The badminton shuttlecock is the fastest recorded object in sports, reaching speeds over 300 mph.

In July 2023, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy of India set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest badminton hit during a controlled test at the Yonex factory gymnasium in Soka, Saitama, Japan. Using a Yonex Nanoflare 1000 Z racket, his smash reached a staggering 493 km/h (306.34 mph). This speed eclipsed the previous record of 421 km/h (261.6 mph) set by Tan Boon Heong in 2013.The extreme speed of a shuttlecock is due to its unique projectile physics. Unlike a ball, a shuttlecock is an open conical shape formed by 16 overlapping feathers embedded into a cork base. This design creates a high drag-to-mass ratio. When struck, the cork provides the initial momentum while the feathers ensure the shuttlecock stabilizes and turns cork-first almost instantly.Aerodynamically, the shuttlecock experiences intense skin friction and pressure drag. While it leaves the racket at speeds exceeding a Formula 1 car, it loses about 30 percent of its velocity by the time it reaches the net. This rapid deceleration is what makes badminton a game of extreme reflexes, as players must react to high-velocity strikes that change speed mid-flight.For comparison, the fastest recorded tennis serve by Samuel Groth reached 163.7 mph, and the fastest golf drive by Maurice Allen was clocked at 211 mph. The badminton record remains significantly higher due to the lightweight nature of the shuttlecock and the explosive power generated by professional athletes using modern carbon-fiber rackets. This combination of material science and human athleticism makes badminton the fastest racket sport in the world.