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The shape of a badminton shuttlecock and the way it spins may give left-handed people an advantage for some shots
By Chen Ly
Lin Dan is considered by many to be the greatest badminton player of all time – he also happens to be left-handed
Xinhua/Alamy
Left-handed badminton players could have a slight advantage thanks to the shape of the shuttlecock, a physicist has discovered, although as there seems to be no significant difference in their overall chance of winning, they may have disadvantages elsewhere.
Professional badminton players use feather shuttlecocks, which are usually made from about 16 overlapping goose or duck feathers inserted into a cork base. This overlapping introduces an asymmetry that means a …
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