Getting Started
Badminton could be described as a form of indoor tennis and its origins can be traced to a game played in China about two thousand years ago. It is possible that British army officers played it in India as a form of recreation; then it was known as Poona and it was first played in Britain around 1867.
Legend has it that the Duke of Beaufort was trying to play tennis in the picture gallery of his stately home. The only problem was that the expensive and valuable oil paintings kept getting damaged by the ball. He swapped the ball with a small, feather-tailed one, and the badminton shuttlecock was born.
The badminton court, although smaller than its tennis counterpart, shares many key features with it. There are side tramlines, and there are two service boxes as well. Badminton, however, has extra tramlines at the back of the court on each end, and the front of the service boxes do not go all the way up to the net. The court is fairly similar to a tennis court and is 13.4m (44ft) long and 6.1m (20ft) wide. The net is fixed at 1.52m (5ft) off the ground, measuring from the top of the net.
The racquets are extremely lightweight and about 66cm (26in) long. The head is about 21cm (8.5in) wide at its broadest point. The shuttlecock has a cork base with sixteen goose feathers to stabilise it. The feathers make the shuttlecock slow down as it flies through the air.
Kit you'll need
Badminton kit was traditionally white in colour but this has been relaxed now and comfort is the key. Racquets range in price so start with something reasonable and go from there but it is worth investing in some decent shoes (with non marking soles).
You are probably going to get sweaty and this can affect your grip on the racquet so some sweat bands will help and take a towel on court.
And don’t forget a drinks bottle to help you keep hydrated!
What's Good
Badminton is a great all year round sport and can be a very sociable pursuit. Doubles and mixed doubles are arguably faster and more fun than singles games. And badminton is a great workout with lots of over head and stretching