What is badminton

Badminton (also called Shuttle badminton) is a racket sport, that can be played as a hobby, or to improve fitness, or played at a professional level. Its in fact an Olympic sport and is keenly contested at the Olympics.

If you really want to know what badminton is, and how exciting this racket sport can be, you should take some time out to watch professional badminton players playing the game. Since its a fast paced sport it tends to get the spectators full attention and interest. Its an entertaining game to watch, to say the very least.

What are the Basics of badminton play?

Though hobby players who play badminton for recreation, can pick up their rackets and play the game outdoors in parks or wherever they find the space, professional badminton is always played as an indoor game, on wooden flooring courts having specific dimensions. The game can be played by either 2 players contesting against each other, or by 2 pairs (2 players on each side) contesting against each other.

The objective in badminton is for players to hit the feathered shuttlecock in their opponents side of the court such that their opponent cannot return the shuttle back to them. (This is similar to other racket sports such as tennis or table tennis, except that instead of a ball, players hit a shuttle back and forth towards each other)

When an opponent fails to return a shuttle back, a point is won. 21 such points won wins the game. Each match has maximum 3 such games of 21 points each.

What are the skills are required to play Badminton?
For playing the game as a hobby, not much skills are required. It's quite easy to judge, time, and hit a shuttle that's flying through the air, to your opponent by hitting it with your racket. However if you intend to play the game professionally, then it requires a lot of training and effort.
A professional badminton player should have excellent technique, supreme fitness, and should also be mentally sharp so as to be able to outthink the opponent.
Badminton is a fast game. Very fast. In fact it is the fastest racket sport in the world in terms of shuttle speeds that are achieved immediately after impact with the racket.

                              

What are the health benefits of badminton?
Badminton is a fast paced sport that involves a lot of aerobic activity such as running on the court, stretching to reach the shuttle and jumping in the air to hit the shuttlecock with your racket. Being such a streneous activity the health benefits that accrue from playing badminton are also tremendous.
Almost every muscle of the body gets exercised by playing the game, it is excellent for maintaining healthy body weight and keeps the body well toned.

If you have landed at this page searching for 'What is badminton' hope the above summarization of the sport, gives you a fair overview about the game. I suggest watching a professional game of badminton to fall in love with this beautiful game.

Badminton Racket Review: Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III (Silver)

First impressions here.

Boy this was a hard one to review! But I'm finally think I've got enough experience with the Li-Ning N55-III to give it a proper one.

I'd like to begin with the rollercoaster account of my time with the racket. Right off the bat it felt great - lighter than the purple one, faster, but still offering the same power and steepness of attack.

The defense was memorable as well, and it all seemed like an easy choice to review.

But then one fine Saturday, on my last run before the review, I found something strange about the racket. I suddenly faced loss in control and considerable loss in shot quality. Clears began to become shorter and smashes were hitting the net.

That prompted me to give the N55-III a little more time to run in.

And about three weeks later, here I am.

Note. This is my view of the racket, written after my personal experience with the racket. The pure nature of a review is to inject a perspective into a situation.

And here is mine.

Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III
Est. weight: 87g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Head Heavy
Stiffness: Stiff
Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 25lbs

Defense
For something so head heavy, the N55-III performs remarkably well in defense. Might have been something to do with the air-stream slots cut into the head frame, but I doubt it can do that much of a difference.

So, due to unknown reasons, the head heavy and heavy racket manages to turn away most attacks that came my way on the courts. I found that the weight accords me that little bonus in power when I block shots.

Smashes were turned in to net drops for clear winners with the Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III, and it felt good. Defending with this racket feels natural and quick - the ease of positioning the shots remained the truest of the arsenal I possess when yielding this racket.

I've only ever had the chance to do some drive defenses, and those turned out pretty well too.

Attack
On to the sweet stuff. Li-Ning rackets are known for their abusive use to head heavy orientation to obtain the powerful attack, and this isn't an exception.

The head heavy N55-III gives you a very satisfying boom when you hit the shuttle right, probably also again likely due to the air-stream system incorporated into the head frame.

The shuttle speed ain't too shabby either. Many times my shot came back half court, readying itself for another whacking. The combination of low angle and quick acceleration really gives the Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III an edge in the offensive game.

Whether it's a hard smash to down the lines or a quick snap of the wrist pull off that surprise attack, the racket is a joy to use.

Control
Remember the front when I said the racket had two personalities? Some times it's hot - throwing the opponent across the courts with well-placed angles. Some times it's not - seriously,  I cannot explain the frustrations I get with this seemingly wonderful piece of equipment.

So I found out the truth today. This racket drains your arm strength rather quickly. After a few games, I started to lose sight of the sidelines and especially the back court. A short swing seemed to send the shuttle the wrong way.

About four games in (I played six games of singles tonight) I found that my backhands are losing quality and I was getting smashed at as a result.

Shots are thrown off, drops hitting the net, smashes losing power, net shots just not cutting it close enough.

All because this racket makes fatigue build-up a believable thing.

Looks
This racket is gentleman dashing - silver and gold streaks flanked by a black and silver shaft. It gives off a gun metal feel that is oh-so-charming. Must buy.

Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III

"Awesome while strength last."

Defense: 9

Attack: 9

Control: 7

Looks: 10

How to play to Badminton Effectively

1) Always hit the center of the shuttle. You should hit the round rubber center, or the "sweet spot" of the shuttle every single time. You can practice this technique by looking right at the center of the shuttle when you hit an overhead shot.

2) Hit the shuttle at the top of its arc. To benefit from the speed and height generated by the shuttle, hit it at the top of its arc. This will allow you to shoot a killer overhead and to have more control over the position of the shuttle. Don't wait for the shuttle to come close to you, or it will be losing momentum and height.

3) Always return to the middle of the court. Don't get out of position after you hit the shuttle. Return to the middle of the back of the court. This will make it more difficult for your opponent to run you around and to hit the shuttle in a place that you can't reach. Standing in the middle of the court while moving your feet and preparing for the next shot will place you in the "position of readiness.

4) Hit the shuttle toward the back line. Hitting the shuttle toward the back line takes precision and strength, and it will make your opponent have to shuffle backwards and hit the shuttle with a considerable amount of strength to return your shot. If you're not sure where to hit the shuttle next, and the back line is wide open, aim it there. At the beginning, aim the shuttle a bit before the back line so you don't commit a fault if it falls out of bounds behind the back line.

5) Practice your footwork. Badminton is like tennis -- success is all in the footwork. If you're flat-footed on the court, you won't be able to return your shots. Instead, stay on your toes, move your feet up and down as you wait to return a shot, and move your feet back and forth and side to side in tiny motions to position yourself to return the shot. Don't be lazy and reach out your hand too wide to try to return the shuttle -- instead, make tiny movements with your feet until the shuttle is in perfect position.

6) Practice the short serve. Whether you're playing singles or doubles, the short serve will catch your opponent off guard. He won't be expecting it, and may not be able to run up to return the serve in time. To hit the short serve, you shouldn't just hit the shuttle really lightly, or it will fall on your side of the court. Instead, hit it at a higher contact point and drop it closer to the racket instead of in front of the racket.

7) Practice the long serve in singles. In singles, hitting a long serve all the way to the back of the service line will throw your opponent off guard. He may be standing in front of the shuttle and can miss it completely, or he may not have enough power to return it. To hit a longer serve, let the shuttle fall in front of you as you swing your racket further back almost to your shoulder level so you generate more momentum before you swing forward and hit the shuttle.


Exploit Your Opponent's Weaknesses


1) Understand your opponent's game. When you're playing a new opponent, whether it's at a competition or during a friendly game at a family outing, you should asses your opponent's game even while you're warming up. You should look for a few main things: if your opponent is more of an aggressive or defensive player, if his forehand or backhand is his dominant shot, and any weaknesses, such as slow footwork or weak drop shot returns, that you can exploit.

2) Make your opponent move around the court. Don't hit all of your shots to the same location of the court of your opponent will be able to predict your next move every time. Instead, mix things up by hitting a drop shot followed by a shot to the baseline, or by moving your opponent from the right to the left side of the court. Moving from the front to the back of the court is particularly tricky unless your opponent has very nimble feet.

3) Shoot toward your opponent's backhand. Many players are weaker on the backhand side, so try shooting toward your opponent's backhand and see if this makes your opponent return less shots. If so, continue to exploit your opponent's backhand.



4) Hit a simple short shot. When you're up at the net, simply hit the shuttle short, just barely over to your opponent's side. This will make your opponent run and will catch him off guard. This is a great technique if your opponent is positioned near the back line.

5) Change the direction of the shuttle. If your opponent hits the shuttle straight at you, hit the shuttle in a different direction instead of hitting it right back at your opponent, where he will expect it to go. This will work especially well if the shuttle has generated a lot of momentum. If you're quick on your feet, you can change the direction of the shuttle and not give your opponent enough time to react to a fast-moving shuttle.

6) Hit a drop shot followed by a shot to the back of the court. If you have mastered the drop shot, then use it to make your opponent run all the way to the front of the court. Then return the next shot all the way to the back of the court. Not only will this force your opponent to be quick on his feet, but it will also catch him off guard. This is also a great way to tire your opponent.

7) Make your opponent play your style of game. If you like staying near the net, serve short, hit drop shots, and do whatever you can to make sure that your opponent can't hit the shuttle to the back line. If you're more comfortable at the back line, then serve long and hit speedy long shots so your opponent doesn't have a chance to move you toward the net. Make the opponent lose all control as you play your style of game and maximize your strengths.


Master More Advanced Techniques


1) Slice your net shots. This will make the shuttle spin and fall in an unpredictable direction. To slice your net shot, start the forward motion as you normally would, and then move the racket inward as you slice the racket perpendicular to the center of the birdie. Your opponent will be expecting you to hit the birdie directly forward, while it will actually spin cross court.[4]

2) Slice your drop shots. To do this, slice the racket, or move it perpendicularly over the center of the shuttle when it's in the air. This will make the shuttle lose much of its momentum and quickly fall on the opponent's side near the net.

3) Smash the shuttle. Smashing is when you hit the shuttle with all of your strength at the top of its arc. Aim your free hand up toward the direction of the shuttle for precision, and then swing the racket over your head with the other racket, hitting the center of the birdie and smashing it down into the opponent's court. This is similar to serving in tennis.
When you're smashing the shuttle, aim is just as important as strength. Don't just blindly hit the shuttle as hard as you can -- you should try to aim it either as far away from your opponent as possible or right at your opponent's body so he will be caught off guard.

4) Jump before you smash the shuttle. Once you've mastered the standard smash, you can practice jumping up as you smash the shuttle. This will give you even more momentum and will make the shuttle fall into your opponent's court even faster. Just jump up a foot or two, aiming your chest and body in the direction that you want the shuttle to go, and smash it at the center of its arc.

5) Don't smash the shuttle every time. The smash should be used at a time when the shuttle is high in the air and you have plenty of time to approach -- it should end the point in your favor. If you smash the shuttle at every opportunity, you will tire your arms and will risk smashing it into the net at inopportune moments.

6)Always plan your next move. A beginning player is just happy when he hits the shuttle over the net. An advanced player understands that a good game of badminton is like a game of chess -- you should always position your shot wisely so that you move your opponent to the exact place where you want him to be so you can hit the following shot. Always plan your next move and always think one step ahead of your opponent.

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Victor Bravesword Lee Hyun Il

Yet another signature racket from Victor. Don't they ever learn?

The series is mauled with sub-standard finishing and lower quality merchandise, banking on the popularity of their players to sell rackets instead of making something top-notch. That, and the players never really use the rackets... Jung Jae Sung is probably the only player to actively use the racket named after him, and he retired right afterwards!

The latest in the series is pegged to the badminton soldier Lee Hyun Il. If you've ever seen him play you'll know that he executes a style of play less commonly seen in today's power-wins-all rallies.

His footwork is impeccable, his retrieving practiced and faultless. He lacked the power attack, instead choosing to out last his opponent with a creative defense and dependable shot placement.

His weapon of choice, the Victor Bravesword 11. The Bravesword Lee Hyun Il is modelled after the BRS11, with the same stats as indicated on the cone.

But the BRS11 is Made in Taiwan (MIT), while the BRSLHI is Made in China. I felt the difference on handling. It feels slightly hollow, the graphite of a lower quality. When you hit a shuttle the feel wasn't as good as my other MIT racket, the Bravesword 10.

Somehow, it just feels cheap. Like what the Bravesword Lee Yong Dae did for me.

But this is Lee Hyun Il's tribute, and that is enough for me to fall willingly into the sucker category.

Much like the famed badminton player, the racket offers less in terms of attack but compensates it with admirable speed in defense. While the shot quality takes a hit since I couldn't feel the shuttle as well, the accuracy and consistency that I was able to achieve off this racket during the 2-hour session is worth mention.

While I am tempted to give the MIT Bravesword 11 a try to see how it compares, common sense teaches me to live with what I've got and go for more games with the Victor Bravesword Lee Hyun Il, especially when the first outing didn't bomb as much as I thought it would.

Review to come.

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Victor Thruster K Iron Man 3

I'm not a fan of the Marvel comic, nor do I like the movies that much. But this is a collectors' item, and you can't deny that the racket looks plenty hot - red and gold all over.

First off, I had thought the Victor TK Iron Man 3 was simply the Thruster K 8000 with a new paint job, but upon first handling, and looking at the stats on the cone, I found that the TKIM3 was even balanced and a lot stiffer than the TK8000.

That made it a lot faster, and suited to my game. Use the racket came naturally. In fact, it seemed like a more powerful Bravesword 10.

It might not be as stiff as the BRS10, but the TKIM3 felt familiar to use, and catching shuttles with the sweet spot became natural to me.

The stiffness of the racket lends to the accuracy that I could achieve, both from attack and defense. It also made my backhands feel right at home.

I must say this racket has made a good impression. From what I thought was another mindless attacking racket, it has turned out to be quite the game maker.

First Iron Man that I've liked, really.

Review to come.

Badminton Racket Review: Yonex ArcSaber 11 Taufik Hidayat Limited Edition

First impressions here.

So we're up to the second on the readers' choice - the Yonex ArcSaber 11 Taufik Hidayat Limited Edition. This one has been the in racket case for quite some time, and I have to thank the readers once again for actively voting to get me off my ass and writing a few reviews.

Taking off from the first impressions (link above), we're left with a well-recovered wrist and a trip to the courts with the ArcSaber 11 TH.

Initial swings were ok, the racket felt good, the weight was ok for an even-balanced racket, and I had no complaints for the shots that came off the racket.

So the games came, and it's pretty much what you'd expect from an ArcSaber - quick, powerful, versatile, accurate.

Note. This review carries my own opinion of the racket from my expereince. Comments welcome!

With that said, let's go!

Yonex ArcSaber 11 Taufik Hidayat Limited Edition
Est. Dry Weight: 97g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Even
Stiffness: Stiff
Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 27lbs

I recommend this racket for both singles and doubles play.

Defense
This is probably the first thing that caught my attention. The AS11TH performs remarkably on the defensive, able to turn smashes into really quick drives across the other side of the court at the turn of your wrist. It's not too shabby when it comes to the blocks either.

The even-balanced ArcSaber 11 TH allows me to be quite creative in defense, and with the added speed bonus I can even mix a few trick shots when my brain gets to it. Double motions, no problem. High lift to net block, no problem. Smash to cross court drive, let's get some!

Attack
Here's where it gets interesting. I've never been able to get a decent smash off something even-balanced - there just isn't much weight in the head to get that thump.

The Yonex ArcSaber 11 TH denies this to a certain extent. The racket is able to generate a very decent attack. Jump smashes are a pleasure to execute, and I find myself much too happy to give the shuttle a good swat.

It gives off a good sound to boot too! The sonic metal that Yonex boasts might actually have something to do with it. The racket does give a sharper tone when you hit. Add this to the quick swing from the lack of weight, and the stiffness of the shaft, and you've got quite the attack.

It's not confined to the hard hitters either. The AS11TH gave me the more delightful drops shots tonight. The shuttle somehow resists moving towards the service line, drifting short and plunging quickly to the other side of the court with just a slight touch of the racket.

Control 
Not too shabby, but not quite the level of control that the N90-III gave me though. I found some of my shots drifting too far of the sides of the courts a little off target.

Apart from the occasional blunder, the AS11TH gives a pretty good feel once I'm in a decent position to play the shots. My more creative choices came off satisfactory, with little to complain about. The weight of the racket felt just right to pull off those higher difficulty attempts at getting a point.

Didn't get much chance to take the net, but the few times that I did didn't leave a bitter taste of regret.

Though there seemed to be a little difficulty taking the cross-court tight netshot, I'm going to attribute it to the lack of skill instead of the lack of weight in the racket to lend to the follow-through.

As for the backhands, I found a little inconsistency in the quality of the shots. Having pinpointed that to my position when I hit the shuttle, there seems to be very little space for error when you decide to turn and take the backhand. But when you do hit the right spot, the shuttle teleports.

Luckily you'll be fast enough to take the attacks that come should you fail to launch a good backhand.

Looks
Classic Taufik grey and black and gold - dignified, classy, powerful. The Yonex ArcSaber 11 Taufik Hidayat Special Edition might appear boring at first, buy you'll grow to like the timeless combination.

Yonex ArcSaber 11 Taufik Hidayat Limited Edition

"Crown Jewel of the ArcSaber Series"

Defense: 10

Attack: 8

Control: 9

Looks: 8

Badminton Racket Review: Li-Ning Break-Free N90-III

First impressions here.

Once again, thanks to all who voted in the poll earlier. We've got the most number of people asking for a review of the Li-Ning N90-III, so I've taken a little longer than usual to make sure I knew what I wanted to write before getting down to it.

So when we last left off, the strings were a little wonky and I couldn't get a lot of feel from them. I've gotten the strings changed to the more playable Toalson BL-6500 (check out the new series of Toalson strings here), and hit the courts.

This here's probably the smartest looking of the new N-III series. Red and white and shiny all over. Apart from the looks, the racket boosts a pretty good feel, with attacks coming through sharp and true a large portion of the time.

It's also not as stiff as the N90, or as head heavy as the N90-II, which put it pretty sweetly for those who are trying to find a good balance between defense and attack.

Note. This review carries my own opinion of the racket from my experience. Comments welcome!

With that said, let's go.

Li-Ning Break-Free N90-III
Est. Dry Weight: 96g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Slightly head heavy
Stiffness: Slightly stiff
Strings: Toalson BL-6500 @ 25lbs

I recommend this racket for singles play.

Defense
In my review for the N90 and N90-II I made a comment about how easy it was to send the shuttle to the back of the court with something that stiff and head heavy. Well, with the N90-III, I didn't' find myself punching the shuttle as far, and as a result turned to the much preferred drive defense style that I'm more familar with.

And the Li-Ning N90-III does this with ease. Whether it's a soft block across the net or a quick flick to the other side, I was able to pull this move off without much difficulty.

The decreased weight probably made it work, aided by the popular Break-Free (or Sword, if anyone's a Victor fan) head frame design that's a wonder to swing around.

Speed and reflexes were up with this in my hand, and my singles game with this were pretty much comfortable knowing that I could take most attacks and survive.

There's also the element of control, that makes me almost tempts my opponents to go for the tight net shot. More on that to come.

Attack
Being lighter and less stiff and less head heavy than its predecessors does not bode well for the N90-III when it comes down to offense, but the racket performs admirably by having a quick, sharp swing that allows you to take the shuttle down at amazing angles.

Once again I'll have to mention the sword frame. The Break-Free design practically cuts down on drag and puts the head down at a quicker pace, allowing for a really comfortable contact point. This gives me a lot more room for imagination in my shots - (slightly lesser) power smash, the wrist snap, fast drops, you name it.

Drives with this are pretty much stunted though. Unlike the heavyweights, the 96g (thereabouts anyhoo) Li-Ning N90-III doesn't carry much weight transfer to give you that satisfying explosion when you throw your arm out for a drive shot.

Control
Here's where it gets interesting. I give a good control rating to any racket that makes me feel comfortable and allows me to make any shot that comes to mind. From trick shots to acute changes in direction, the N90-III is one comfortable racket.

It gives me the feeling that I can place the shuttle into any box you place in the court (and I don't even have to try that many times either). The accuracy that the racket gives is unbelievable. When you get a good hit in you really can get that WOW feel.

Backhands were well-executed, forehands were close to perfect. The net shots that I could perform were so close to the net it isn't funny.

One of my worst shots is the cross-court tight net shot. Really horrible. Like shooting flies with a bazooka.

That didn't seem to be much of a problem with the N90-III though. Awesome control.

Looks
For those who have seen Alucard, the Li-Ning N90-III comes in the exact color tone. Freaking awesome, impossibly cool, indescribably desirably. One look is all you need to part ways with your money.

For those who didn't see the anime, here's a picture.

Li-Ning Break-Free N90-III

"Faultlessly perfect control"

Defense: 9

Attack: 8

Control: 10

Looks: 10

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Li-Ning N90-III

Thanks all for participating in the voting process!

Looks like the Li-Ning N90-III is very much in demand for the moment. I hear you, and I've been taking special attention to use the racket in my games.

For now it's seen about 5 games of singles, and the results have been quite good.

The first few swings with the racket has been rather pleasant, with the shuttle moving to the back courts and around the corners easily enough. The smashes were nice and sharp, with the racket head coming down really swiftly and without any feel of drag.

Honestly, the Li-Ning N90-III resembles the N80 quite a fair bit. In comparison, the head frame, flexibility and weight distribution are almost identical (at least to me).

And even after a few games of singles, I still couldn't tell the two apart. Maybe it's because I've not really had a lot of time with the N80 either. Shame on me for racket neglect.

While the N90-III is capable of a few powerful shots, the accuracy drops a whole lot when you miss the sweet spot. You'll get a very hard and sharp feedback sound when you do, so you'll certainly know.

Forehand clears seem to miss the mark a little bit; I wasn't able to get the shuttle as far as I wanted it to a couple of times. Backhands also lacked the accuracy that I've grown to love in the Victor Bravesword 10.

Defense-wise, the racket performs pretty well. The fact that it's not as heavy as the previous N90s is probably the reason.

I'm using the Pro-Kennex 63 Flex for this racket, and the tension seemed to have dropped a fair bit since I've started hitting. I'm going to give it a change to see if it helps.

Stay tuned for the review!

New Badminton Strings: Toalson BL-6500, 6700, 6800, 8000

Visited my stringer today and he showed me a crate of these new top-of-the-line strings from Toalson.

There are four strings with different types of characteristics, as you can see from the picture. They're made in Japan, and from what I can feel after trying out three of them, they're pretty decent.

What catches me is the really cool colors they come in. Not all captured here, but they're awesome as far as I can tell.

Never thought to place them in order...
Left to Right: BL-6700, BL-6800, BL-6500, BL-8000

BL-6500 (Playability, 0.65mm)

My new racket is strung with this one, and from the first few strokes it feels good. The control was decent, but what stood out was the awesome hitting sound. Crisp and sharp, like I had tape on my strings.

http://www.toalson.co.jp/JPN/badminton/top.html

BL-6700 (Repulsion, 0.67mm)

The stringer had his Carlton Kinesis strung with this one at 26lbs. I didn't quite like the feel of this string - the shuttle seemed to come off the string bed very quickly, not fast enough for me to feel the shot. Would think that players who like Yonex BG66 Ultimax might find this a familiar feeling.

http://www.toalson.co.jp/JPN/badminton/top.html

BL-6800 (Technique, 0.68mm)

Seems to have a higher thread count than the others but I didn't get to try this string out. I tend to be wary of strings that tout technique or extreme control, given the Yonex NBG99 and its lack of repulsion.

http://www.toalson.co.jp/JPN/badminton/top.html

BL-8000 (Repulsion and High Hitting Sound, 0.80mm)

I have my RSL M10 Heat 700 strung with this, and all I can say that it's powerful. The strings smash like none I've ever felt, but that comes with a large drawback - I can't very well aim with it. The shots, while like rockets, felt very loose and hitting the lines are almost impossible for me.

From taobao.com

Thorlos Socks: Padding for your feet

So my Li-Ning shoes turned out to be too hard for my toes. On a previous occasion, a tight change in direction resulted in a busted toe. The nail literally got jammed up the cuticle...

And since that day the shoe has been in cold storage, my feet too afraid to get jabbed all over again. It took me almost 3 weeks to recover from the toe, and now 2 months later the toenail has a semblance of normality.

Then I came across Thorlos socks. They're thick and they're touted as the best cushioning for your feet. I thought about the pair of pretty yellow shoes back home and decided to give the $30 socks a try.

Not too shabby! I'm now able to move around the court with ease thanks to the Thorlos socks. They're ultra padded and super comfortable; makes the hard interior of the Li-Ning shoe almost feel like a pillow.

To sum it all up, I'm happy with the socks. For those who are interested, they're available at World of Sports chains around the island (Singapore), and the ones I've got are the tennis mini-crews. 

Just a word of caution, the socks are kinda thick. I would estimate a half size increase in the foot with socks on. Made my feet feel a little cramped initially, but it got better with a few washes. 

https://www.thorlo.com/

Badminton Racket Review: Victor Bravesword 10 (2nd Gen)

First impressions here.

So it took awhile for me to get here (what with all the new rackets that I got my hands on). The Victor Bravesword series of rackets have gained quite some fame for themselves with their fast swing speed.

This facination with the Bravesword 10 started when I purchased a replica from Bekia (who have gone on to make their own named rackets) which performed very well. In fact, it's the only racket that I gave full marks for so far. From defense to power and control, there was nothing that I found lacking in the Bekia Bravesword 10 Replica.

The original Victor Bravesword 10 tested out well in singles play, though I soon found it lacking in weight to play for long. I took it out for some doubles action yesterday and it surprised me with its accuracy and speed.

So without further adieu, the review.

Also, starting now I'll try and include a one-line round-up for the racket I'm reviewing, to give an overall impression of what I think the racket is good at for me. This comes at the end with the picture(s).

Note. This review carries my own opinion of the racket from my use. Comments welcome!

Ok here goes.

Victor Bravesword 10 (2nd Gen)
Est. Dry Weight: 88g (3U)
Grip Size: G2
Balance: Even (3/5)
Stiffness: Very Stiff (5/5)
Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 25lbs

I recommend this racket for doubles play. Too even-balanced for singles to use for long.

Defense
I like defending. It gives you a great sense of satisfaction when you manage to turn your opponent's attack into a mad scramble to an uncovered area of the court.

When the Bravesword 10 was first used in my doubles game yesterday, I found just that. If the attackes from the opponent were too flat, I was able to drive defense it across the other side of the court. Given the stiffness of the racket, I was able to generate quite a bit of power to lend that drive sharply past the front player.

When the shots were too low to drive, the swing speed of the Victor Bravesword 10 came into very good effect. The racket was able to respond to almost all of the smashes thrown at me, with satisfying results. Despite the stiffness I was able to move the racket about and change grips at ease before the shuttle came to me, and that allowed me to vary the defensive shots if need be.

Attack
This is where the even balance of the racket dragged it down. The Bravesword 10 didn't manage to throw off the power smashes that the rest of my rackets could do, even if I gave it my all on the smash. Somehow, the lack of weight in the front didn't allow me to get off as much power as I wanted to.

Which made me favor the front of the court a lot when I played yesterday. Most experiences at the back were the sharp smash downwards or the drive forward before I moved up to close off the front.

It's good, but not really the choice if I were to come up against defense-crazed veterans.

Control
Amazing. So seldom did my shots fly off course with the Victor Bravesword 10, be it defensive drives or attacking smashes. The shuttle just seemed to fly where you want it to, and I give it to the extreme stiffness of the shaft.

Though I did find a little difficulty controlling the tight net shots (not enough weight at the front I guess), the racket came off very well on control.

Looks
Seems the Victor Bravesword series have come to adapt a similar look - primarily grey with the different accents for the various rackets.

The Victor Bravesword 10 comes with black and white accents down the 5 and 7 o'clock of the head frame. The "Sword" decal comes branded in gold, as bright shiny red text adorn the shaft of the racket.

Victor Bravesword 10

"Defensive Drive Powerhouse"

Defense: 10

Attack: 7

Control: 10

Looks: 7

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III (Silver)

So I got a chance to trade my gold one in for the silver variation, and it turned out pretty well. Loving the gun metal finish more than the purple-gold combination, but also the racket seems lighter and more suitable for my game.

The perks of the previous racket remained - I was able to get a very steep downward stroke, and that added to the variety of shots that I had for my game. Being that much lighter (I reckon about 5g or so) I was also able to turn the racket around faster for the defensive shots.

The smashes also came off quick with the silver version of the Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III, thanks partly to the Air-Stream system that reduces drag around the racket head. The swings don't come off sounding like they're powerful, but when you contact the shuttle it's another matter.

But what really surprised me today was the amount of power that I had with this racket on the backhand. I managed to put a shuttle out of the court from a backcourt backhand clear. I usually add a little more strength when I do a clear, but with this racket I could feel that I didn't need as much.

Will have to experiment more to find out. For now, the silver version seems to work out better for me.

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III

Had a swing with the racket this evening at a singles session and decided to write a little about it since I managed to get enough play time to get a good first sense.

First off, this is one pretty racket. Along with the rest of the Li-Ning N-III series rackets, the N55-III comes in two variations - Gold / Purple and Silver / Black.

This one here's the Gold / Purple version.

Now that you're done drooling over the sneak peak, it's down to talking about the performance.

The Li-Ning Air-Stream N55-III comes off as a very head heavy racket. Very. I had a little difficulty getting used to the weight, and for about two to three games in I was still thinking that the racket is too heavy for its own good.

And then the jump smash happened.

What's special about this racket is the Air-Stream technology, where holes are cut into the head frame to allow a higher level of aero-dynamism.

What it does it it manages to pull off a very fast downward stroke very quickly, which means that the shots come down steep and fast. I managed to pull off quite the angle with my jump smashes today. 

Defense-wise it doesn't come off very impressive, what being a monster at the head heavy department and all. I've to test this out in a fast game of doubles before I say anything about this though.

But all in all, the racket surprised me with the steepness and speed of the attacks that it produces. Heavy heads pull off clears quite well so I won't touch on that for now.

More with the review.

New Hotness: Li-Ning N90-III and N55-III

Just. Couldn't. Resist.

First impressions soon.

New Badminton Racket Launch: Yonex Nanoray Z-Speed

As most of you would have heard by now, Yonex's latest racket has set another world record for fastest badminton hit of 493 km/h. That means at the moment of contact, the shuttle moved at that speed.

We've seen the malaysian men's doubles pair use it in the 2013 BWF World Championship, and here it is, finally unveiled.

Photo: www.yonex.com/nanoray

Slated for release 13 Sept slightly before the Yonex Japan Open, this stunned in deep orange looks set to top the sales chart and give Li-Ning a run for its money.

This one comes with a whole array of new technologies that Yonex claims can increase swing speed by 10%, hence increasing your smash speed.

One of the more interesting techs is the snap back zone, which means they've made the 3 and 9 o'clock of the head frame a little thinner to allow a sudden snapping motion from your smash, translating that into greater force.

I've extracted these from their site to make for easier reading. All images extracted from www.yonex.com/nanoray

The racket comes in 2U and 3U, and can take up to a recommended tension of 28lbs for the 2U and 27lbs for the 3U. That means you probably can string it to the low 30lbs range if you're the tension crazy sort.

They've even got a nice video to tell you about their new achievement. Watch the video and learn about the technologies behind the Yonex Nanoray Z-Speed.

Looking forward to this? More to come.

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Yonex ArcSaber 2 Tour

This turned out to be quite a lucky find. I was rummaging through the box of on-offer rackets that the stringer has and chanced upon this "Made in Japan" ArcSaber.

So I got it and put a yellow grip around it to make it pretty. My buddy (who beat me three straight games in singles tonight, kudos!) made a remark that the racket seems a bit light.

And he was proven right when I brought it to the court for testing. The clears weren't coming across during stroking, and the backhands were terrible.

The whole thing just seemed to lack strength.

So the time came for me to take this to the court. Oh how the ArcSaber 2 Tour redeemed itself!

I wasn't able to use much backhand clears (I substituted them with the tight drop shot), but the control that this racket has is amazing.

Anywhere on the court, I could place the shuttle reasonably well. The smashes from this also came off very sharply.

Overall a nice tight racket. I may not recommend a long clearing game with this, but for those players hungry for control this will be a blast.

Of course I'll wait about  6-hours before commiting to a review. We all know how some rackets have a habit of losing their charm after the first impression.

Till soon.

New Strings: Pro-Kennex Pro Flex 63

Saw these while I was at the stringer's today, and got a pair to try because they come in really cool carbon colors.

Got one strung at 25lbs and one at 27lbs. As with the rest of the Pro-Kennex strings, this one offers very good repulsion, and at first try the one strung at 27lbs seemed to offer a bit more control (the shuttle doesn't freely fly off from the string bed when I juggle it).

Problem with this string is that the 0.63mm thickness might make it a little less durable than most.

Will the feel and power from this string overcome the downside of less durability? More to come.

Badminton Racket Review: Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng

First impressions here.

What first struck me was the design of the racket (what else, right?), and also the amount of flex that Li-Ning gave to it. They're a fan of stiff rackets, but this one came across with a medium flex feel, which made me feel good.

About time they made head heavy rackets with a slightly flexible shaft.

The results were notably good, with the N9 performing well in many areas of the court. If you're looking for a slightly flexible N90 without the overly head-heavy distribution of the N90-II, this one might be a choice for you.

The N9 also comes with a rather innovative head shape. It's sword shaped on the top half, but cuts inwards to form a armored shaft ala the Nanoray 700RP. This gives it a very unique feel - it brings the head weight distribution slightly lower towards the t-joint, makes the swings a little faster, but delivers the punch because of the heavier and more stable t-joint area.

This would a lot more welcome if they were to win the BWF World Championships, but this is a good racket that's worth shouting about so here goes.

Note. This review is my opinion of the racket for my use. Take this with a pinch of salt since I don't play the game as well as most of you out there. I'm here to tell you, in as much accuracy as I can, how my games went with this racket. Comments welcome!

Ok here goes.

Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng
Est. Dry Weight: 89g (3U)
Grip Size: S2
Balance: Head Heavy
Stiffness: Medium
Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 25lbs

I recommend this racket for heavy smashers (it's made for use by Fu Hai Feng, people).

Defense
Anyone who's ever used a head heavy racket and compared it to a head light one would tell you how it usually swings slower. This slower swing speed is compensated with a heavier block towards the back court.

Remember what I said about the unique head shape of the N9? This comes into play when I try to explain why this racket isn't as slow as I had initially thought it would be.

The Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng feels like an even balanced racket on the defense. This is largely due to the weight distribution closer to the t-joint instead of being at the very top.

The racket suffers less from the slower swing than its head heavier counterparts, but has enough mass at the t-joint to deliver a good lift to the back if needed.

From lifts to blocks and drives, the N9 performs admirably in the games that I've given it. The medium flex might take a little more power from the hard blocks, but overall I was pretty impressed with how fast it responded.

Attack
"TurboCharging" and "Fu Hai Feng" sounds like this racket has steroids imbued into its graphite. The sadistic thing is that it actually feels like it does.

Attacking strokes with this racket feels true and powerful. The heavier t-joint gives you a very good accuracy on the smashes and the drives, and this is always a nice gift to someone who doesn't rely much on attacking like myself.

I've always been a fan of flexibility in the shaft when it comes to giving that long big swing to smash it home. It was made the Yonex Voltric 70 a winner, and it is what makes the Li-Ning N9 such a potent attacking racket.

Very powerful attacks.

Control
Here's when it sounds a little too good to be true. The Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng actually gives you a pretty decent aim, given its propensity to put its users into overdrive berserk mode.

I give kudos to the solid t-joint (I have got to figure out what they call this head frame shape...).

Ok I just checked the racket and it's called the Dynamic-Optimum Frame.

So kudos to the solid Dynamic-Optimum Frame, which grants this racket the accuracy without losing out much on the power. Rackets that feature variations of this technology (i.e. Yonex Voltric series, Nanoray 700RP) tend to also be devastating in both attack and accuracy, and the N9 doesn't come across as any much different.

When I take a shot, I tell myself where I want the shuttle to go, move to the shuttle, swing, and see how it turns out.

The N9 gave me very few surprises. Nice.

Looks
Black and gold adorns the entire racket, making this a very majestic beast. Li-Ning rackets have progressively improve in design (seriously, has anyone seen the first generation N50?), and this is a tremendous effort in making badminton look sexy.

Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng

Defense: 8

Attack: 10

Control: 9

Looks: 10

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng

So this was the other racket that I brought to the singles session last night. And here is my first impressions on this.

The Li-Ning N9 is a slick racket, with black and gold adorning the entire racket from the head down the shaft, fading to an elegant white at the cone.

At first handling the racket felt very heavy, characteristic of the Fu Hai Feng playing style of hard shuttle smashing. The head wasn't very mobile when I tried to juggle the shuttle around, and initial thoughts of a slow defending come to me.

Flashback to when I first started with the Yonex Armortec 900 Power, and all the useless attempts at defense with its ridiculously heavy head.

But then again it's been a few years, and I think the racket makers have learnt a little lesson with head heavy rackets.

The Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng comes with a unique head shape, the top half resembling the sword shape that allows you to cut through the air with ease, the bottom half reversing to an armored frame that resembles the Yonex Voltric series, adding to the weight and stability for the downswing and resultant destructive aftermath.

This gives rise to a potentially powerful racket, and it shows by the lack of effort needed from one to sent the shuttle to the back of the court. From high forehand clears to the backhand straights, the racket does the shots with ease.

The natural downward momentum of the N9 also makes quick drop shots an ease to execute. A small swing is all you need to start the strong, and the pressure applied at the gripping point gives you the length and sharpness you'll need for that deceptive shot.

What didn't come across was the powerful smash. Since it was singles and my playing style really isn't the heavy hitting sort, I can't say much about the racket's power.

However, the Li-Ning N9 does have a natural whip to it, owing to the slightly flexible shaft, and this brings back memories of the Yonex Voltric 70 and it's powerful smashes.

I'll have to take this to doubles tomorrow to find out :)

Review soon.

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Li-Ning 3D Break-Free 80 Speed

The first time I tried this racket I couldn't get a good feel as I was playing in a really big hall and the shuttle speed really put me off the game.

Everything that came off the Li-Ning 3D Break-Free 80 Speed seemed to lack the power and sharpness that came with it's higher-end counterpart.

But I finally got a chance to put it to a proper test today on the singles court, and I can say that I'm rather impressed with the results.

Like the N80, the 3D Break-Free 80 Speed swings fast and true. The speed I could get off the racket is alarming, and it helped boost the shot strength significantly. However, I do want to note that the clears coming off this racket sometimes seem a little short, and that opens you up to the heavier attacks from the opponent's mid-court.

This is not much of a problem though, what with the increased defense capabilities of the racket.

Having such a fast swing speed also meant that defense gets a natural boost. I can remember a few times when I could throw off the opponent with a well-timed swing following some wicked reflex.

Somehow, I move faster when yielding lighter rackets, and the 80 Speed does weigh in a little less than the N80, so I found moving around the court with the silver racket an ease.

As expected from a lighter racket, the smashes didn't seem powerful enough, thought targeting isn't a problem. I was able to place the shots well enough to get decent second attacks, but the hard hitters were returned without much of a hassle from the opponent.

Comparing that to the N80, it's a world of difference.

Overall I did enjoy the session with the Li-Ning 3D Break-Free 80 Speed. I had another racket with me, but I ended up using this more because I wanted to see where this could take me.

Review soon.

New hotness: Li-Ning TurboCharging N9 Fu Hai Feng

Went shoe shopping and ended up with a new racket from Li-Ning's latest series. Branded as Fu Ha Feng's racket, the N9 comes with a rather flexible shaft and a heavy head. Comes paired with Cai Yun's N7 counterpart.

Looks awesome too.

BWF Badminton World Championship 2013

The badminton world championship 2013 is scheduled to be held next month in August. Nearly 400 of the world's top ranked players are expected to participate in the tournament, which will be held in Guangzhou in China from 05-Aug-2013 to 11-Aug-2013.

The tournament is held once every year, and is the most prestigious tournament in the badminton world, and the winners get the honour of being officially known as the 'world champion'.

Here's the list of Indian players who will be playing at the BWF badminton world championships 2013.

Men's singles event
P Kashyap
Ajay Jayaram

Women's singles event
Saina Nehwal
PV Sindhu

Women's doubles
Ashwini Ponnappa and Pradnya Gadre
Aparna Balan and N.Sikki Reddy

Men's doubles
Tarun Kona and Arun Vishnu
Akshay Dewalkar and Pranav Chopra

This is the first time ever that India has been able to field such a big contingent of badminton players for the world championship tournament. Only the top 50 players in the world in each event are eligible to play at the tournament, and hence this strong team is an ample indication of India's growing strength in the world of badminton.

The last time that players from India had won a medal at this prestigious tournament was when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had won the bronze medal at the 2011 BWF badminton world championships that was held at London two years back.

Saina Nehwal has got a relatively easy draw at the championships and the first Chinese player that she is likely to play against is in the semi-finals. As per the tournament rules, all players reaching the semi-finals are assured of at least a bronze medal.

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Victor Thruster K8000

So I took the new toy out for a spin and here's how it felt. I had mix of singles and doubles games lasting about 3 hours in total.

Right off you can feel that it's got that natural weight that will save you a lot of energy when playing, especially singles. It's a little whippy than the other Victor rackets (which can be stiff as heck), and you really can see that from the very long clears that I can get from my backhand strokes.

I didn't get a chance to restring my racket after procurement, so the feel's a bit off when I try the more intricate shots like the net drops and the drives. Smashes came off ok, the catapult system from the TK8000 working like a charm.

The Thruster K8000 didn't feel sluggish in defense, in fact it weighs a little less than what my impression of a 3U racket would be. This made the shots a little easier to pull off, and I found myself sticking to the racket for my singles game that day.

Overall the Victor Thruster K8000 performed well. I got it restrung at the end of the day and will await the next session so I can test it out for a proper review.

New hotness: Victor Thruster K8000

It's nice to get my hands on a new racket. It's even nicer to get to know a fellow enthusiast in the process.

Thanks for the nice conversation Calvin! I'll give this a swing tomorrow and hope your ankle gets better!

Indian badminton league - the teams and the players

Here's the complete list of all the teams & players that will be participating in the Indian badminton league 2013, which is scheduled to be held from 14th Aug to 31st Aug, in six cities of India.

The names of some of the IBL teams have been changed in recent days, and the IBL auction that was held a couple days ago on 22-July, has finally helped in deciding which team would consist of which players.

Here is the list of the six Indian badminton league teams, their owners, coaches, and the list of all the badminton players in each team.

IBL TEAM	Hyderabad Hotshots	Mumbai Masters
Owner	PVP Group	Consortium led by V. Chamunde-Swarnath
Coach	JR Kumar	Aparna Popat
Players list
Men's singles	Taufiq Hidayat	Lee Chong Wei
	Ajay Jayaram	Marc Zwiebler
	Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk
Women's singles	Saina Nehwal	Tine Baun
Men's doubles	V.Shem Goh	Pranav Chopra
	Tarun Kona	Manu Attri
	Khim Wah Lim	Vladimir Ivanov
Mixed doubles	Pradnya Gadre	Sikki Reddy
	Shubhankar Dey	PC Thulasi
	P. Kanthi Visalakshi	Sumeet Reddy
		Rasika Raje

IBL Team	Pune Pistons	Delhi Smashers
Owner	Dabur Group	Krrish Group
Coach	Nikhil Kanetkar	Rashid Sidek
Player list
Men's singles	Tien Minh Nguyen	Wing Ki Wong
	Saurabh Verma	HS Prannoy
	Anup Sridhar	Sai Praneeth
	Joachim Fischer Nielson
Women's singles	Juliane Schenk	Arundhati Pantawane
		Nichaon Jindapon
Men's doubles	Rupesh Kumar	Boon Hoeng Tan
	Sanave Thomas	Kien Keat Koo
	Wee Kiong Tan	V Diju
Mixed doubles	Ashwini Ponappa	Jwala Gutta
	Arun Vishnu	Prajakta Sawant

IBL Team	Banga Beats	Lucknow Warriors
Owner	BOP Group	Sahara India Pariwar
Coach	Vimal Kumar	Muhammad Hafiz Hashim
Player list
Men's singles	Parupalli Kashyap	Weng Fei Chong
	Hu Yun	RMV Guru Sai Dutt
		K Srikanth
Women's singles	Tzu Ying Tai	PV Sindhu
	Carolina Marin	T. Sapsiree
		Ruthvika Shiwani
Men's doubles	Arvind Bhat	Marcis Kido
	Aditya Prakash	Maneepong Jongjit
	Akshay Dewalkar
	Carsten Morgensen
Mixed doubles	Aparna Balan	K Maneesha
	J Meghana	Nanda Gopal Kidambi

As you can notice in the tabulated list given above, each of the teams has 6 Indian players, and 4 foreign players along-with at least one Indian junior badminton player.

The Indian badminton league is scheduled to be played in the six cities, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Pune and Bangalore, and the tournament will have home and away matches for each of these six teams.

The IBL opening ceremony will he held in Delhi, the semi-finals matches in Bangalore and Hyderabad and the finals will he played on 31-Aug-2013 in Mumbai.