My Hobby- playing badminton

 

Shuttlecocks (or shuttles if that makes you more comfortable) come in two types: plastic, and feather. In general, beginners play with plastic and intermediate/expert with feather. Plastic shuttles cost more but last a lot longer, suiting them well for players starting out. Feather shuttles exhibit a more consistent flight pattern, and tend to fly faster. They don't last very long - it's not uncommon for international players to go through 20-30 in one game! You'll need a decent pair of court shoes, preferably indoor court shoes rather than cross trainers (and definitely not running shoes). You'll need to get decent grip with the floor or you'll be sliding around everywhere. And the hall manager won't be too pleased with your leaving black lines all over his court, so get some non-marking soled shoes.

 

Boundaries:

As seen on the expertly-drawn badminton court below, there is a dark red box.  Duringgeneral play the shuttle must land within the opposing player's red box. On the line is in, meaning if any part of the shuttle touches the line (even if it's the edge of the feathers) the point is counted. The light red shaded area indicates the service area. The shuttle must land in the diagonally opposite side of the court. The blue box indicates the doubles court for during general play.  Similarly, the light blue shaded area indicates the service area. Note that the service area is short and wide in comparison to the singles court.

Service:

Malaysian player Rashid Sidek demonstrates the correct stance for serving in a singles game. The serving hand must be *clearly* lower than the head of the racket, and the head of the racket must be below the waist. Both feet must remain in contact with the ground when the racket head makes contact with the shuttle.

Scoring:

A player can only score when they are serving. Service is started on the right hand side of your side of the court (when the score is love-all). If your score is odd (1,3,5...) you serve from the left side, if even (2,4,6...) on the right. There are several ways in which a game may be scored (depending on the tournament / club organisers): Men's singles, and men's, women's and mixed doubles: 1 game to 21 points, if 20-all option for first player to 20 to play to 21, or set to 23.  3 sets of 15 points each, if 14-all option for first player to 14 to play to 15, or set to 17.  5 sets of 7 points each, if 6-all option for first player to 6 to play to 7, or set to 2. Mixed doubles, women's singles & doubles: Same as above; with the possibility of:   3 sets = 11 points each, if 10-all option to play to 13.

Holding the racket:

This is an important first step. First, hold the racket in front of you so the head is vertical. Then grip the handle as if you were shaking hands with it. It may seem strange to begin with. Avoid getting into bad habits, specifically what is known as a 'pan-handle' grip (the grip you would use while holding a sauce pan, or the grip you would end up with if you put the racket flat on the floor and picked it up). You will never get any power into your shots playing this way. The backhand grip differs slightly - the handshake-grip still applies, except you move your thumb flat on the side of the racket.  Back to top

Hitting the shuttle:

As beginners, I'm sure you'll just be concentrating on trying to get the shuttle over the net and into the right area of the court. Keep your eye on the shuttle, and flick your wrist to hit it as far as possible. You'll be doing well to put the weight of your body behind your shots, by standing side-on to the net (for right-handed players, face at 3 o'clock), turning your body anti-clockwise as you hit the shuttle: The player is facing at around 3 o'clock, as he gears to unleash great power into the shot. The is what you (might) look like after hitting the shuttle.  That's some pretty freaky lookin' high kick there!                                                     Another good thing to do, to ensure you approach your shots from a side-on position, is to use your free hand (left, for most people) to point at the shuttle as it comes towards you (assuming it's an overhead shot, of course).  If you think you'll feel too silly pointing at everything that comes at you then just raise your arm up in the direction of the opposite player to maintain your balance (and your dignity). M. Ong uses his left arm for balance M. Ong again, following through on his shot Didn't your mother teach you it's rude to point?             After you've just hit a shot, don't just stand around idle.  Keep your racket up; it might make your arm tired but you'll be able to react much more quickly. Right: Danish player Helene Kirkegaard keeps her 'gaard' up Back to top

Service:

Serving can be a problem for beginners as they struggle to get enough power into their shots.  Aim for the back of the court, hitting it as high as possible so the shuttle drops between the two back tramlines (for singles play). If you can't hit it that far, avoid simply hitting it into the middle of the court - you'll lose out every time. Either aim for your opponent's backhand side of the service area, or serve it short just over the net. Back to top

Getting around the court:

Getting into good position is vital if you want to hit the shuttle with any power.  Do your best to get behind the shuttle, and move into the shot.  If it's behind you when you hit it, your shot will go too high (and not very far). In order to get into good position, you need to be able to move quickly.   Keep on your toes, so you're ready to 'spring' in any direction. Back to top

 

Hold the racket as if you were shaking hands with it

Get side-on to play your shots

Use your free arm to balance, and point at the shuttle

Get behind the shuttle, and move forward into the shot

Stay on your toes

Have fun!