Lesson 1.

History and

Development of Badminton

BADMINTON

 is a racket sport played by two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take
positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court divided by a net.
 Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racket so that it passes over the net and lands in
their opponents' half of the court.
 A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, and the shuttlecock may only be struck once by
each side before it passes over the net.

SHUTTLECOCK (OR SHUTTLE OR BIRDIE)

 a feathered projectile whose unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently from the balls used in
most racket sports; in particular, the feathers create a much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to
decelerate more rapidly than a ball.
 Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed when compared to other racket sports.
 As the shuttlecock flight is stubbornly affected by wind, competitive badminton is always played indoors.
 Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or beach game.

Since 1992,

 badminton has been an Olympic sport with five events:

o men's and women's singles
o men's and women's doubles
o and mixed doubles, in which each pair is a man and a woman.
 At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness:
o players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision.
 It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racket
movements.

 Badminton first appeared in the Olympic Games as a demonstration sport in 1972 and as an exhibition
sport in 1988.
 At the 1992 Games, it became a full-medal Olympic sport, with competition for men’s and women’s
singles (one against one) and doubles (two against two).
 Mixed doubles were introduced at the 1996 Games.

History and Development of Badminton

BADMINTON

 was known in ancient times; an early form of the sport was played in ancient Greece.
 In Japan, the related game Hanetsuki was played as early as the 16th century.
 In West, badminton came from a game called battledore and shuttlecock, in which two or more players
keep a feathered shuttlecock in the air with small rackets.
 Game was called Poona in India during the 18th century
 British Army officers stationed there took a competitive Indian version back to England in the 1860s,
where it was played at country houses as an upper-class amusement.
ISAAC SPRATT

 a London toy dealer, published a booklet, "Badminton Battledore - a new game" in 1860, but
unfortunately, no copy has survived.

1873 at the Badminton House, Gloucestershire

 The new sport was launched

 owned by the Duke of Beaufort.
 During that time, the game was referred to as "The Game of Badminton," and the game's official name
became Badminton.

1887

 the sport was played in England under the rules that prevailed in India.
 The Bath Badminton Club standardized the rules and made the game applicable to English ideas.
 The basic regulations were drawn up

1893

the Badminton Association of England published the first set of rules according to these regulations, similar to
today's rules, and officially launched badminton in a house called "Dunbar" at 6 Waverley Grove, Portsmouth,
England on September 13 of that year.

1899.

 They started the All-England Open Badminton Championships, the first badminton competition in the
world
 They also started the All-England Open Badminton Championships, the first badminton competition in the
world,

THE INTERNATIONAL BADMINTON FEDERATION (IBF) (NOW KNOWN AS

BADMINTON WORLD FEDERATION)

 was established in 1934

 founding members
o Canada
o Denmark
o England
o France
o the Netherlands
o Ireland
o New Zealand
o Scotland
o Wales
 India joined as an affiliate in 1936.
 The BWF now governs international badminton and develops the sport globally.

While originated in England, international badminton has traditionally been dominated by a few Asian countries,
plus Denmark from Europe. China, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia are among the nations that have
consistently produced world-class players in the past few decades and dominated competitions on the
international level, with China being the most dominant in recent years.

MILESTONES OF PHILIPPINE BADMINTON

The recent boom of badminton in the Philippines does not mean that badminton is a totally new sport in the country.
Let us take a look at some of the milestones of Philippine Badminton.

➢ 1950 - The Philippines became the 21st member country of the International Badminton Federation (IBF)

➢ 1952 - The Philippine Badminton Association (PBA), organized by 28 badminton clubs, became the first
national badminton group.

➢ 1962 - Johnny Yan and Stephen Cheng were the country’s first doubles champions at the Hong Kong
Open.
➢ 1966 - A Philippine team achieved its first team championship in the men’s division of the 1966 Triangular
Meet in Vietnam.

➢ 1981 - Philippine badminton team participated in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

➢ 1984 -The Philippine Badminton team made its first appearance in the Thomas Cup Competitions.

➢ 1992 - Melvin Llanes became the first Philippine champion at the Prince Asian Juniors Championship for
the 16-under age group.

➢ 1995 - In the Australian International Championship (an IBF-sanctioned tournament), Weena Lim and
Kennie Asuncion were the first Philippine entry (ladies’ doubles) to win gold.

➢ 2001 - At the Bangkok Open, Kennevic Asuncion became the first bronze medalist in the men’s singles and
with sister Kennie in the mixed doubles individual event.

➢ 2002 - Kennivic Asuncion was the first Philippine silver medalist in the 11th Asian University games for the
men’s singles individual event held at the Ateneo de Manila.

➢ 2003 - At the 13th World Championship held in Birmingham England, Kennevic and Kennie Asuncion
were the first Philippine players to qualify and participate in both men’s singles and mixed doubles individual
events.

Lesson 2. Benefits, Terminologies, Facilities and Equipment of Badminton

BENEFITS OF BADMINTON

Badminton offers a whole host of benefits ranging from increasing life expectancy and mobility to promoting heart
health and exercise for all ages and abilities.:

1. Badminton is a Total Body Workout.

2. Socializing.

3. Badminton Improves Your Mental Wellbeing

4. Heart Health

5. Badminton helps Reduce Health Risks

6. Increased Life Expectancy

7. Improved Mobility

8. Badminton is a Flexible Exercise

9. Child Friendly

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

BADMINTON RACQUET OR RACKET

 which is the official term adopted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF)
 is a simple-to-handle, light piece of equipment which forms the basis of the sport.
 While there are multiple lengths and sizes of the badminton racket for kids, adults, and casual use,
professional badminton players have to use rackets of a certain specified length and width.
 Let’s take a look at the specifications set by the BWF.
o The badminton racket has five major parts to it
the stringed area
the head
 the throat
the shaft
the handle.
 The racket in its entirety is called a frame.
The frame can have a maximum length of 680mm while
the overall width is restricted to 230mm.

STRINGED AREA

 This is quite self-explanatory

 it is the netted part of the badminton racket with which the player intends to hit the shuttlecock.
 The BWF rules stipulate that the stringed area should be flat, and the pattern of cross strings should be
alternatively interlaced where they cross with each other.
 The string pattern is advised to be uniform in nature and not
dense – more amount of string means lesser string tension
– at any part of the stringed area.
 The overall length of the string should not
exceed 280mm while the overall width needs
to be maintained within 220mm.

THE HEAD

 The area which bounds the stringed area is called ‘the head’ of the badminton racket.
 Now, the shape of the head is generally oval (which is used by professional players who usually prefer
more power on their shots). However, there is also another shape called the ‘isometric head’ (which means
that the racket is broader at the top.)
 The wider nature means that there is a bigger ‘sweet spot’ – the part of the racket which meets the shuttle
best - allowing players more chances of hitting the shuttle better. However, this is generally used by
amateur badminton players and not by pros.

THE THROAT

 This is the part of the racket which supports the

head by providing a steady base and connects the
head to the shaft.
 This is an optional part, as some badminton rackets
directly connect the head to the shaft.
 In rackets that have no throat, the stringed area can
be extended.
 However, the extended limit can have a maximum
width of 35mm while it should simultaneously ensure
that the overall length of the stringed area does not
exceed 330mm.

THE SHAFT

 the part of the racket which links the handle to

the head, or in some cases the throat of the
badminton racket.
 There are no specifications stated for the length
or width of the shaft.

THE HANDLE

 The bottom-most part of the racket gripped by the player, the handle is arguably the most important
cog.
  The ease of grip on the handle for a player often determines how comfortable the player is with the racket
and can decide the performance on the day of professional players.
 There are no specifications for the length or width of the handle, with each player customizing it to their
needs.

the BWF laws also state that the racket should not have any attached objects and protrusions other than to prevent
wear and tear of the racket, applying short tape to the stringed area for example, to distribute weight or to secure the
handle by a cord to the player’s hand, provided such measures are reasonable in size and placement.

The badminton racket should also be of a fixed, elongated shape and should not be attached to any devices that can
materially change the shape of the racket.

BADMINTON SHUTTLECOCK (ALSO CALLED SHUTTLE OR BIRDIE)

 is the projectile that is used in badminton.

 It makes badminton special and different from the rest of racket sports, where usually a ball is used as a
projectile.
 is formed by feathers (or a synthetic alternative) that are attached to a rounded cork base. These feathers
form an open conical shape which is aerodynamically stable. No matter the initial orientation, the shuttle
will always fly with the cork base first.

According to the BWF (Badminton World Federation), the dimensions of a shuttlecock must be as

follows:

 The body shall have a uniform length between 62 mm (2.5 inches) to 70 mm (2.75 inches) when measured
from the tip to the top of the base.
 The tip of the body shall lie on a circle with a diameter from 58 mm (2.3 inches) to 68 mm (2.7 inches).
 The body shall be fastened firmly with thread or other suitable material.
 The base shall be 25 mm (1 inch) to 28 mm (1.1 inches) in diameter and rounded on the bottom.

The shuttle has to weigh between 4.74 and 5.50 grams or between 0.17 and 0.19 ounces.

BADMINTON COURT

 usually laid on a wooden floor with synthetic mats used as the surface of the court.
 The courts are meant to provide cushion and comfort to shuttlers who crisscross the playing surface to
deceive their opponents with smashes and clever strokes to win points.
 Hence keeping the court surface prim and proper is mandatory.
 A badminton court provides for two types of competition -- singles and doubles. The lines of the court are
accordingly drawn.

Badminton court size

 As per the guidelines laid down by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the length of a standard
badminton court remains the same - 13.40m (44 feet) - for both types of competitions.
 width differs:
o singles court – till 5.18m (17 feet), denoted by the side lines,
o doubles court - extended to 6.1m (20 feet), marked as the doubles sidelines.
 The full court measures 14.723m diagonally.
 The court has two halves measuring 6.7m (22 feet) each
 badminton net a height of 1.55m (5 feet 1in) at the ends and dips to 1.52m (5 feet) in the middle.
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  The two playing areas on either side of the net are further vertically divided down the middle demarking
the service areas. This means a badminton court has four service courts each of which is 3.88m (12.72 feet)
long and 2.53m (8.3 feet) wide.
 With laws of badminton dictating specific rules for service in badminton, the court has two service lines,
o short service line, which is 1.98m (6.5 feet) from the net,
o long service line 0.72m (2.36 feet) in from the baseline,
 In singles, the service needs to be beyond the short service line and within the boundary lines while in the
doubles game, the service should be beyond the short service line but it’s the long service line that acts as
the marker on the backcourt. This means, in doubles the serve length is shorter than in singles.

TERMINOLOGIES

Backcourt - The back third of the badminton court.

Bird/Birdie - Another name for the shuttlecock.

Center position - Also known as the base position, the central area of the court where ideally a single player wants
to return after each shot.

Clear - A shot hit deep in the back of the opponent's court.

Cross-court - A shot hit diagonally over the net, from one side to the other.

Double hit - Hitting the shuttle twice (a fault).

Drop shot - A soft shot played with touch, so the shuttle falls close to the net on the opponent's side.

Drive - A powerful shot placed just over the top of the net.

Fault - A violation or infraction of the rules.

Flick - A quick movement of the wrist and forearm that changes a soft shot into a harder one; mostly used when
serving or close to the net.

Forecourt - front third of the court, between the net and the short-service line.

Kill - A hard, downward shot that is not returnable by the opponent

Let - A call by the umpire to restart a point. This occurs when the server serves before the receiver is ready, the
shuttle disintegrates during play, and an accidental distraction occurs.

Mid-court - The middle third of the court.

Push shot - A soft shot executed by "pushing" the shuttle with small wrist movement.

Rally - An exchange of shots following the serve.

Smash - A hard, powerful overhead shot sending the shuttlecock downward to the opponent's side.

Lesson 3. Basic Skills in Badminton

The Four Basic Grips

One of the most common mistakes we see that impact a player’s success on the court is their grip choice. It is
important to learn the correct grips as the wrong grip can reduce your power, minimize the control of your shots and
increase the risk of injury.

The 4 grips used in badminton are:

o Forehand grip
o Backhand grip
o Bevel grip
o Panhandle grip

FOREHAND GRIP

 The easiest way to learn the forehand grip is to pretend you are shaking someone’s hand.

Your fingers should be loosely around the grip, and this is important for all 4 grips. If you are gripping the racket
too tightly, then it becomes much more difficult to quickly change between grips when necessary in the middle of a
rally. A tight grip will also limit your ability to generate control and power in your shots.

The forehand grip is used for:

o Forehand clears, smashes, and drops

o Forehand drives
o Forehand lifts
o Forehand net shots

BACKHAND GRIP

 The easiest way to learn the backhand grip is to set up with your thumb on top of the wider section of
the grip, with your strings facing the floor & ceiling like in the photo below.
 Your fingers should be relaxed around the side.

The backhand grip is used for:

o Backhand drives
o Backhand lifts
o Backhand net shots
o Backhand serves
o Doubles defense

The backhand grip shouldn’t be used when playing backhand shots in the rear court

BEVEL GRIP

 you can start in a backhand grip and move your racket head around so that your strings are now facing
diagonally, and your thumb is on the ridge/bevel. You would move the racket anti-clockwise from your
backhand grip if you are right-handed, and clockwise from this position if you are left-handed.

The bevel grip is used for

o Backhand rear-court shots

(clears, drops and smashes)
o Some forehand and backhand net shots
(depending on your positioning)
o Some singles defense if you are really stretched

 You need to have a different thumb position depending on where you are making contact with the shuttle
on your backhand side, this is why the bevel grip is used.
 If the shuttle is level with you or in front you would use a standard backhand grip with thumb on top
like in the backhand grip section.
 If the shuttle is behind you (like it should be when taking a rear-court backhand shot), then you should
have a bevel grip with your thumb further around. This allows you to play an accurate and powerful
shot from this position.
 If the shuttle is really far behind you then you should move the grip around to a panhandle grip.
PANHANDLE GRIP

 The panhandle grip is where you have the thumb on the side of the racket, pinching the sides with
your thumb and fingers\
 The panhandle grip is the one that actually comes most naturally to beginners because it’s easy to hit
overhead shots with – but contrary to what many players use this for, the

panhandle grip is used for:

o Late backhand rear-court shots

o Retrieving a net cord on the backhand side
o Some net kills or drives depending on your
position and preference

THE FOUR TYPES OF SERVICE