The ABCs of Badminton

1. The Fundamental of the Game

Badminton is one of the world's fastest sports, with a player's smash reaching 206 miles per hour, faster than a golf ball. In the same way that badminton has grown in popularity all over the world. It has now been classified as an Olympic sport, and the sport has evolved significantly. In recent years, sport science, tactical and training innovations, as well as industrial research in racket manufacturing, have revolutionised the sport. This dynamic sport has long since lost all resemblance to the backyard birdie or a simple sport from the past. Only pros who are completely dedicated to the sport can compete at a world-class level these days.

Due to the high speed of movement required, it appears that better and better training methods, approaches, and game analyses have resulted in incredibly high level performance, which the general viewer scarcely perceives. While sweeping strokes and wrist movement were once part of the conventional technique, world-class badminton now incorporates short backswings to significantly reduce the opponent's reaction time.

The serve is a notable illustration of this, as great players nearly always perform it as a backhand in both singles and doubles, with a short backswing serve. The knowledge of the biomechanics of the basic forearm twist revolutionized training methods, because most strokes are based on the twist of the forearm rather than the wrist.

Badminton exerts a significant demand on the physical body, requiring everything from focus and physical conditioning to sensitivity, coordination, and delicacy. Although the game is tough, beginners can make rapid improvement in their game with just a few training sessions, which is one of the reasons why badminton has become such a popular community sport.

In a nutshell, the goal of the game is to position the shuttle so that the opponent can't reach it or can only return it with difficulty. As a result, the tactically most sensible point to strive for is the opponents' count's concerns. They are the ones who are farthest away from the opponent. Playing top-level badminton demands the optimal execution of strikes while utilizing the body's maximum capabilities. It takes years of practice to unlearn bad habits, and players have a fatal tendency to revert to old habits when under pressure, so learning to play badminton properly and correctly from the beginning can systematically be essential.

2. What Equipment Do You Need To Start

One of the reasons for the big improvement in the standard of world class badminton is improvement in the standard of equipment. These developments mainly concern 

• Racket

• String of Racket

• Shuttlecocks

• Clothing 

• Shoe

2.1 The Racket

Beginners should start with a more durable racket and a lower racket cost while beginning out. Badminton racket technology has had numerous effects on overall badminton performance over the years, ranging from material variances to variations in racquet flexibility when the racket is in touch with the shuttle.

The balance of the racket is another factor that determines the quality of play. On the market, there are head and grip heavy rackets, as well as balanced rackets. Head heavy rackets offer faster acceleration in smashes, whilst grip heavy rackets are better suited to defensive play, since they allow for greater accuracy. Balance rackets are a combination of the two. By balancing a racket on your index finger at the place where the shaft meets the head, you may determine which classification it belongs in.

The racket head's shape has also been altered. Instead of the drophead used in the early days of sport, the traditional racket head is oval in shape to facilitate good shuttle acceleration. Isometric head shapes are also prevalent, with the top of the head being rounder to increase the optimal hitting area, or sweet spot. The heavier the frame, the more precise the strokes will be.

TIP -> For experienced players with sweaty palms, a non-slip grip composed of rubber or cloth can be wrapped around the original handle of the racket.

2.2 The Shuttlecock

Natural feather shuttles are incredibly labor demanding to create, which is why they are solely made in Asia, despite the fact that the majority of shuttle bases come from Portugal. The goose feathers are sorted, then cleaned and dried with soap and bleach. Later, they were separated into characteristics that bend to the left and right. Machines are used only to cut the feathers. The 16 shuttles are manually placed in the cork base and secured with adhesive and tread.

Each shuttle is evaluated for speed and flight direction using a machine or by hand before being packed in cardboard tubes by the dozen. From the back boundary line to 1-2.5 feet in front of the opposite base line, the ideal shuttle flies in a deep underhand stroke (speed test).

Shuttle characteristics are referred to by many names depending on the manufacturer. The speed statistics 76 (slow), 77 (medium), and 78 (rapid) have been internationally accepted (fast). For the national league and high class competitions, most National Badminton Associations have picked the top shuttles from the two manufacturers Yonex (Aerosena 20) and Victor (Champion).

2.3 Shoes

Several manufacturers make customized badminton shoes with a non-slip sole for indoor courts and a very fat sole so that the player maintains good touch with the floor and does not twist the ankle during the often dynamic movements. The toes of badminton shoes are reinforced so they don't wear out as quickly when the feet are dragged - notably during lunges. Because badminton players jump a lot, the soles should be cushioned.

TIP -> Never play badminton in jogging or running shoes, which are built for straight line running and are completely unsuited to rapid changes in movement. A twisted ankle is usually always caused by the thick cushioned soles of jogging shoes.

3. The Ready Position

When playing badminton, we must be aware of our position. The ready position is determined by the player's position on the court and the posture in which he waits for the opponent's shuttle to be hit towards him. The ready position is not a moving sequence, but rather a sort of frozen beginning point from which the player might consider how to progress the game. With all of the hitting and running that goes on in a game, the player is rarely in this optimal position for very long. It's almost as if it's a theoretical photo. This largely refers to the single game.

The receiving player should take a position in the middle of the court, roughly 1 meter behind the center line. It is equally rapid for the player to run in diverse directions from this central location. The basic reason and tactical notion for choosing the middle position is the ability to reach all four corners of the court at the same time.

The player is in the ready position when he stands facing the net with his feet around shoulder-width apart. His legs are slightly bent, and his upper body is slightly leaned forward. The entire body is stiff, and the weight of the body is supported by the balls of the feet. The racket is lifted in front of the body in order to return the ball as swiftly as possible. The player keeps an eye on his or her opponent and tries to predict the shuttle's flight route as rapidly as possible so that he or she can react properly.

A fraction of a second is all the player has to determine where to run and which stroke to use. Every game circumstance necessitates a unique response, and many sequences are chosen intuitively rather than intentionally. As a result, it's critical to purposefully rehearse specific game circumstances in practice in order to be able to use them in games. The comments on the ready position should aid in the formation of a fundamental foundation for tactical variants of the game - it is the best place to start. The player must, of course, vary this depending on the game conditions.

4. Type of Stroke

After serving, the player basically has the choice between 5 different strokes. 

• Clear (1,2)

• Drive (3)

• Smash (4)

• Drop (5)

• Net (6)

5. Running Technique 

Good running technique refers to the player's ability to get behind the shuttlecock as quickly as possible and return to the base/ready position after the shot. In badminton, focusing on the central position is a vital tactical factor, especially in the singles game. All four corners of the court are freely reachable from the middle of the court, making it the ideal spot for players to wait for their opponent's return shot. As a result, the sprinting style should be centered on allowing the player to return to his original position before the opponent can return the shuttlecock. In contrast, forcing the opponent to run around the court, making it difficult to return to the central position, is considered smart technique.

The hitting technique and the running technique must be considered together. Depending on the type of shot, the running method varies. Leisure players frequently believe that badminton technique training consists solely of stroke practice; nevertheless, badminton is a running sport in which players typically cover 2-3 miles throughout a match. Without the shuttlecock, fast, coordinated footwork is possible. Running and hitting technique should not be considered separately.

While tall Europeans such as Danes and English practiced the skill with long strides, shorter Asians developed a style of play with short, swift strides that ended in a jump. Neither option is superior to the other; it simply relies on the player's physiology, and both have affected the game's progression. The lunge, scissor jump, 'China' jump, and jump smash are four main types of exceptional running skills that elite players have evolved through time and have gotten more and more perfected.

5.1 Lunge

A lunge is a long forward, side, or backward reaching step. The intermediate step is almost invisible since the step is so long. The lunge allows players to reach and hit the shuttlecock at the same time. However, the step must be performed so that players can return to their original position and not become stuck in the lunge position, which can be accomplished by ensuring that the lunging leg's knee does not extend beyond the toes. Although this is not always possible, the upper body should remain as erect as possible. To progress from the ready posture, the lunge step sequence begins with a starting step, followed by an intermediate step with the left foot. The initial step with the left foot is followed by a luning step toward the net with the right foot.

5.2 Scissor Jump

The scissor leap is a backwards running technique in which the player hits the shuttlecock as he or she jumps backwards, saving time and allowing players to immediately resume running forward. The hit-jump combo is executed in such a way that the player makes the first stride forward as soon as landed. Long shots that stretch all the way to the back court are taken with the scissor jump. It's always an overhead shot, although it can also be dropped, cleared, or smashed. It's difficult to play a sensitive drop from this posture because the player can't hit as accurately in the air as he can when standing with two feet on the ground.

5.3 ‘China’ Jump

The 'China' jump is similar to the scissor jump in that the shuttlecock is hit during the flight phase (both feet in the air) as the player is moving backwards. However, unlike the scissor jump, the player does not just move backwards but also onto the court's back corner.  Because a round-the-head stroke must be performed from the left corner, which is more complicated and hence riskier than a forehand overhead shot played from the right corner, the corner is simpler to reach. Furthermore, the shuttle cannot be hit as hard from the left corner as it can from the right. When landing from the 'China' jump, the player's foot should be one in front of the other so that he or she can immediately go forward. Because precision is diminished during the jump, it is rare to play a sensitive drop shot from a 'China' Jump.

5.4 Jump Smash

The jump mash is both effective and exhausting. Jumping provides the shot a highly steep flight path, which lowers the time it takes for the opponent to respond. However, the smash must be correct in order to win the point; otherwise, if the shuttle is unexpectedly returned by the opponent, and the player ands from the jump smash with both feet at the same time, making it impossible for him to go to the center of the court from the back court, the player will quickly find himself in difficulty. Because of its speed and strength, the jump smash is one of the most striking shots in badminton.

6. Quick Brief of Rules

The winner of the coin toss is the first player. This can be done the old-fashioned way by tossing a coin, but most badminton players do it by throwing the shuttlecock up in the air and watching which way the cork-based points when it lands.

The winner of the toss has the choice of:

• Serve

• Return of Serve

• Side of court

The best of three sets of 21 points is used in badminton scoring. Each rally's winner receives one point, which is added to the total. If the score is 20 all, the set is played over more than 21 points. The player who scores two consecutive points wins the set. The set is won by the winner of the following point out of a total of 29 points.

From the right service court, the server darts at 0 and serves all on even scores, hitting diagonally opposing sides of the opponent's court. He serves from the left on odd-numbered scores.

There is a one-minute interval break after the first player has scored 11 points in each set, and a two-minute rest between sets. Players may not take longer rests between points for rest or tactical analysis, and they may not leave the court outside of the scheduled break period.

7. Have Fun!

The most important thing to remember when learning the ABCs of badminton is to have fun. It's not always about winning, but rather about feeling accomplished, whether it's in terms of living a healthier lifestyle or improving your badminton game. Winning isn't the only way to succeed.