwrap the existing wrap and replace it with a new one
Before putting the new wrapping on the racquet, it is necessary that you remove the existing wrap and discard it.
Place the tape on the length of the racket and keep the tape even and taught to avoid unnecessary wrinkles.
This goes a long way in ensuring that the final wrap will be smooth and even.
After placing the tape, you should place the wrap gently above the tape up to the tip of the handle.
It is recommendable that you should wrap the grip higher towards the shaft.
This increases the racket’s weight towards the handle hence allowing for easier control and powerful hits.
While wrapping a racket may seemingly appear to be an easy task, it is quite complex and requires some level of skillfulness.
Through this article, wish you a grip as you like!