Michelle L.

Manales ABM11-Joshua

A Brief History of Badminton

A badminton-like game was known in ancient Greece and Egypt - a game called battledore and
shuttlecock - in which two players hit a feathered shuttlecock back and forth with tiny rackets.

The game was played in India during the 18th Century, at which time it was called "Poona" . In
the 1860s it was adopted by British Army officers stationed in India. The officers took the game
back to England, where it became a success at a party given by the Duke of Beaufort in 1873 at
his estate called "Badminton" in Gloucestershire.

A variation of Badminton which has been developed only recently, Speed Badminton or
Speedminton, is played without a net, and is gaining popularity, especially in Germany.

Badminton Equipment
To play badminton, players will need a net, a shuttlecock, and at least two rackets. The net
crosses the center of the badminton court. It needs to be 5 feet 1 inch high at both ends and 5
feet high in the center. The posts must be at the farthest sidelines, 20 feet apart, for both singles
and doubles play.

Rackets may be made of lots of materials, but modern badminton rackets are usually made of a
carbon fiber composite. A square head is traditional, but many use an oval head shape now.
The length must be no more than 680 millimeters and width must be no more than 230 mm.
The head must be no more than 280 mm in length and 220 mm in width.

Badminton Terms
Alley - side-extension of the court by l½ feet on both sides that is used for doubles play.

Back Alley - Area between the back boundary line and the long service line for doubles.
Backcourt - the back third of the court, in the area of the back boundary lines.

Baseline - Back boundary line at each end of the court, that runs parallel to the net.

Bird or birdie - another name for the shuttlecock

Carry - An illegal tactic, also called a sling or throw, in which the shuttle is caught and held on
the racket and then slung during the execution of a stroke.

Center Line - Line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right service courts.

Clear - A shot hit deep to the opponent’s back court.

Court - Area of play, as defined by the outer boundary lines.

Drive - A fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net.

Drop - A shot hit sohly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close to the net on the opponent’s
side.

Fault - A violation of the playing rules, either in serving, receiving, or during play (see common
faults listed below).

Flick - A quick wrist and forearm rotation that surprises an opponent by changing an
apparently soft shot into a faster passing one; used primarily on the serve and at the net.

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

Hairpin Net Shot - Shot made from below and very close to the net with the shuttle rising, just
clearing the net, and then dropping sharply down the other side. The shuttle’s flight
approximates the shape of a hairpin.

Halfcourt Shot - A shot hit low and to midcourt, used effectively in doubles against the up-
and-back formation.

Kill - Fast, downward shot that cannot be returned; a "putaway."

Let - A legitimate cessation of play to allow a rally to be replayed.

Long Service Line - In singles, the back boundary line. In doubles a line 2 l/2 feet inside the
back boundary line. The serve may not go past this line.

Match - A series of games (at U.S. Olympic Festival-’93 it is three out of five), to determine a
winner. Midcourt - The middle third of the court, halfway between the net and the back
boundary line.

Net Shot - Shot hit from the forecourt that just clears the net and drops sharply.

Push Shot - Gentle shot played by pushing the shuttle with little wrist motion, usually from net
or midcourt to the opponent’s midcourt.

Racket - Instrument used by playerto hit shuttlecock Weight:About3 ounces. Length: 27 inches.
Made of: Ceramic, graphite, or boron frame; beef-gut string. Cost: $60-$175 (unstrung).

Rally – this occurs when the players hit the bird back and forth several times before one side
scores a point

Serve or Service – players put the shuttlecock into play for points by “serving” it to opponents,
hitting it over the net into a special part of the court near their opponent

Service Court - Area into which the serve must be delivered. Different for singles and doubles
play.

Short Service Line - The line 6 l/2 feet from the net which a serve must reach to be legal.

Shuttlecock - thje name for the object that players hit, made of a ball of cork or rubber with a
crown of feathers in an open conical shape.

Smash – when a shuttle is floated high into the air, a player has time to unleash a powerful
overhand shot straight to the floor of the opposing court

Wood Shot - Shot that results when the base of the shuttle is hit by the frame of the racket.
Once illegal, this shot was ruled acceptable by the International Badminton Federation in 1963.
 Stretching and Cool-down Exercises for
Badminton
There practically isn’t a difference between a professional and a beginner’s warm up. First of
all, you need to get your heart rate up. This can be easily done by some jogging or other light
activity whose main objective is to warm up your body, to send the first message that
something is going to happen. Feel free to jog around the court and once it seems boring you
can do some jumping jacks or a few rounds on a skipping rope. This part is entirely up to you,
do an activity you are currently in the mood for. Approximately 2-3 minutes should be enough
to get your heart working. The basic idea of warm up is to ease joints and increase blood flow
into muscles. But a warm up doesn’t only have this function, it can also serve as a way to
prepare yourself mentally for the match. You can approach it as some kind of meditation and
get into the right mindset which is necessary to be successful in a match. In addition, as
mentioned before it has also a preventive capacity. Thanks to warm ups and stretching you can
avoid hamstring injuries, dislocated shoulders and an excessive wear of joints which comes
hand in hand with regular sports performance.

Badminton Stretching

The before mentioned stretching should follow afterward. Remember that stretching is fully
effective only once your body is all warmed up. The main goal here is to prevent injuries so you
can play your favorite sport for as long as you like. The stretching should take more or less 10
minutes, with about 10-20 seconds in each position. Don’t forget to stretch your entire body, so
change sides when an exercise is designed to treat only one part of your body. There are two
main types of stretching – static and dynamic.

Static Stretching

In badminton you should focus on the muscles you use the most: neck, shoulder, legs and of
course hands and arms. For these you can use the back and front/side to side neck stretch, the
overhead shoulder stretch, the posterior shoulder stretch, the side stretch, the side lounge
stretches, the forward lunge stretches, the quadriceps stretch, the wrist flexion and the wrist
extension. However, you can also use any other stretch you feel comfortable and have
experience with that targets these muscle groups. These have been examples of static stretches
which can be used for a badminton warm up.

Dynamic Stretching

Dynamic stretching, on the other hand, is basically a stretching that happens in motion. You
engage in stretching positions and move between every repetition or add a motion to a static
stretch such as for example a lunge with a twist.

This emphasizes also other muscles you use during the activity and warms them up. It can also
be beneficial for the overall flexibility and movability. While moving you are also working on
balance, and therefore, preparing for the performance in advance, which is a great plus
because if you start playing without any stretching at all, it may take some time for your body
to get used to the sudden change. This can result in a delay of optimal performance.

The best advice in terms of stretching is probably to combine both approaches and have a little
bit of static as well as dynamic stretching, so you prevent any kind of injury. Keep in mind that
it really plays a crucial role if you want to play any kind of sport on a long-term basis.

Badminton Cool Down

Once you have finished playing and enjoyed the game, you should start with the cool down
exercises which are equally important for your body and fitness. They often consist of easy
exercises whose aim is to get your body slowly down to the calm state, in which you were
before the game.

Types of Badminton Shots

1. Defensive Badminton Clear/Lob

This is the most basic badminton shot. Every beginner should first master this. The defensive
badminton clear is performed to get you out of trouble. In many instances, you’ll be under
tremendous pressure by your opponent. This happens when your opponent plays at a faster
pace and is firing continuous attacks on you. A clear or lob is a good way to get yourself more
organized while you’re under pressure and buys you some time to work yourself back into

the rally.

2. Badminton Drop Shot

The badminton drop shot is semi-offensive. It’s performed from the back of the court and is
usually used to maintain the pace of the game. The defensive clear (explained above) slows
down the pace of the game because it keeps the shuttle in the air for quite a while. The drop
shot, on the other hand, maintains the pace of the game. A drop shot performed at a steep angle
lands on the ground quicker, compared to the clear or lob. Your opponent has to rush forward
to retrieve it. Hit the drop shot ONLY when you’re comfortable with the pace of the game. In
other words, perform a drop shot when you’re playing at a similar pace or a faster pace than
your opponent. If you can’t keep up with your opponent’s pace, clear (or lob) the shuttle
instead.

3. Badminton Smash

The smash is often known as the ‘winning shot’ in badminton. It’s used with the intention to
end a rally. The smash is one of the most powerful badminton shots (apart from the jump
smash) that is fired from a steep angle. However, when you decide to smash, you’re taking a
risk. Smashing causes you to lose a certain degree of balance. Thus, make sure that your smash
will win you a rally point, or at least force a very weak return from your opponent. In order to
minimise your risks and ensure your smash works towards your advantage, you should:

Get behind the shuttle as early as possible so that you are able to hit the shuttle when it is still
high up. This allows you to smash the shuttle at a steep angle. Maintain extremely good body
balance before you smash. Make sure that your opponent is off-guard. This means that your
opponent is not ready to retrieve the smash. If you do not satisfy the conditions above, hit the
drop shot instead and wait for another chance. You’ll be taking unnecessary risks if you fire a
smash without satisfying the conditions above. Without you knowing, you may be giving your
opponent the chance to counter your smash!
4. Badminton Jump Smash

This is a more powerful version of the badminton smash. It is also one of the hardest badminton
shots to perform. To hit this shot, you will simply need to jump and hit the smash in mid air.
This will: Create a steeper angle for your smash, Create a steeper angle for your smash.
Remember, the conditions for performing a smash (mentioned above in “badminton smash.
You’ll need to satisfy those conditions before performing the jump smash.

5. Badminton Net Shot (Tumbling/Spinning Net Shot)

Badminton shots along the net (known as “net shots”) are used to create opportunities and
dominate the front of the court. It is a very important skill to help you win badminton rallies. A

good net shot can force your opponent to perform a high lift/clear, so that you can play a
winning smash. A tumbling net shot enables the shuttle to tumble across just slightly above the
net. It is a very important skill to help you win badminton rallies. A good net shot can force
your opponent to perform a high lift/clear, so that you can play a winning smash. A tumbling
net shot enables the shuttle to tumble across just slightly above the net.

6. Badminton Net Kill

The net kill is a useful skill to end a rally when if your opponent executes a poor quality net
shot (net shot that is too high). When your opponent plays a net shot that is too high, strike
with a net kill!

7. Defensive Badminton Net Lift

In some instances, your opponent might be very good at net play. They may perform extremely
good badminton shots along the net. When you’re finding it difficult to retrieve your
opponent’s badminton shots along the net, perform the defensive net lift. If your opponent is
playing extremely well along the net, do not hesitate to perform the high lift. This can prevent
your opponent from striking with a net kill.
 Service and Return Techniques in Badminton
A good player must choose the best shot depending on the situation at that time and the

opponent's position on the court. Try to reach the shuttle as early as possible so that you have
several shot options. Your wrist movement is the crucial element for making a good shot.

Universal grip (forehand or backhand grip) Thumb is placed on one side of racket grip, index
finger is placed higher on the other side of the handle (this hand position forms a “V”) Other
fingers are curled around the handle. SERVES

Backhand Short Serve

Purpose: To make the opponent use a defensive stroke. Usually used during doubles

but can be used in singles too.

Instructions:

-Stand two to three feet behind the short service line

-Racket foot slightly forward

-Hold shuttle at waist height, in front of the body

-Contact shuttle in front of non-racket foot immediately after dropping the shuttle (contact

must be made at waist height or lower)

-Use small wrist movement to hit shuttle (flick your wrist)

-The wrist is the main part of the arm that moves the most

-Shuttle must go just over the net without touching it

Mistakes: -Contacting the shuttle above the waist

-Serving with feet parallel and facing the net

-Shuttle is thrown and not dropped

-Shuttle goes too high or falls short

Forehand Long Serve

Purpose: Usually used during singles play, but can be used during doubles, too.

Instructions:

-Stand two to three feet behind the short service line

-Feet shoulder-width apart

-Non-racket foot slightly forward

-Hold racket approximately hip height

-Shuttle held approximately chest height

-Contact shuttle close to your racket foot immediately after dropping the shuttle (contact

must be made waist height or lower)

-Hit shuttle with strong wrist movement

-Shuttle must go high and deep into the opponent’s court

Mistakes: -Gripping the racket incorrectly

-Hitting the shuttle above the waist

-Shuttle is thrown and not dropped

-Insufficient wrist movement

-Serving with feet parallel and facing the net

-Contacting the shuttle in front of the non-racket leg with the racket facing upward

-Shuttle does not go deep into the opponent’s court

Body Position for Clear, Drop and Smash

- Feet approximately shoulder-width apart

-Turn your body and stand sideways to the net with your non-racket shoulder facing

the net

- Shift your weight onto your back foot

- Raise your non-racket hand and point at the shuttle to improve balance

- Contact the shuttle as high as possible and in front of your body using a strong

throwing action

CLEAR

Purpose: To hit the shuttle from your own backcourt to the opponent´s backcourt,

moving him or her backwards to create space in the forecourt. You can use either a

forehand or backhand stroke.

Instructions:

- Move your wrist quickly and powerfully towards the shuttle (snap your wrist)

- Straighten your elbow as you hit the shuttle

-Shuttle goes high and deep into the opponent’s backcourt

Mistakes: -Not hitting the shuttle at maximum height

-Bending your arm

-Not hitting the shuttle in front of your body

-Hitting the shuttle behind your head

-Contacting the shuttle with feet parallel and facing the net
-Shuttle falls short and not deep into the opponent’s court

-Not raising your non-racket hand and pointing to the shuttle

DROP

Purpose: To make the shuttle drop close to the net on opponent’s court. The drop shot

is similar to the clear but it goes to the opponent’s forecourt. You can use either a forehand or a

backhand stroke.

Instructions:

-Body position is the same as for the clear

- Contact the shuttle in front of your body as with the clear

- Move your racket slightly towards the shuttle

- Straighten your elbow as you hit the shuttle

- The angle of the racket face will determine the direction of your shot

- Hit the shuttle gently (flick your wrist) so it goes low over the net and falls as close as

possible to it on the opponent’s side.

Mistakes: -Not hitting shuttle at maximum height

-Bending your arm

-Not hitting the shuttle in front of your body

-Hitting the shuttle behind your head

-Contacting the shuttle with feet parallel and facing the net

-Contacting the shuttle too low near your head

-Shuttle falls short or goes under the net

-Shuttle goes too high and falls too far from the net

-Not raising your racket hand and pointing to the shuttle

SMASH

Purpose: To attack the opponent by hitting the shuttle quickly from your midcourt to the

opponent’s midcourt in order to win a point. The Badminton Smash is a strong shot and there is

almost no defense against a well executed smash.

Instructions:

- Body position is the same as for the clear and drop

- Contact the shuttle in front of your body as with the clear or drop shot

-Snap your wrist at the point of impact giving the racket extra power and angle towards

your opponent's court

-The shuttle is sent downward with power and speed toward your opponent's court

-You can jump while hitting the shuttle (jump-smash)

Mistakes: -The same as for the clear

-Insufficient force or snap of the wrist

-Insufficient speed of the shuttle

DRIVE

Purpose: To attack the opponent when the shuttle has fallen too low for it to be returned

with a smash. It is usually played from the sides of the court. You can use either a

forehand or a backhand stroke.

-Contact the shuttle between shoulder and hip height

NET DROP

Purpose: To hit the shuttle to the opponent’s forecourt close to the net when the

opponent is in the backcourt.

Instructions:

-Hit shuttle from below gently (flick your wrist) so that the shuttle drops near the net in the

opponent’s court

-Racket is approximately parallel to the floor

Mistakes:

-Shuttle goes too high and far from the net

LOB

Purpose: To return a drop shot or a smash. It is usually played from the forecourt to

the opponent’s backcourt. The lob is an underarm stroke.

Instructions:

-The execution is similar to the forearm long serve

-Hit the shuttle high and deep into the opponent’s court

-Snap your wrist

Mistakes: -Hitting the shuttle in front of the body with the racket facing upward

-Shuttle goes too high and does not fall deep in the opponent’s backcourt

-Insufficient wrist movement

 BADMINTON COURT DIMENSIONS
Overall Court Dimensions

The overall dimensions of a badminton court is 20 feet by 44 feet. The lines along these
measurements mark the sidelines for doubles play and long service lines for singles play.

The Net Line

The net line marks the middle of the court where the net is placed, creating a 22 feet by 20 feet
area on each side of the net.

Short Service Line

The short service line is marked 6 feet 6 inches (some are marked 7 feet) from the center line.
The area inside the short service line is also called the Non Volley Zone.

Center Line

The Center Line is the line that divides the court from the Short Service Line to the Back
Boundary Line. This delineates the Left from Right Service Court.

Side Line for Singles Play

The Singles Side Line is marked 1 1/2 feet from the edge of the outer boundary (doubles side
line)

Back Boundary Line and Long Service Line for Singles

The back boundary line is the same for singles and doubles play it is the outermost back line on
the court.

Long Service Line for Doubles

The Long Service line for Doubles is marked 2 1/2 feet inside the Back Boundary Line.
The Badminton Net

The badminton net measures 5 feet tall in the center.

Rules and Regulations in Badminton

Doubles and Singles:

Badminton can be played by two or four players. In a singles, two single players (two men or
two women) play against each other. A doubles consists of two opposing pairs of players. There
are ladies' doubles (two pairs of ladies playing against each other), men's doubles (two pairs of
two men playing against each other) and mixed doubles (two pairs consisting of one man and
one woman playing against each other). The game therefore has five disciplines: ladies' singles,
ladies' doubles, men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles.

The Court

In normal play, the court is 13.40m long and 5.10m (singles) or 6.10m (doubles) wide. The
height of the net is 1.524m over the centre of the court, but 1.55m over the side lines of the
doubles court. The singles court always covers the full length of the court, from base line to
base line, both in normal play and for the service. Similarly, singles are always played on the
narrow court. Doubles are always played on the wide court. During a rally, the base line at the
back of the court marks the end of the court. However, a doubles service must be played into
the short service court, marked by the doubles service line 80 centimetres before the base line.

The Toss

At the beginning of each match, a toss is made to determine which side serves first. The winner
of the toss can chose whether to make the first service of the match or whether to return first,
thus leaving the first service to the opponent. The side that lost the toss can then chose on
which end of the court he/she/they want to start.
Alternatively, the side that wins the toss may also choose to select the end of the curt on which
he/she/they want(s) to start. The right to decide who makes the first service in the match then
goes to the side that lost the toss.

The Sets

A badminton match commonly consists of up to three sets. The side that first reaches 21 points
wins a set (exception: when there is no two-point difference - see below). The side that first
wins two sets wins the match. A third set is played if, after two sets, both sides have won one
each. After each set, the sides change ends. A short break of up to 90 seconds can be made
between sets and in the middle of each set, when the first player reaches 11 points. Strictly
speaking, the players may not leave the court during the break, but coaching is allowed.

Scoring

A rally is won by one side if it plays the shuttle in such a way that it cannot be returned by the
opponents and hits the ground inside the opponent's court (including on the lines), if the
opponent's return does not cross the net or if the opponent's return hits the ground outside the
court boundaries. Furthermore, a side wins the rally if: (one of) the opposing player(s) touches
the shuttle with the body before it hits the ground (whether inside or outside the court) (one of)
the opposing player(s) touches the net with the racket or the body while the shuttle is in the air

(one of) the opposing player(s) hits the shuttle before it has crossed the net (i.e. reaching over to
the opponent's side of the court) both players of one side in a doubles touch the shuttle, one
player touches the shuttle more than once, a faulty service is played

The basic scoring rules are:

The winner of each rally scores a point, regardless of who is serving. This means that every
mistake, even a faulty service, wins the opponent a point. (Avoidable) mistakes are thus
penalised quite heavily.

The player winning a rally scores a point and simultaneously wins (or keeps) the right to serve.
The winning score in each set is 21 points, but to win a set, a side must lead their opponents by
two points or more (see below).

A player must lead his/her opponents by a minimum of two points in order to win a set. The
closest possible winning score with 21 points is therefore 21-19. If the score reaches 20-20,
the set is won by the first player or pair building up a two point lead or by the first player or
pair to score 30 points. This means that possible winning scores are 22-20, 21-23, 22-24,…,
29-27, 30-28 - or 30-29: if score reaches 29-29, the next player to score a point wins the set
with a score of 30-29. This is the only exception when no margin of two points is needed to
win a set.

The winning score for a set is the same in all five disciplines.

Even in a doubles, each side only has one service. As in the singles disciplines, the service is
played from the left or the right service court, depending on whether the score of the serving
side is odd or even. The service is always played from the left service court if the serving side's
score is odd or from the right service court if it is even. In doubles, players of the serving side
change service courts with every point they score, but if a side scores a point without having
served, they do not change service courts.

Serving

Every service, in singles and doubles, must be played across the front service line, nearly 2
metres away from the net, and always into the diagonally opposite service court. Each side has
one service (in singles and in doubles). If the serving side's score is even, the service must be
played from the right service court, if it is odd, from the left service court. The first service (at
0-0) is always played from the right service court. If the serving side scores a point, it keeps the
service and starts the next rally with a new service from the left or right service court,
depending on whether its score is odd or even. If the returning side scores a point, it also wins
the right to serve. This principle applied to singles as well as to doubles matches. In singles, the
position of the serving player is easy to ascertain as it always and only depends on whether the
serving player's score is odd (left service court) or even (right service court).
In doubles, a little more care needs to be taken as the two players of a side take it in turns to
serve. Again, the service court from which the service is played depends on whether the score
is odd (left) or even (right). If the side of the serving player scores a point, the player keeps the
right to serve and moves to the other service court for the next service. This procedure
continues until the returning side wins a point. In this case, they also win the right to serve, but
they do not change service courts at that point. Service courts are only changed by the serving
side. Example: A and B play against C and D. A and C start the set on their respective right
service courts, B and D on the left service courts. At 0-0, A plays the first service from the right
service court. C is the returning player. If A and B win the rally, they score a point and lead 1-
0. A then moves to the left service court (and B, by implication, to the right one). C and D
remain where they are. At 1-0, A serves again, this time from the left. C and D win the rally
and score a point. However, as they did not serve in this rally, they do not change service
courts. At a score of 1-1, their score is odd and therefore D, being the player on the left service
court, wins the right to serve. D then serves to A and C and D win another point. They therefore
change service courts and D continues to serve, this time from the right hand side, at a score of
2-1. If A and B win the next rally, they equalise and win back the right to serve without
changing service courts. A is now on the left service court and the side's score is even (2-2),
therefore B wins the right to serve (from the right service court).