Badminton

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This article is about the sport. For other uses, see Badminton (disambiguation).
Badminton
Danish badminton player Peter ade
Highest governing
body
Badminton World
Federation
First played !"th century
Characteristics
Contact #o
Team members $ingle or doubles
Type %ac&uet sport
Equipment $huttlecock
Presence
Olympic !''()present
Badminton is a rac&uet sport played by either t*o opposing players (singles) or t*o
opposing pairs (doubles), *ho take positions on opposite hal+es of a rectangular court
di+ided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock *ith their rac&uet so that it
passes o+er the net and lands in their opponents, half of the court. -ach side may only strike
the shuttlecock once before it passes o+er the net. . rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck
the floor, or if a fault has been called by either the umpire or ser+ice /udge or, in their
absence, the offending player, at any time during the rally.
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The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a feathered (or, mainly in uncompetiti+e games, plastic)
pro/ectile *hose uni&ue aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently from the balls used
in most rac&uet sports2 in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the
shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. $huttlecocks ha+e a much higher top
speed, *hen compared to other rac&uet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is affected by *ind,
competiti+e badminton is played indoors. Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual
recreational acti+ity, often as a garden or beach game.
$ince !''(, badminton has been an 3lympic sport *ith fi+e e+ents4 men,s and *omen,s
singles, men,s and *omen,s doubles, and mi5ed doubles, in *hich each pair consists of a man
and a *oman. .t high le+els of play, especially in singles, the sport demands e5cellent
fitness4 players re&uire aerobic stamina, agility, e5plosi+e strength, speed and precision. 6t is
also a technical sport, re&uiring good motor coordination and the de+elopment of
sophisticated rac&uet mo+ements.
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Contents
! 7istory and de+elopment
( %ules
o (.! Playing court dimensions
o (.( -&uipment rules
o (.8 $coring system and ser+ice
(.8.! $er+ing
(.8.( $coring
(.8.8 9ets
8 -&uipment
o 8.! %ackets
o 8.( $trings
o 8.8 rip
o 8.: $huttlecock
o 8.; $hoes
: $trokes
o :.! Forehand and backhand
o :.( Position of the shuttlecock and recei+ing player
o :.8 <ertical position of the shuttlecock
o :.: 3ther factors
o :.; Deception
; $trategy
o ;.! Doubles
o ;.( $ingles
o ;.8 =i5ed doubles
> o+erning bodies
" ?ompetitions
@ ?omparisons *ith other rac&uet sports
o @.! ?omparisons of speed and athletic re&uirements
o @.( ?omparisons of techni&ue
o @.8 Distincti+e characteristics of the shuttlecock
@.8.! .erodynamic drag and stability
@.8.( $pin
' $ee also
!A %eferences
!! Books
!( -5ternal links
History and development
ame of battledore and shuttlecock in !@A:
Battledore and Shuttlecock. 1854, from the John Leech Archive
081
The beginnings of badminton can be traced to the midB!@AAs in British 6ndia, *here it *as
created by British military officers stationed there.
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-arly photographs sho* -nglishmen
adding a net to the traditional -nglish game of battledore and shuttlecock. The sport is related
to ball badminton, *hich originated in Tamil #adu, and is similar to 7anetsuki *hich
originated in Capan. Being particularly popular in the British garrison to*n Poona (no*
Pune), the game also came to be kno*n as Poona.
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6nitially, balls of *ool referred as ball
badminton *ere preferred by the upper classes in *indy or *et conditions, but ultimately the
shuttlecock stuck. This game *as taken by retired officers back to -ngland *here it
de+eloped and rules *ere set out.
.lthough it appears clear that Badminton 7ouse, loucestershire, o*ned by the Duke of
Beaufort, has gi+en its name to the sports, it is unclear *hen and *hy the name *as adopted.
.s early as !@>A, 6saac $pratt, a 9ondon toy dealer, published a booklet, Badminton
Battledore a new game, but unfortunately no copy has sur+i+ed.
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.n !@>8 article in he
!ornhill "aga#ine describes badminton as Dbattledore and shuttlecock played *ith sides,
across a string suspended some fi+e feet from the groundD.
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This early use has cast doubt on
the origin through e5patriates in 6ndia, though it is kno*n that it *as popular there in the
!@"As and that the first rules *ere dra*n up in Poonah in !@"8.
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.nother source cites that
it *as in !@"" at Earachi in (British) 6ndia, *here the first attempt *as made to form a set of
rules.
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.s early as !@";, +eterans returning from 6ndia started a club in Folkestone. Fntil !@@", the
sport *as played in -ngland under the rules that pre+ailed in British 6ndia. The Bath
Badminton ?lub standardiGed the rules and made the game applicable to -nglish ideas. C.7.-.
7art dre* up re+ised basic regulations in !@@" and, *ith Bagnel Wild, again in !@'A.
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6n
!@'8, the Badminton .ssociation of -ngland published the first set of rules according to
these regulations, similar to today,s rules, and officially launched badminton in a house called
DDunbarD at > Wa+erley ro+e, Portsmouth, -ngland on $eptember !8 of that year.
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They
also started the .ll -ngland 3pen Badminton ?hampionships, the first badminton
competition in the *orld, in !@''.
The 6nternational Badminton Federation (6BF) (no* kno*n as Badminton World Federation)
*as established in !'8: *ith ?anada, Denmark, -ngland, France, the #etherlands, 6reland,
#e* Healand, $cotland, and Wales as its founding members. 6ndia /oined as an affiliate in
!'8>. The BWF no* go+erns international badminton and de+elops the sport globally.
While initiated in -ngland, competiti+e men,s badminton in -urope has traditionally been
dominated by Denmark. .sian nations, ho*e+er, ha+e been the most dominant ones
*orld*ide. ?hina, 6ndonesia, $outh Eorea, and =alaysia along *ith Denmark are among the
nations that ha+e consistently produced *orldBclass players in the past fe* decades, *ith
?hina being the greatest force in both men,s and *omen,s competition in recent years.
Rules
The follo*ing information is a simplified summary of badminton rules based on the BWF
$tatutes publication, Law$ of Badminton.
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Playing court dimensions
Badminton court, isometric +ie*
The court is rectangular and di+ided into hal+es by a net. ?ourts are usually marked for both
singles and doubles play, although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for singles
only.
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The doubles court is *ider than the singles court, but both are of same length. The
e5ception, *hich often causes confusion to ne*er players, is that the doubles court has a
shorter ser+eBlength dimension.
The full *idth of the court is >.! metres ((A ft), and in singles this *idth is reduced to
;.!@ metres (!" ft). The full length of the court is !8.: metres (:: ft). The ser+ice courts are
marked by a centre line di+iding the *idth of the court, by a short ser+ice line at a distance of
!.'@ metres (> ft > inch) from the net, and by the outer side and back boundaries. 6n doubles,
the ser+ice court is also marked by a long ser+ice line, *hich is A."> metres (( ft > inch) from
the back boundary.
The net is !.;; metres (; ft ! inch) high at the edges and !.;(: metres (; ft) high in the
centre. The net posts are placed o+er the doubles sidelines, e+en *hen singles is played.
The minimum height for the ceiling abo+e the court is not mentioned in the 9a*s of
Badminton. #onetheless, a badminton court *ill not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be
hit on a high ser+e.
Equipment rules
Badminton rules restrict the design and siGe of rac&uets and shuttlecocks. Badminton rules
also pro+ide for testing a shuttlecock for the correct speed4
8.!
To test a shuttlecock, hit a full underhand stroke *hich makes contact *ith the
shuttlecock o+er the back boundary line. The shuttlecock shall be hit at an
up*ard angle and in a direction parallel to the side lines.
8.(
. shuttlecock of the correct speed *ill land not less than ;8A mm and not
more than ''A mm short of the other back boundary line.
Scoring system and service
The legal bounds of a badminton court during +arious stages of a rally for singles and doubles
games.
=ain article4 $coring system de+elopment of badminton
Serving
-ach game is played to (! points, *ith players scoring a point *hene+er they *in a rally
regardless of *hether they ser+ed
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(this differs from the old system *here players could
only *in a point on their ser+e and each game *as played to !; points). . match is the best of
three games.
.t the start of the rally, the ser+er and recei+er stand in diagonally opposite $ervice court$
(see court dimensions). The ser+er hits the shuttlecock so that it *ould land in the recei+er,s
ser+ice court. This is similar to tennis, e5cept that a badminton ser+e must be hit belo* *aist
height and *ith the rac&uet shaft pointing do*n*ards, the shuttlecock is not allo*ed to
bounce and in badminton, the players stand inside their ser+ice courts unlike tennis.
When the ser+ing side loses a rally, the ser+e immediately passes to their opponent(s) (this
differs from the old system *here sometimes the ser+e passes to the doubles partner for *hat
is kno*n as a Dsecond ser+eD).
6n singles, the ser+er stands in their right ser+ice court *hen their score is e+en, and in herIhis
left ser+ice court *hen herIhis score is odd.
6n doubles, if the ser+ing side *ins a rally, the same player continues to ser+e, but heIshe
changes ser+ice courts so that sheIhe ser+es to a different opponent each time. 6f the
opponents *in the rally and their ne* score is e+en, the player in the right ser+ice court
ser+es2 if odd, the player in the left ser+ice court ser+es. The players, ser+ice courts are
determined by their positions at the start of the pre+ious rally, not by *here they *ere
standing at the end of the rally. . conse&uence of this system is that, each time a side regains
the ser+ice, the ser+er *ill be the player *ho did not ser+e last time.
Scoring
When the ser+er ser+es, the shuttlecock must pass o+er the short ser+ice line on the
opponents, court or it *ill count as a fault.
6f the score reaches (ABall, then the game continues until one side gains a t*o point lead (such
as (:)((), up to a ma5imum of 8A points (8A)(' is a *inning score).
.t the start of a match, the shuttlecock is cast and the side to*ards *hich the shuttlecock is
pointing ser+es first. .lternati+ely, a coin may be tossed, *ith the *inners choosing *hether
to ser+e or recei+e first, or choosing *hich end of the court to occupy, and their opponents
making the lefto+er the remaining choice.
6n subse&uent games, the *inners of the pre+ious game ser+e first. =atches are best out of
three4 a player or pair must *in t*o games (of (! points each) to *in the match. For the first
rally of any doubles game, the ser+ing pair may decide *ho ser+es and the recei+ing pair may
decide *ho recei+es. The players change ends at the start of the second game2 if the match
reaches a third game, they change ends both at the start of the game and *hen the leading
player,s or pair,s score reaches !! points.
The ser+er and recei+er must remain *ithin their ser+ice courts, *ithout touching the
boundary lines, until the ser+er strikes the shuttlecock. The other t*o players may stand
*here+er they *ish, so long as they do not block the +ision of the ser+er or recei+er.
ets
6f a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed *ith no change to the score. 9ets may occur
because of some une5pected disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on court (ha+ing been
hit there by players on an ad/acent court) or in small halls the shuttle may touch an o+erhead
rail *hich can be classed as a let.
6f the recei+er is not ready *hen the ser+ice is deli+ered, a let shall be called2 yet, if the
recei+er attempts to return the shuttlecock, he shall be /udged to ha+e been ready.
Equipment
Badminton rac&uets
Rac!ets
Badminton rackets are light*eight, *ith top &uality rac&uets *eighing bet*een "A and
'; grams ((.: to 8.8 ounces) not including grip or strings.
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They are composed of many
different materials ranging from carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid
steel, *hich may be augmented by a +ariety of materials. ?arbon fibre has an e5cellent
strength to *eight ratio, is stiff, and gi+es e5cellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the
adoption of carbon fibre composite, rac&uets *ere made of light metals such as aluminium.
-arlier still, rac&uets *ere made of *ood. ?heap rac&uets are still often made of metals such
as steel, but *ooden rac&uets are no longer manufactured for the ordinary market, because of
their e5cessi+e mass and cost. #o*adays, nanomaterials such as fullerene and carbon
nanotubes are added to rackets gi+ing them greater durability.
0citation needed1
There is a *ide +ariety of rac&uet designs, although the la*s limit the rac&uet siGe and shape.
Different rac&uets ha+e playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The traditional
o+al head shape is still a+ailable, but an isometric head shape is increasingly common in ne*
rac&uets.
Strings
Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings in the range of about A.>( to A."8 mm
thickness. Thicker strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel of thinner
strings. $tring tension is normally in the range of @A to !>A # (!@ to 8> lbf). %ecreational
players generally string at lo*er tensions than professionals, typically bet*een @A and !!A #
(!@ and (; lbf). Professionals string bet*een about !!A and !>A # ((; and 8> lbf). $ome
string manufacturers measure the thickness of their strings under tension so they are actually
thicker than specified *hen slack. .sha*ay =icropo*er is actually A."mm but Jone5 BB>>
is about A."(mm.
6t is often argued that high string tensions impro+e control, *hereas lo* string tensions
increase po*er.
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The arguments for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning, such
as claiming that a lo*er tension string bed is more bouncy and therefore pro+ides more
po*er. This is in fact incorrect, for a higher string tension can cause the shuttle to slide off the
rac&uet and hence make it harder to hit a shot accurately. .n alternati+e +ie* suggests that
the optimum tension for po*er depends on the player4
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the faster and more accurately a
player can s*ing their rac&uet, the higher the tension for ma5imum po*er. #either +ie* has
been sub/ected to a rigorous mechanical analysis, nor is there clear e+idence in fa+our of one
or the other. The most effecti+e *ay for a player to find a good string tension is to
e5periment.
"rip
The choice of grip allo*s a player to increase the thickness of their rac&uet handle and
choose a comfortable surface to hold. . player may build up the handle *ith one or se+eral
grips before applying the final layer.
Players may choose bet*een a +ariety of grip materials. The most common choices are PF
synthetic grips or to*elling grips. rip choice is a matter of personal preference. Players
often find that s*eat becomes a problem2 in this case, a drying agent may be applied to the
grip or hands, s*eatbands may be used, the player may choose another grip material or
change hisIher grip more fre&uently.
There are t*o main types of grip4 re%lacement grips and overgri%$. %eplacement grips are
thicker, and are often used to increase the siGe of the handle. 3+ergrips are thinner (less than
! mm), and are often used as the final layer. =any players, ho*e+er, prefer to use
replacement grips as the final layer. To*elling grips are al*ays replacement grips.
%eplacement grips ha+e an adhesi+e backing, *hereas o+ergrips ha+e only a small patch of
adhesi+e at the start of the tape and must be applied under tension2 o+ergrips are more
con+enient for players *ho change grips fre&uently, because they may be remo+ed more
rapidly *ithout damaging the underlying material.
$huttlecocks *ith feathers
. shuttlecock *ith a plastic skirt
Shuttlecoc!
=ain article4 $huttlecock
. shuttlecock (often abbre+iated to $huttle2 also called a &irdie) is a highBdrag pro/ectile, *ith
an open conical shape4 the cone is formed from si5teen o+erlapping feathers embedded into a
rounded cork base. The cork is co+ered *ith thin leather or synthetic material.
$ynthetic shuttles are often used by recreational players to reduce their costs as feathered
shuttles break easily. These nylon shuttles may be constructed *ith either natural cork or
synthetic foam base, and a plastic skirt.
Shoes
Badminton shoes are light*eight *ith soles of rubber or similar highBgrip, nonBmarking
materials.
?ompared to running shoes, badminton shoes ha+e little lateral support. 7igh le+els of lateral
support are useful for acti+ities *here lateral motion is undesirable and une5pected.
Badminton, ho*e+er, re&uires po*erful lateral mo+ements. . highly builtBup lateral support
*ill not be able to protect the foot in badminton2 instead, it *ill encourage catastrophic
collapse at the point *here the shoe,s support fails, and the player,s ankles are not ready for
the sudden loading, *hich can cause sprains. For this reason, players should choose
badminton shoes rather than general trainers or running shoes, because proper badminton
shoes *ill ha+e a +ery thin sole, lo*er a person,s centre of gra+ity, and therefore result in
fe*er in/uries. Players should also ensure that they learn safe and proper foot*ork, *ith the
knee and foot in alignment on all lunges. This is more than /ust a safety concern4 proper
foot*ork is also critical in order to mo+e effecti+ely around the court.
Stro!es
This section does not cite any re#erences or sources. Please help impro+e this
section by adding citations to reliable sources. Fnsourced material may be
challenged and remo+ed. 'Se%tem&er ())*+
. player flies high at the olden ate Badminton ?lub (B?) in =enlo Park, (AA>
Forehand and bac!hand
Badminton offers a *ide +ariety of basic strokes, and players re&uire a high le+el of skill to
perform all of them effecti+ely. .ll strokes can be played either forehand or &ackhand. .
player,s forehand side is the same side as their playing hand4 for a rightBhanded player, the
forehand side is their right side and the backhand side is their left side. Forehand strokes are
hit *ith the front of the hand leading (like hitting *ith the palm), *hereas backhand strokes
are hit *ith the back of the hand leading (like hitting *ith the knuckles). Players fre&uently
play certain strokes on the forehand side *ith a backhand hitting action, and +ice +ersa.
6n the forecourt and midcourt, most strokes can be played e&ually effecti+ely on either the
forehand or backhand side2 but in the rear court, players *ill attempt to play as many strokes
as possible on their forehands, often preferring to play a round,the,head forehand o+erhead (a
forehand Don the backhand sideD) rather than attempt a backhand o+erhead. Playing a
backhand o+erhead has t*o main disad+antages. First, the player must turn their back to their
opponents, restricting their +ie* of them and the court. $econd, backhand o+erheads cannot
be hit *ith as much po*er as forehands4 the hitting action is limited by the shoulder /oint,
*hich permits a much greater range of mo+ement for a forehand o+erhead than for a
backhand. The &ackhand clear is considered by most players and coaches to be the most
difficult basic stroke in the game, since precise techni&ue is needed in order to muster enough
po*er for the shuttlecock to tra+el the full length of the court. For the same reason, &ackhand
$ma$he$ tend to be *eak.
Position o# the shuttlecoc! and receiving player
. player does a forehand ser+ice, (AA', Philadelphia.
The choice of stroke depends on ho* near the shuttlecock is to the net, *hether it is abo+e
net height, and *here an opponent is currently positioned4 players ha+e much better attacking
options if they can reach the shuttlecock *ell abo+e net height, especially if it is also close to
the net. $n the #orecourt, a high shuttlecock *ill be met *ith a net kill, hitting it steeply
do*n*ards and attempting to *in the rally immediately. This is *hy it is best to drop the
shuttlecock /ust o+er the net in this situation. $n the midcourt, a high shuttlecock *ill usually
be met *ith a po*erful $ma$h, also hitting do*n*ards and hoping for an outright *inner or a
*eak reply. .thletic -um% $ma$he$, *here players /ump up*ards for a steeper smash angle,
are a common and spectacular element of elite men,s doubles play. $n the rearcourt, players
stri+e to hit the shuttlecock *hile it is still abo+e them, rather than allo*ing it to drop lo*er.
This overhead hitting allo*s them to play smashes, clear$ (hitting the shuttlecock high and to
the back of the opponents, court), and dropshots (hitting the shuttlecock so that it falls softly
do*n*ards into the opponents, forecourt). 6f the shuttlecock has dropped lo*er, then a smash
is impossible and a fullBlength, high clear is difficult.
. player prepares for a +ertical /ump smash
%ertical position o# the shuttlecoc!
&hen the shuttlecoc! is 'ell belo' net height, players ha+e no choice but to hit up*ards.
Lift$, *here the shuttlecock is hit up*ards to the back of the opponents, court, can be played
from all parts of the court. 6f a player does not lift, his only remaining option is to push the
shuttlecock softly back to the net4 in the forecourt this is called a net$hot2 in the midcourt or
rearcourt, it is often called a %u$h or &lock.
&hen the shuttlecoc! is near to net height, players can hit drive$, *hich tra+el flat and
rapidly o+er the net into the opponents, rear midcourt and rearcourt. Pushes may also be hit
flatter, placing the shuttlecock into the front midcourt. Dri+es and pushes may be played from
the midcourt or forecourt, and are most often used in doubles4 they are an attempt to regain
the attack, rather than choosing to lift the shuttlecock and defend against smashes. .fter a
successful dri+e or push, the opponents *ill often be forced to lift the shuttlecock.
Other #actors
&hen de#ending against a smash, players ha+e three basic options4 lift, block, or dri+e. 6n
singles, a block to the net is the most common reply. 6n doubles, a lift is the safest option but
it usually allo*s the opponents to continue smashing2 blocks and dri+es are counterBattacking
strokes, but may be intercepted by the smasher,s partner. =any players use a backhand hitting
action for returning smashes on both the forehand and backhand sides, because backhands are
more effecti+e than forehands at co+ering smashes directed to the body. 7ard shots directed
to*ards the body are difficult to defend.
The service is restricted by the 9a*s and presents its o*n array of stroke choices. Fnlike in
tennis, the ser+er,s racket must be pointing in a do*n*ard direction to deli+er the ser+e so
normally the shuttle must be hit up*ards to pass o+er the net. The ser+er can choose a low
$erve into the forecourt (like a push), or a lift to the back of the ser+ice court, or a flat drive
$erve. 9ifted ser+es may be either high $erve$, *here the shuttlecock is lifted so high that it
falls almost +ertically at the back of the court, or flick $erve$, *here the shuttlecock is lifted
to a lesser height but falls sooner.
(eception
3nce players ha+e mastered these basic strokes, they can hit the shuttlecock from and to any
part of the court, po*erfully and softly as re&uired. Beyond the basics, ho*e+er, badminton
offers rich potential for ad+anced stroke skills that pro+ide a competiti+e ad+antage. Because
badminton players ha+e to co+er a short distance as &uickly as possible, the purpose of many
ad+anced strokes is to decei+e the opponent, so that either he is tricked into belie+ing that a
different stroke is being played, or he is forced to delay his mo+ement until he actually sees
the shuttle,s direction. DDeceptionD in badminton is often used in both of these senses. When a
player is genuinely decei+ed, he *ill often lose the point immediately because he cannot
change his direction &uickly enough to reach the shuttlecock. -5perienced players *ill be
a*are of the trick and cautious not to mo+e too early, but the attempted deception is still
useful because it forces the opponent to delay his mo+ement slightly. .gainst *eaker players
*hose intended strokes are ob+ious, an e5perienced player may mo+e before the shuttlecock
has been hit, anticipating the stroke to gain an ad+antage.
Slicing and using a $hortened hitting action are the t*o main technical de+ices that facilitate
deception. $licing in+ol+es hitting the shuttlecock *ith an angled rac&uet face, causing it to
tra+el in a different direction than suggested by the body or arm mo+ement. $licing also
causes the shuttlecock to tra+el more slo*ly than the arm mo+ement suggests. For e5ample, a
good crosscourt $liced dro%$hot *ill use a hitting action that suggests a straight clear or
smash, decei+ing the opponent about both the po*er and direction of the shuttlecock. . more
sophisticated slicing action in+ol+es brushing the strings around the shuttlecock during the
hit, in order to make the shuttlecock spin. This can be used to impro+e the shuttle,s tra/ectory,
by making it dip more rapidly as it passes the net2 for e5ample, a sliced lo* ser+e can tra+el
slightly faster than a normal lo* ser+e, yet land on the same spot. $pinning the shuttlecock is
also used to create $%inning net$hot$ (also called tum&ling net$hot$), in *hich the shuttlecock
turns o+er itself se+eral times (tumbles) before stabiliGing2 sometimes the shuttlecock remains
in+erted instead of tumbling. The main ad+antage of a spinning netshot is that the opponent
*ill be un*illing to address the shuttlecock until it has stopped tumbling, since hitting the
feathers *ill result in an unpredictable stroke. $pinning netshots are especially important for
high le+el singles players.
The lightness of modern rac&uets allo*s players to use a +ery short hitting action for many
strokes, thereby maintaining the option to hit a po*erful or a soft stroke until the last possible
moment. For e5ample, a singles player may hold his rac&uet ready for a netshot, but then
flick the shuttlecock to the back instead *ith a shallo* lift *hen she or he notices the
opponent has mo+ed before the actual shot *as played. . shallo* lift takes less time to reach
the ground and as mentioned abo+e a rally is o+er *hen the shuttlecock touches the ground.
This makes the opponent,s task of co+ering the *hole court much more difficult than if the
lift *as hit higher and *ith a bigger, ob+ious s*ing. . short hitting action is not only useful
for deception4 it also allo*s the player to hit po*erful strokes *hen he has no time for a big
arm s*ing. . big arm s*ing is also usually not ad+ised in badminton because bigger s*ings
make it more difficult to reco+er for the ne5t shot in fast e5changes. The use of grip
tightening is crucial to these techni&ues, and is often described as finger %ower. -lite players
de+elop finger po*er to the e5tent that they can hit some po*er strokes, such as net kills,
*ith less than a !A cm (: in) rac&uet s*ing.
6t is also possible to re+erse this style of deception, by suggesting a po*erful stroke before
slo*ing do*n the hitting action to play a soft stroke. 6n general, this latter style of deception
is more common in the rearcourt (for e5ample, dropshots disguised as smashes), *hereas the
former style is more common in the forecourt and midcourt (for e5ample, lifts disguised as
netshots).
Deception is not limited to slicing and short hitting actions. Players may also use dou&le
motion, *here they make an initial rac&uet mo+ement in one direction before *ithdra*ing
the rac&uet to hit in another direction. Players *ill often do this to send opponents in the
*rong direction. The rac&uet mo+ement is typically used to suggest a straight angle but then
play the stroke cross court, or +ice +ersa. ri%le motion is also possible, but this is +ery rare in
actual play. .n alternati+e to double motion is to use a rac.uet head fake, *here the initial
motion is continued but the rac&uet is turned during the hit. This produces a smaller change
in direction, but does not re&uire as much time.
Strategy
This section does not cite any re#erences or sources. Please help impro+e this
section by adding citations to reliable sources. Fnsourced material may be
challenged and remo+ed. 'Se%tem&er ())*+
To *in in badminton, players need to employ a *ide +ariety of strokes in the right situations.
These range from po*erful /umping smashes to delicate tumbling net returns. 3ften rallies
finish *ith a smash, but setting up the smash re&uires subtler strokes. For e5ample, a netshot
can force the opponent to lift the shuttlecock, *hich gi+es an opportunity to smash. 6f the
netshot is tight and tumbling, then the opponent,s lift *ill not reach the back of the court,
*hich makes the subse&uent smash much harder to return.
Deception is also important. -5pert players prepare for many different strokes that look
identical, and use slicing to decei+e their opponents about the speed or direction of the stroke.
6f an opponent tries to anticipate the stroke, he may mo+e in the *rong direction and may be
unable to change his body momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock.
(oubles
Both pairs *ill try to gain and maintain the attack, smashing do*n*ards *hen possible.
Whene+er possible, a pair *ill adopt an ideal attacking formation *ith one player hitting
do*n from the rearcourt, and his partner in the midcourt intercepting all smash returns e5cept
the lift. 6f the rearcourt attacker plays a dropshot, his partner *ill mo+e into the forecourt to
threaten the net reply. 6f a pair cannot hit do*n*ards, they *ill use flat strokes in an attempt
to gain the attack. 6f a pair is forced to lift or clear the shuttlecock, then they must defend4
they *ill adopt a sideBbyBside position in the rear midcourt, to co+er the full *idth of their
court against the opponents, smashes. 6n doubles, players generally smash to the middle
ground bet*een t*o players in order to take ad+antage of confusion and clashes.
.t high le+els of play, the backhand ser+e has become popular to the e5tent that forehand
ser+es ha+e become fairly rare at a high le+el of play. The straight lo* ser+e is used most
fre&uently, in an attempt to pre+ent the opponents gaining the attack immediately. Flick
ser+es are used to pre+ent the opponent from anticipating the lo* ser+e and attacking it
decisi+ely.
.t high le+els of play, doubles rallies are e5tremely fast. =en,s doubles is the most
aggressi+e form of badminton, *ith a high proportion of po*erful /ump smashes and +ery
&uick refle5 e5changes. Because of this, spectator interest is sometimes greater for men,s
doubles than for singles.
. mi5ed doubles game ) $cottish $chools under !(s tournament, Tranent, =ay (AA(
Singles
The singles court is narro*er than the doubles court, but the same length. $ince one person
needs to co+er the entire court, singles tactics are based on forcing the opponent to mo+e as
much as possible2 this means that singles strokes are normally directed to the corners of the
court. Players e5ploit the length of the court by combining lifts and clears *ith drop shots and
net shots. $mashing tends to be less prominent in singles than in doubles because the smasher
has no partner to follo* up his effort and is thus +ulnerable to a skillfully placed return.
=oreo+er, fre&uent smashing can be e5hausting in singles *here the conser+ation of a
player,s energy is at a premium. 7o*e+er, players *ith strong smashes *ill sometimes use
the shot to create openings, and players commonly smash *eak returns to try to end rallies.
6n singles, players *ill often start the rally *ith a forehand high ser+e or *ith a flick ser+e.
9o* ser+es are also used fre&uently, either forehand or backhand. Dri+e ser+es are rare.
.t high le+els of play, singles demands e5traordinary fitness. $ingles is a game of patient
positional manoeu+ring, unlike the allBout aggression of doubles.
)i*ed doubles
6n mi5ed doubles, both pairs typically try to maintain an attacking formation *ith the *oman
at the front and the man at the back. This is because the male players are usually substantially
stronger, and can therefore produce smashes that are more po*erful. .s a result, mi5ed
doubles re&uire greater tactical a*areness and subtler positional play. ?le+er opponents *ill
try to re+erse the ideal position, by forcing the *oman to*ards the back or the man to*ards
the front. 6n order to protect against this danger, mi5ed players must be careful and systematic
in their shot selection.
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.t high le+els of play, the formations *ill generally be more fle5ible4 the top *omen players
are capable of playing po*erfully from the backBcourt, and *ill happily do so if re&uired.
When the opportunity arises, ho*e+er, the pair *ill s*itch back to the standard mi5ed
attacking position, *ith the *oman in front and men in the back.
"overning bodies
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the internationally recogniGed go+erning body of
the sport. Fi+e regional confederations are associated *ith the BWF4
.sia4 Badminton .sia ?onfederation (B.?)
.frica4 Badminton ?onfederation of .frica (B?.)
.mericas4 Badminton Pan .m (#orth .merica and $outh .merica belong to the same
confederation2 BP.)
-urope4 Badminton -urope (B-)
3ceania4 Badminton 3ceania (B3)
Competitions
. men,s doubles match. The blue lines are those for the badminton court. The other coloured
lines denote uses for other sports ) such comple5ity being common in multiBuse sports halls.
The BWF organiGes se+eral international competitions, including the Thomas ?up, the
premier men,s international team e+ent first held in !':@)!':', and the Fber ?up, the
*omen,s e&ui+alent first held in !';>)!';". The competitions no* take place once e+ery t*o
years. =ore than ;A national teams compete in &ualifying tournaments *ithin continental
confederations for a place in the finals. The final tournament in+ol+es !( teams, follo*ing an
increase from eight teams in (AA:.
The $udirman ?up, a genderBmi5ed international team e+ent held once e+ery t*o years,
began in !'@'. Teams are di+ided into se+en le+els based on the performance of each country.
To *in the tournament, a country must perform *ell across all fi+e disciplines (men,s doubles
and singles, *omen,s doubles and singles, and mi5ed doubles). 9ike association football
(soccer), it features a promotion and relegation system in e+ery le+el.
Badminton *as a demonstration e+ent in the !'"( and !'@@ $ummer 3lympics. 6t became an
official $ummer 3lympic sport at the Barcelona 3lympics in !''( and its gold medals no*
generally rate as the sport,s most co+eted priGes for indi+idual players.
6n the BWF World ?hampionships, first held in !'"", currently only the highest ranked >:
players in the *orld, and a ma5imum of four from each country, can participate in any
category. 6n both the 3lympic and BWF World competitions restrictions on the number of
participants from any one country ha+e caused some contro+ersy because they sometimes
result in e5cluding elite *orld le+el players from the strongest badminton nations. The
Thomas, Fber, and $udirman ?ups, the 3lympics, and the BWF World (and World Cunior
?hampionships), are all categoriGed as le+el one tournaments.
.t the start of (AA", the BWF introduced a ne* tournament structure for the highest le+el
tournaments aside from those in le+el one4 the BWF $uper $eries. This le+el t*o tournament
series, a tour for the *orld,s elite players, stages t*el+e open tournaments around the *orld
*ith 8( players (half the pre+ious limit). The players collect points that determine *hether
they can play in $uper $eries Final held at the year end. .mong the tournaments in this series
is the +enerable .llB-ngland ?hampionships, first held in !'AA, *hich *as once considered
the unofficial *orld championships of the sport.
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9e+el three tournaments consist of rand Pri5 old and rand Pri5 e+ent. Top players can
collect the *orld ranking points and enable them to play in the BWF $uper $eries open
tournaments. These include the regional competitions in .sia (Badminton .sia
?hampionships) and -urope (-uropean Badminton ?hampionships), *hich produce the
*orld,s best players as *ell as the Pan .merica Badminton ?hampionships.
The le+el four tournaments, kno*n as 6nternational ?hallenge, 6nternational $eries and
Future $eries, encourage participation by /unior players.
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Comparisons 'ith other racquet sports
This section possibly contains original research. Please impro+e it by +erifying the
claims made and adding inline citations. $tatements consisting only of original
research should be remo+ed. '"a/ ()1)+
Badminton is fre&uently compared to tennis. The follo*ing is a list of uncontentious
comparisons4
6n badminton a match consist of 8 games and each game is played up to (! points. 6n
tennis a match consist of > games and each game is played up to : points. 6f both team
are tied for Dgame pointD, they must play until one team achie+es a t*o point
ad+antage. 7o*e+er, the ma5imum point that a badminton game can go up to is 8A
points. 6n tennis, if *e assume both players are scoring DdeucesD, then there is no
ma5imum point, as the game must continue until a player recei+es a t*o point
ad+antage to be declared the *inner.
6n tennis, the ball may bounce once before the player hits it2 in badminton, the rally
ends once the shuttlecock touches the floor.
6n tennis, the ser+e is dominant to the e5tent that the ser+er is e5pected to *in most of
his ser+ice games (at ad+anced le+el K on*ards)2 a &reak of ser+ice, *here the ser+er
loses the game, is of ma/or importance in a match. 6n badminton a ser+er has far less
ad+antage, and is unlikely to score an ,ace, (unreturnable ser+e).
6n tennis, the ser+er is allo*ed t*o attempts to make a correct ser+e2 in badminton,
the ser+er is allo*ed only one attempt.
The tennis court is larger than the badminton court.
Tennis rac&uets are about four times as hea+y as badminton rac&uets, !A)!( ounces
(appro5imately (@:)8:A grams) +ersus ()8 ounces ("A)!A; grams).
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Tennis balls
are more than ele+en times hea+ier than shuttlecocks, ;" grams +ersus ; grams.
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The fastest recorded tennis stroke is $amuel roth,s !>8.: mph ((>8 kmIh) ser+e,
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*hereas the fastest badminton stroke during gameplay *as Fu 7aifeng,s (A> mph
(88( kmIh) recorded smash.
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Comparisons o# speed and athletic requirements
$tatistics such as the smash speed, abo+e, prompt badminton enthusiasts to make other
comparisons that are more contentious. For e5ample, it is often claimed that badminton is the
fastest rac&uet sport.
0citation needed1
.lthough badminton holds the record for the fastest initial
speed of a racket sports pro/ectile, the shuttlecock decelerates substantially faster than other
pro/ectiles such as tennis balls. 6n turn, this &ualification must be &ualified by consideration
of the distance o+er *hich the shuttlecock tra+els4 a smashed shuttlecock tra+els a shorter
distance than a tennis ball during a ser+e. Badminton,s claim as the fastest rac&uet sport
might also be based on reaction time re&uirements, but arguably table tennis re&uires e+en
faster reaction times.
While fans of badminton and tennis often claim that their sport is the more physically
demanding, such comparisons are difficult to make ob/ecti+ely because of the differing
demands of the games. #o formal study currently e5ists e+aluating the physical condition of
the players or demands during game play.
Comparisons o# technique
Badminton and tennis techni&ues differ substantially. The lightness of the shuttlecock and of
badminton rackets allo* badminton players to make use of the *rist and fingers much more
than tennis players2 in tennis the *rist is normally held stable, and playing *ith a mobile
*rist may lead to in/ury. For the same reasons, badminton players can generate po*er from a
short racket s*ing4 for some strokes such as net kills, an elite player,s s*ing may be less than
; cm (( in). For strokes that re&uire more po*er, a longer s*ing *ill typically be used, but
the badminton racket s*ing *ill rarely be as long as a typical tennis s*ing.
6t is often asserted that po*er in badminton strokes comes mainly from the *rist. This is a
misconception and may be criticised for t*o reasons. First, it is strictly speaking a category
error4 the *rist is a /oint, not a muscle2 the forearm muscles control its mo+ement. $econd,
*rist mo+ements are *eak *hen compared to forearm or upper arm mo+ements. Badminton
biomechanics ha+e not been the sub/ect of e5tensi+e scientific study, but some studies
confirm the minor role of the *rist in po*er generation, and indicate that the ma/or
contributions to po*er come from internal and e5ternal rotations of the upper and lo*er arm.
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=odern coaching resources such as the Badminton 0ngland echni.ue 121 reflect these
ideas by emphasising forearm rotation rather than *rist mo+ements.
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(istinctive characteristics o# the shuttlecoc!
The shuttlecock differs greatly from the balls used in most other rac&uet sports.
+erodynamic drag and stability
The feathers impart substantial drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate greatly o+er
distance. The shuttlecock is also e5tremely aerodynamically stable4 regardless of initial
orientation, it *ill turn to fly corkBfirst, and remain in the corkBfirst orientation.
3ne conse&uence of the shuttlecock,s drag is that it re&uires considerable skill to hit it the full
length of the court, *hich is not the case for most rac&uet sports. The drag also influences the
flight path of a lifted (lo&&ed) shuttlecock4 the parabola of its flight is hea+ily ske*ed so that
it falls at a steeper angle than it rises. With +ery high ser+es, the shuttlecock may e+en fall
+ertically.
Spin
Balls may be spun to alter their bounce (for e5ample, topspin and backspin in tennis) or
tra/ectory, and players may slice the ball (strike it *ith an angled racket face) to produce such
spin2 but, since the shuttlecock is not allo*ed to bounce, this does not apply to badminton.
$licing the shuttlecock so that it spins, ho*e+er, does ha+e applications, and some are
particular to badminton. ($ee Basic strokes for an e5planation of technical terms.)
$licing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to tra+el in a different direction
from the direction suggested by the player,s racket or body mo+ement. This is used to
decei+e opponents.
$licing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to follo* a slightly cur+ed path (as
seen from abo+e), and the deceleration imparted by the spin causes sliced strokes to
slo* do*n more suddenly to*ards the end of their flight path. This can be used to
create dropshots and smashes that dip more steeply after they pass the net.
When playing a netshot, slicing underneath the shuttlecock may cause it to turn o+er
itself (tumble) se+eral times as it passes the net. This is called a $%inning net$hot or
tum&ling net$hot. The opponent *ill be un*illing to address the shuttlecock until it
has corrected its orientation.
Due to the *ay that its feathers o+erlap, a shuttlecock also has a slight natural spin about its
a5is of rotational symmetry. The spin is in a counterBclock*ise direction as seen from abo+e
*hen dropping a shuttlecock. This natural spin affects certain strokes4 a tumbling netshot is
more effecti+e if the slicing action is from right to left, rather than from left to right.
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