Physics of badminton's new killer spin serve
4 days ago
- #badminton
- #physics
- #sports
- The spin serve in badminton, a technique adding pre-spin before hitting the shuttlecock, was banned by the BWF in 2023 due to its effectiveness and concerns over unfair advantages.
- Shuttlecocks have a unique design with 16 overlapping feathers and a cork base, leading to high drag and rapid deceleration, affecting their trajectory and speed.
- The cork base ensures aerodynamic stability, making the shuttlecock always orient cork-first during flight, a phenomenon studied in detail in 2015.
- Feather shuttlecocks are preferred by serious players over synthetic ones for their better performance, including more deformation when hit, leading to a more triangular trajectory.
- Chinese physicists have analyzed the physics behind the spin serve, publishing their findings, highlighting the complex interplay of forces involved in the technique.