Synthetic feather shuttlecock that contributes to reducing environmental footprint “TECH FEATHER 03”

Shuttlecocks used in official badminton matches are usually made from natural waterfowl feathers.

The production process for shuttlecocks made using such natural materials requires a large amount of water to wash, sterilize, and bleach the feathers. They also have poor durability; in matches played by grown men, it is necessary to replace the shuttlecocks after several rallies due to the impact of the strikes by the players.

To resolve these problems, work has been advancing for many years on the development of synthetic shuttlecocks. Synthetic shuttlecocks are about twice^*1 as durable as shuttlecocks made from natural materials, and have a longer product lifespan. Moreover, as the process of making synthetic shuttlecocks does not involve washing, sterilizing, and bleaching feathers, it is possible to reduce the amount of water used.

However, synthetic shuttlecocks have not become widely popular as their flight performance is different from that of shuttlecocks made from natural materials.

At Mizuno, we have conducted research on materials and the shape of synthetic feathers for many years, and as a result, succeeded in developing synthetic shuttlecocks with flight performance^*2 that is mostly unchanged from that of shuttlecocks made from natural materials.

“TECH FEATHER 03”, developed by Mizuno, has been licensed as the official shuttlecock of the Nippon Badminton Association (Japan), and has been used in matches everywhere since 2020, particularly at women’s and junior’s matches.

Through the technology that we have developed to date, we will continue work on resolving various problems faced by the sporting world, and to contribute to the realization of a sustainable future.

*1, 2: Based on studies conducted by Mizuno

Comparison of the trajectories of shuttlecocks that landed near to each other, launched by a machine under the same conditions
(Based on studies conducted by Mizuno, differs slightly depending on the product)