Yonex Badminton Rackets

Yonex started in the 1940’s as a producer of wooden fishing floats but was unfortunate enough to be forced out of this production sector due to the advancement of plastic floats in the industry. This prompted founder Minoru Yoneyama to make a commitment that the company would never let technology and innovation leave them behind again and this has formed the cornerstone to the ideals and ethics and business practices of Yonex in the modern day.

In the late 1950’s Yoneyama started to make badminton rackets for other high profile brands and soon established a reputation for producing quality rackets whilst incorporating the latest materials and introducing concepts such as the wide body racket and the isometric head. These new design features would find their way onto the rackets of all the big brand names sports rackets such as Carlton and Prince.

The Yonex Corporation itself was established in California in 1983 and became the world leader in the design and production of golf, tennis and badminton equipment. A bold claim perhaps but it would hold true today that they are without doubt the number one name in badminton – if not quite as renowned in golf and tennis.

From relatively humble beginnings Yonex has created a strong global brand that enjoys a dominance supported by corporate sponsorship and product quality. In today’s professional game over 80% of players have a Yonex badminton racket in their hand when they compete. Major names that Yonex sponsor include Peter Gade, Saina Nehwal, Ana Ivanovic and Lee Chong Wei.

In 2007 Yonex celebrated their 25th successive year as the main sponsor of the All England Badminton Championships and followed up in 2008 by gaining 24 Olympic medals at the Beijing games. A global audience at the Olympics helps to further push the name and reputation as the logo is instantly recognisable on the strings of players rackets

Yonex, through the initial determination and drive of their founder, continue to innovate and invest in new technology and introduced the first generation of slim rackets in 2009. The ArcSaber Z-Slash recorded the fastest ever speed of 421km/h and goes to show how players with a Yonex badminton racket will always have a superb competitive edge and can be inspired by the technology, success and branding behind the production of top quality products. The range incorporates rackets for all ages and abilities, catering for professionals and amateur players alike.