Shuttle Speed
To test a shuttle, use a full underhand stroke which makes contact with the shuttle over the back boundary line. ie. Do not stand inside the court when making the stroke – get behind the back line. The shuttle must be hit at an upward angle and in a direction parallel to the side lines.
A shuttle of the correct speed will land not less than 530 mm (20 inches) and not more than 990 mm (39 inches) short of the other back boundary line.
Changing the speed of a shuttle
Please note that more often than not our shuttles do not need tipping, more likely the player has made an error by standing inside the court when striking the shuttle to judge its speed.
If the shuttle speed has been judged correctly to be too slow or too fast then it can be “tipped” in such a way that its speed would be either increased or decreased.
If the shuttle is found to be too fast, then begin by tipping only one in four feathers (i.e., four in every 16 feathers) outwards in an attempt to slow the shuttle down to an acceptable speed.
If that is still too fast then one in every two feathers should be tipped if necessary.
Speeding up a ‘slow’ shuttle involves the same method as above but the feathers are tipped inwards.