Fastest Badminton Hits – Male, Female & Competition Records
Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world, with shuttles flying off the strings quicker than hyper cars. Top players mix explosive jump smashes, quick racket-head acceleration, and perfect timing to deliver record-breaking shots. India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy holds the men’s smash record at 565 km/h (2023), while Malaysia’s Pearly Tan tops the women’s with 438 km/h. During live matches, Denmark’s Mads Pieler Kolding set the men’s record at 426 km/h (2017), and Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon has the women’s record at 372 km/h (2016). These incredible speeds show that badminton’s smashes are the sport’s ultimate knockout move.
Image source: instagram(satwik_rankireddy)
Fastest Badminton Hits – Male, Female & In‑Competition Records
The table below lists the fastest badminton hits ever recorded across all categories.
| Category | Record Holder | Speed (km/h) | Year | Context | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fastest Badminton Hit (Male) | Satwiksairaj Rankireddy(India) | 565 | 2023 | Controlled test | Yonex Co., Ltd. Tokyo Factory Gymnasium, Soka, Saitama, Japan |
| Fastest Badminton Hit (Female) | Pearly Tan(Malaysia) | 438 | 2023 | Controlled test | Yonex Co., Ltd. Tokyo Factory Gymnasium, Soka, Saitama, Japan |
| Fastest Badminton Hit in Competition (Male) | Mads Pieler Kolding(Denmark) | 426 | 2017 | Live match | Premier Badminton League, Bangalore, India |
| Fastest Badminton Hit in Competition (Female) | Ratchanok Intanon(Thailand) | 372 | 2016 | Live match | Malaysia Open – Semi‑Finals, Shah Alam, Malaysia |
Fastest Badminton Hit (Male)
Record Holder: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (India)
Speed: 565 km/h (351 mph)
Date: 14 April 2023
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s smash wasn’t just quick, it was incredibly quick, almost like it could end a fight. At 565 km/h, he surpassed the previous record of 493 km/h set by Malaysia’s Tan Boon Heong in 2013 by a whopping 72 km/h. It’s like adding extra knockout power to a strike that was already pretty dangerous. He achieved this with a Yonex NANOFLARE 1000 Z racket, which was strung tightly for maximum repulsion, converting every bit of swing speed into shuttle speed. The record was captured using NAC’s ultra-high-speed camera technology, which recorded the shuttle’s speed in the split second after it hit.
Fastest Badminton Hit (Female)
Record Holder: Pearly Tan (Malaysia)
Speed: 438 km/h (272 mph)
Date: 14 April 2023
On April 14, 2023, in Soka, Japan, Malaysia’s Pearly Tan made history by smashing a shuttlecock at an incredible speed of 438 km/h. This achievement made her the first female to hold the Guinness World Record for the fastest badminton hit. Using a Yonex NANOFLARE 1000 Z and measured with ultra-high-speed cameras from NAC, she demonstrated that women’s badminton is not only about skill but also about delivering powerful hits. To put it in perspective, her smash is quicker than the fastest tennis serve ever recorded and is close to the speeds seen in Formula 1 racing. For young players everywhere, this shows that women’s badminton can be just as powerful as men’s, and that the next big hit could come from anyone ready to put in the effort.
Fastest Badminton Hit in Competition (Male)
Record Holder: Mads Pieler Kolding (Denmark)
Speed: 426 km/h (264.7 mph)
Date: 10 January 2017
Mads Pieler Kolding from Denmark made history by hitting a 426 km/h smash during the Premier Badminton League in Bangalore, India, while playing for the Chennai Smashers. What makes this moment legendary? It wasn’t just a practice session, it took place in the heat of a match, with a live audience, TV cameras rolling, and fast-paced rallies happening all around. The speed was verified right then and there using Hawk-Eye tracking technology, which is the same system used for making line calls. For many years, this record stood as the fastest smash ever recorded in a competitive setting, showcasing Kolding’s incredible combination of height, timing, and sheer strength, which established him as one of the most intimidating power hitters in the sport of badminton.
Fastest Badminton Hit in Competition (Female)
Record Holder: Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
Speed: 372 km/h (231 mph)
Date: 9 April 2016
In the semi-finals of the 2016 Malaysia Open, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon made history by hitting a 372 km/h (231 mph) smash, which remains the fastest shot ever recorded by a female player in an official match. This incredible feat occurred during a nail-biting match against China’s Wang Yihan, where Ratchanok not only ended her 12-match losing streak against Wang but also secured her place in the final. The smash, measured using Hawk-Eye Innovations technology, showcased her perfect technique, explosive wrist movement and impeccable timing all despite her lighter build (1.69m, 58kg). With her Yonex Voltric 70 E-tune racket, she demonstrated that in badminton, speed is derived from skill as much as it is from strength. This moment marked a significant turning point for women’s singles, proving that power can rival finesse and motivating future stars like Pearly Tan to aim for even greater achievements.
