When it comes to choosing the best badminton shuttlecock (a.k.a birdie, feather cork, or shuttle) for your game, the choices can be overwhelming. Natural feathers? Synthetic feathers? Nylon? Plastic? Which shuttlecock should you buy? The answer to that depends on your own playing style, location, and level of experience. Let’s break down some fast facts about shuttlecocks, to make the purchase process a little simpler.