NEW DELHI: The Badminton World Federation has already run its synthetic feather shuttlecock trials at four international tournaments over the past two months, with governing body Secretary General Thomas Lund on Thursday saying synthetic products are now "getting quite close" to the standards required for elite-level play, though there is no fixed deadline for their implementation.
The trials were held at the TOYOTA Phuket International Challenge 2026 (June 9-14), the Valence Alpes International 2026 presented by FZ FORZA (June 11-14), the FZ FORZA Future Series Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2026 (July 2-5), and the VICTOR Irish U19 Open 2026 (August 7-9), according to BWF.
The spread of events -- an International Challenge, a Future Series leg and a Junior International Series tournament -- indicates BWF has been testing the synthetic shuttlecocks across different tiers of competition below the elite level.
Asked about the availability of shuttlecocks and the ongoing experimentation with synthetic alternatives, Lund said the issue was "a little bit more complex" than a straightforward supply crisis.
"That's a big question and it's a little bit more complex than maybe, you know, is there a problem? There's plenty of shuttlecocks and super good shuttlecocks being played with at this tournament, at the top level. But over the last maybe 30, 40 years... there's been a bird flu thing, and that has created a little bit of wobbly times with the supply chains. Price increases going a little bit up and down," Lund told reporters on the sidelines of the World Championships.
BWF had announced in April that it would trial two synthetic feather shuttlecocks -- the VICTOR New Carbon Sonic Max and the YONEX CROSSWIND 70 -- after internal testing showed the products had reached performance levels that justified evaluation in real competition.
Lund acknowledged that developing a synthetic shuttlecock capable of matching the performance of a natural-feather product has proved challenging.
"That is hard work because you develop something and then you find out that it improved this but then two steps back and something else. That's going back and forth," he said.
"The short answer is we are very supportive of helping the manufacturers get to a place where we have both natural feather but then also a synthetic feather option in the market," Lund said.
"Obviously, to play with it at a World Championship it needs to actually live up to quite high standards," he said. "And some of them are getting quite close with that, so it's super impressive."
BWF also hopes wider adoption of synthetic feather shuttlecocks could eventually help moderate prices, Lund said.
"We're also hoping that the feather replacement can, when it's scaled to a much bigger volume, hopefully also put a dampener on price increases," he said.
Prices, he added, were being pushed up by broader economic pressures rather than the feather issue alone.
"It's not only a feather issue, it's obviously also just a natural economic reality -- everything goes up," Lund said. "It's much more complex than the short headline of 'there's a problem with supply chains.' We would like to avoid that, stabilise it, because our mission is to make our sport as accessible as possible."
BWF said the primary objective of the trials is "to confirm that the shuttlecocks perform in line with existing competition standards," combining manufacturer performance data with feedback from players, technical officials and organisers gathered in actual match conditions.
On timelines, the federation has maintained there is no fixed roadmap for a broader rollout.
"There is no fixed timeline. Any progression will depend entirely on evidence from these trials, including both performance data and player acceptance," BWF said in a separate update.
"We will not move forward unless we are fully confident that the standards of elite competition can be maintained. This is not a quick transition. It is a carefully managed, long-term evolution."
The federation has also sought to address scepticism among players, many of whom have grown up playing with, and are attached to the feel of, natural feather shuttlecocks.
"BWF understands that scepticism is natural. That is why the rollout is gradual and limited in scope. The evaluation process will be data-driven and transparent, with player feedback central throughout," it said. "This initiative is not about imposing change, but about testing, learning, and continuous improvement."
Synthetic shuttlecocks, BWF has said, are aimed at improving accessibility and reducing reliance on natural materials rather than replacing feather shuttlecocks outright.
"The goal is not simply to replace feather shuttlecocks, but to provide a viable and sustainable alternative while protecting the integrity of the sport," the federation said.