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Something that we didn't discuss in last week's article, How To Choose a Badminton Racquet is the weight and grip size of the racquet. The reason why you would want to know is because most racquets come in various weights and grip sizes.
What this means is if you decide that you want to get a particular racquet, you might not get the exact one if you're choosing based on the looks alone!
3UG5 tells us the weight of the racquet as well as the grip size and can be found on the top of the handle of the badminton racquet (see image above). If you plan on trying someone else's racquet, know that this area of the racquet is often covered by an overgrip, hence why my racquet has some red marks (from a previous grip).
3U is the weight of the racquet and G5 is the size of the racquet handle (diameter). Certain racquet models may have several options but most commonly bought racquets are 3UG5.
Different brands and racquet models may have more options but these are some of the most common options for weight:
All the brands I am familiar with follow the above for racquet weight except for Li Ning, which is broken down into the following classes:
The grip sizes (determined by measuring the diameter of the grip) for the various brands may only have one option OR the brand may have their own way of describing them. For example, Yonex uses the sign G:
For beginners who are unsure of what they would prefer, I would suggest sticking to the most common 3UG5 or equivalent depending on the brand. 3U or between 85g - 89.9g is the most common weight of the racquet and the G5 size is the smallest racquet handle. At least with the smallest handle, you can always make the grip bigger (by adding grips!) but you can't do it the other way around unless you're shaving off the wood under the grip!
Much like choosing a racquet, string type and string tension, the weight and grip handle is a personal preference. Unfortunately, this is a lot less interchangeable than string type and string tension because of the cost associated with buying new racquets to test!
Perhaps making lots of new friends at the badminton stadium will give you the opportunity to test some of these things out!
Good luck and we'll see you out there! 
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