Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world – here’s why:
Badminton is a popular backyard sport, but have you considered it on a global, competitive scale?
The sport has been measured as the fastest racket sport in this category, with Malaysian player Tan Boon Heong making a record serve of 306.34 miles per hour in a controlled environment. With the average smash speed of a birdie being 200mph, a speed of 264,7 mph by Mads Pieler Kolding was recorded as the fastest smash in a tournament.
Let’s compare other records in racket sports:
Jai-Alai: 188 mph
Squash: 175.97 mph
Tennis: 150.99 mph
Ping pong: 72,08 mph
Badminton has speed advantage over tennis as it uses a smaller shuttlecock than a ball, and a served birdie can reach speeds much faster than a tennis ball can. Another advantage is that Badminton players don’t deal with a bouncing ball, unlike tennis players, and can complete 50 hits in 20 to 30 seconds.
In terms of the shuttlecock itself, the shuttle is made of cork attached to a base of 16 feathers, allowing it to weight only 5 grams. Its design allows it to slow down after being hit.
Competitively, this sport requires skill that takes years to master – from the record speed, players don’t usually see the moving shuttlecock but instead predict the opponents hit and position and react with exceptional reflexes and endurance.

Of course, if you’re leisurely playing badminton in the comfort of your backyard, there’s no need to worry about a shuttlecock plummeting towards you at 200mph – there are many options of shuttlecocks to choose from, from beginners to professionals.
You can check out some of our reviews on shuttlecocks here:
KEVENZ GOOSE FEATHER BADMINTON SHUTTLECOCKS REVIEW
3 BEST NYLON SHUTTLECOCKS THAT CAN BE BOUGHT ON AMAZON
PHILONEXT 12-PACK BADMINTON SHUTTLECOCKS REVIEW
TOP 6 FEATHER BADMINTON SHUTTLECOCKS

However, how does badminton compare to other sports?
Here’s a quick comparison of the fastest sports in the world:
Formula 1 car racing record: 231.15 mph
Skydiving record: 246.06 mph
Speed Skiing Record: 248.54 mph
Drag Racing: 334.91 mph.
With our badminton record of 306,34 mph, we can conclude that badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world, as well as the second fastest sport in the world. That’s quite impressive, right?
Let us know what you think!