Badminton

Badminton is racket sport in which competitors use small rackets to strike a feathered cork ball called a shuttlecock over a net. Historians believe that badminton developed from similar games that were played in Greece, Europe, and Asia at least two thousand years ago. A game similar to badminton, called "battledore and shuttlecock," was popular with European royalty in the seventeenth century and differed from badminton in that it was played without a net, with players competing to bat the shuttlecock into the air repeatedly without allowing it to fall to the ground.

Games like battledore and shuttlecock gave rise to the game of "poon" or "poona," which was played in India in the nineteenth century and which added a net to the game, with players competing to knock the shuttlecock to the opponent's side of the net. Poon was brought to Europe in the 1860s by British officers and was popularized by the duke of Beaufort, who introduced the game to guests at a party held at his Gloucestershire home, Badminton Manor, in 1873. The European version of the game was then called badminton.

The Bath Badminton Club formed in England in 1887 and began reformulating the rules of the game. The popularity of badminton increased, and in 1893, the Badminton Association of England formed and became the first official regulating body of the sport. The first open tournament was held in 1898, utilizing the rules formed by the Badminton Association, which have remained the official international rules of the sport.

Badminton spread from England to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, increasing the demand for international competitions. In 1934, the International Badminton Federation (IBF) was established as the official governing body of international badminton competitions, and the first of such competitions was held in 1939. President of the IBF, Sir George A. Thomas, offered the prize for the first international competition, establishing the series that is now known as the Thomas Cup.

Women's international badminton competitions began in the 1950s, with the establishment of the Uber Cup series in the 1956-57 season. Since that time, the number of international series has increased, with several official competitions sponsored by the IBF, including men and women's singles, mixed doubles, juniors, and a world cup.

At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, the IBF sponsored a demonstration to propose badminton as an addition to the Olympic Games. Badminton was officially added to the Olympics in 1992, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, including men and women's singles and doubles contests. In 1996, the Olympics Committee added mixed doubles to the list of officially recognized badminton competitions.

How to Get Started

Badminton can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages, and many badminton leagues offer training programs for junior players as well as junior competitions. To begin playing, individuals can reserve time at a local badminton court or enroll in lessons through local racket sport associations. Alternatively, many sport equipment manufacturers make home badminton sets that include the equipment needed to play badminton in a sufficient-sized gym, yard, or other outdoor area.

The basic rules and techniques of badminton can be learned in a relatively short time, though advanced techniques may take years of dedicated practice to master. Badminton is a difficult sport that requires a certain amount of athletic ability, and individuals interested in the sport are therefore advised to seek the advice of a physician before beginning. In addition to practice, cross-training and other fitness activities can enhance a player's ability.

Investment

Full badminton sets, including rackets, shuttlecocks, nets, and posts, can cost anywhere from forty dollars to well over a thousand, depending on the quality of equipment. Most basic beginner's sets cost from forty to over one hundred dollars. Individual nets and posts can also be used for other racket games and volleyball games and generally cost from thirty to six hundred dollars.

The racket is arguably the most important piece of equipment for badminton, and many professional players pay significant amounts for specialized professional rackets. Beginner's rackets generally cost between ten and thirty dollars. Professional quality rackets can cost from fifty to over two hundred dollars. Shuttlecocks are generally sold in sets of two to twelve and may cost from five to twenty dollars, depending on quality and the number of individual shuttlecocks included in the set.

Materials

Badminton Rackets

• Rackets vary in size but are limited to 680 millimeters in length and 230 millimeters in width for official competition.
• Rackets differ in balance, with some weighted so that the head area is heavier than the handle and others weighted so that the handle is heavier.
• Rackets may be made of metal or carbon fiber depending on the player's preference for weight and flexibility.

Shuttlecocks

Shuttlecocks consist of two parts: the base, which was traditionally made of cork, and the tail, which was traditionally made from feathers. Modern shuttlecocks typically have heads made of cork or synthetic rubber, while the tails of modern shuttlecocks may be made with imitation or real feathers or may have a plastic, circular skirt that replaces the traditional tailpiece.

• Shuttlecocks generally have sixteen feathers or a synthetic skirt for the tailpiece.
• The skirt or tail should measure sixty-four to seventy millimeters and form a circle of fifty-eight to sixty-eight millimeters in diameter.
• The base of a regulation shuttlecock should measure twenty-five to twenty-eight millimeters in diameter.
• The shuttlecock is limited in weight to between 4.74 and 5.5 grams.

Net and Posts

• According to IBF rules, the net should reach no higher than 1.55 meters from the playing surface. The posts are set 5.18 meters apart for regulation play.
• Nets should be made of artificial fibers and are required to be of dark color for official play, though many recreational sets have light-colored nets.

Other Accessories

• Badminton bag to carry shuttlecocks, rackets, and other equipment.
• Grips and replacements strings to replace broken racket grips and broken racket strings.
• Some players choose to wear goggles to protect their eyes from flying shuttlecocks.
• Manufacturers also make gloves that improve the player's grip while handling the racket.
• Badminton shoes are designed to give optimal grip while playing on a regulation badminton court and to support the toes and arches of the feet to avoid injury.

Techniques

Modern badminton is similar to tennis or table tennis in its rules and style of play. Players hit the shuttlecock over the net until one player fails to return the shuttlecock and allows it to strike the ground on his or her side of the net. For a hit to be counted as fair, the shuttlecock must clear the net and land in the opponent's side.

Traditionally, only the player serving the shuttlecock was able to score and the serving side changed whenever the serving player missed a hit. Unlike tennis, the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce during a play and the players must stand within their playing areas while hitting the shuttlecock. In addition, players must serve the shuttlecock with a downward motion of the racket.

According to the modern rules, players may score points while either serving or receiving, with the serving role alternating when the serving player loses a point. The first player to reach at least twenty-one points while maintaining a two-point margin wins the match. If one player's score reaches thirty points without a two-point margin, that player wins the match.

Trends

Traditionally, the tension of the strings on a badminton racket was chosen according to the preferences of the player; however, in the modern game, professional players are increasingly favoring rackets with high-tension strings, set between thirty and thirty-six pounds of tension. Many players assert that high-tension strings allow for more control and power.

Synthetic shuttlecocks are often used in recreational play because they are less expensive than the traditional shuttlecocks lined with feathers. However, synthetic shuttlecocks are not as durable and do not exhibit the same flight characteristics as traditional shuttles. For this reason, competitive players typically use shuttles with real feathers in the tail portion.

Though badminton developed in England and was first popularized in countries with significant British colonial influence, the sport has become popular worldwide, with competitive national and international clubs on every continent. Since the 1980s, Asian players have dominated the international badminton circuit and the popularity of the sport has grown faster in Asia than in any other part of the world.

Time

A single game of badminton may last between fifteen to twenty-five minutes, though longer games are possible when players are evenly matched. In competition play, the overall winner must win the best two out of three matches, with the entire contest typically lasting for between forty-five and seventy-five minutes. Official games also have a sixty-second break when one player reaches a score of eleven points.

Recreational players can play badminton as often as they desire and can improve in their ability with weekly practice or games. Those seeking to develop professional skills may want to dedicate more time to practice, engaging in three or more matches per week and perhaps spending additional time on other fitness-related activities.

Badminton for Fun vs. Profit

Badminton is a popular backyard game throughout the world and can be played with little or no experience. Most badminton players engage in the sport recreationally, though there are hundreds of full-time professional badminton competitors worldwide. Those seeking to turn their recreational badminton hobby into a profession may begin by teaching badminton lessons at a local racket club or through a badminton association.

Professional badminton players earn profit by competing for awards in matches, though badminton does not receive the funding awarded to more popular sports like tennis, so prizes are typically insufficient to fund training and competition time for a professional player. National and international competitors may try to win endorsement contracts with manufacturers of professional badminton equipment to supplement their earnings from contests.

Learning More

Organizations

Badminton World Federation (BWF) <http://www.bwfbadminton.org>

USA Badminton <http://www.teamusa.org/USA-badminton>

United States Badminton Organization (USBO) <http://www.usbo.org>

Books

Brahms, Bernd-Volker. Badminton Handbook: Training-Tactics-Competition. Neurnberg: Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2010. Print.

Frederick, Shane. Badminton for Fun. New York: Capstone, 2009. Print.

Grice, Tony. Badminton: Steps to Success. 2nd ed. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2008. Print.

Klemsak, Jeff. A Basic Guide to Badminton. Santa Ana: Griffin, 1997. Print.

Poole, James R. Badminton. Long Grove: Shady Grove, 1996. Print.

Magazines

100% Badminton

Badminton Asia

Badminton Magazine

Courtside

International Badminton Magazine

Fun Facts

• The fastest serving speed recorded in a badminton game to date was set in 2005 by Chinese player Fu Haifeng, who hit the shuttle at a recorded 206 miles per hour. Badminton is the fastest racket sport game in international competition.
• All the feathers used in a shuttlecock are taken from the left wing of the bird, and most manufacturers generally use goose or duck feathers for professional shuttlecocks.
• A shuttlecock is also sometimes called a "bird" or "birdie" because of the feathers in the tail.
• Players from China and Indonesia have won 70 percent of all IBF competitions.