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