Despite the name, "catgut" has never been made from any part of a cat.īadminton rackets are light, with top quality rackets weighing between about 70 and 95 grams (with guts ). Rackets are restrung when necessary, which may be after every match for a professional. Most rackets are now made of composite materials including carbon fiber or fiberglass, metals such as titanium alloys, or ceramics.Ĭatgut has partially been replaced by synthetic materials including nylon, polyamide, and other polymers. Wood is still used for real tennis, rackets, and xare. Non-wood rackets were made first of steel, then of aluminum, and then carbon fiber composites. Manufacturers started adding non-wood laminates to wood rackets to improve stiffness. The traditional racket size was limited by the strength and weight of the wooden frame which had to be strong enough to hold the strings and stiff enough to hit the ball or shuttle. The frame of rackets for all sports was traditionally made of solid wood (later laminated wood) and the strings of animal intestine known as catgut. Racket design and manufacturing has changed considerably over the centuries. Collectively, these games are known as racket sports. It is used for striking a ball or shuttlecock in games such as squash, tennis, racquetball, rackets, badminton and padel. A racket or racquet is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of strings or catgut is stretched tightly.