A Brief History of Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it
may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one
player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side). Badminton is often played as a casual
outdoor activity in a yard or on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular indoor court.
Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the opposing
side's half of the court.
Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. Play ends once the
shuttlecock has struck the floor or if a fault has been called by the umpire, service judge, or (in
their absence) the opposing side.
The shuttlecock is a feathered or (in informal matches) plastic projectile which flies differently
from the balls used in many other sports. In particular, the feathers create much higher drag,
causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly. Shuttlecocks also have a high top speed
compared to the balls in other racquet sports. The flight of the shuttlecock gives the sport its
distinctive nature.
The game developed in British India from the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock.
European play came to be dominated by Denmark but the game has became very popular in
Asia, with recent competitions dominated by China. Since 1992, badminton has been
a Summer Olympic sport with five events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles,
women's doubles, and mixed doubles. At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness:
players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision. It is also a technical sport,
requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet movements.

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.

Rules
The following information is a simplified summary of badminton rules based on the BWF
Statutes publication, Laws of Badminton.
Court
Badminton court, isometricview
The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Courts are usually marked for both
singles and doubles play, although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for singles
only.[12] The doubles court is wider than the singles court, but both are of same length. The
exception, which often causes confusion to newer players, is that the doubles court has a shorter
serve-length dimension.
The full width of the court is 6.1 metres (20 ft), and in singles this width is reduced to
5.18 metres (17 ft). The full length of the court is 13.4 metres (44 ft). The service courts are
marked by a centre line dividing the width of the court, by a short service line at a distance of
1.98 metres (6 ft 6 inch) from the net, and by the outer side and back boundaries. In doubles, the
service court is also marked by a long service line, which is 0.76 metres (2 ft 6 inch) from the
back boundary.
The net is 1.55 metres (5 ft 1 inch) high at the edges and 1.524 metres (5 ft) high in the centre.
The net posts are placed over the doubles sidelines, even when singles is played.
The minimum height for the ceiling above the court is not mentioned in the Laws of Badminton.
Nonetheless, a badminton court will not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be hit on a high
serve.
Serving

The legal bounds of a badminton court during various stages of a

rally for singles and doubles games
When the server serves, the shuttlecock must pass over the short
service line on the opponents' court or it will count as a fault.
At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally
opposite service courts (see court dimensions). The server hits the
shuttlecock so that it would land in the receiver's service court. This
is similar to tennis, except that a badminton serve must be hit below
waist height and with the racquet shaft pointing downwards, the
shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce and in badminton, the players
stand inside their service courts unlike tennis.
When the serving side loses a rally, the serve immediately passes to
their opponent(s) (this differs from the old system where sometimes
the serve passes to the doubles partner for what is known as a
"second serve").
In singles, the server stands in their right service court when their
score is even, and in her/his left service court when her/his score is odd.
In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player continues to serve, but he/she
changes service courts so that she/he serves to a different opponent each time. If the opponents
win the rally and their new score is even, the player in the right service court serves; if odd, the
player in the left service court serves. The players' service courts are determined by their
positions at the start of the previous rally, not by where they were standing at the end of the rally.
A consequence of this system is that, each time a side regains the service, the server will be the
player who did not serve last time.
Scoring
Each game is played to 21 points, with players scoring a point whenever they win a rally
regardless of whether they served[12] (this differs from the old system where players could only
win a point on their serve and each game was played to 15 points). A match is the best of three
games.
If the score reaches 20-all, then the game continues until one side gains a two-point lead (such as
24–22), except when there is a tie at 29-all, in which the game goes to a golden point. Whoever
scores this point will win.
At the start of a match, the shuttlecock is cast and the side towards which the shuttlecock is
pointing serves first. Alternatively, a coin may be tossed, with the winners choosing whether to
serve or receive first, or choosing which end of the court to occupy first, and their opponents
making the leftover the remaining choice.
In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game serve first. Matches are best out of three:
a player or pair must win two games (of 21 points each) to win the match. For the first rally of
any doubles game, the serving pair may decide who serves and the receiving pair may decide
who receives. The players change ends at the start of the second game; if the match reaches a
third game, they change ends both at the start of the game and when the leading player's or pair's
score reaches 11 points.
The server and receiver must remain within their service courts, without touching the boundary
lines, until the server strikes the shuttlecock. The other two players may stand wherever they
wish, so long as they do not block the vision of the server or receiver.
Lets
If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Lets may occur
because of some unexpected disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on court (having been hit
there by players playing in adjacent court) or in small halls the shuttle may touch an overhead
rail which can be classed as a let.
If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let shall be called; yet, if the receiver
attempts to return the shuttlecock, the receiver shall be judged to have been ready.

EQUIPMENT
Badminton racquets

Badminton rules restrict the design and size of racquets and

shuttlecocks.
Racquets
Badminton racquets are lightweight, with top quality racquets
weighing between 70 and 95 grams (2.5 and 3.4 ounces) not
including grip or strings.[13][14] They are composed of many different
materials ranging from carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced
plastic) to solid steel, which may be augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fibre has an
excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the
adoption of carbon fibre composite, racquets were made of light metals such as aluminum.
Earlier still, racquets were made of wood. Cheap racquets are still often made of metals such as
steel, but wooden racquets are no longer manufactured for the ordinary market, because of their
excessive mass and cost. Nowadays, nanomaterials such as fullerene and carbon nanotubes are
added to racquets giving them greater durability.[citation needed]
There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the laws limit the racquet size and shape.
Different racquets have playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The traditional
oval head shape is still available, but an isometric head shape is increasingly common in new
racquets.
Strings
Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings with thicknesses ranging from about 0.62 to
0.73 mm. Thicker strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel of thinner strings.
String tension is normally in the range of 80 to 160 N (18 to 36 lbf). Recreational players
generally string at lower tensions than professionals, typically between 80 and 110 N (18 and
25 lbf). Professionals string between about 110 and 160 N (25 and 36 lbf). Some string
manufacturers measure the thickness of their strings under tension so they are actually thicker
than specified when slack. Ashaway Micropower is actually 0.7mm but Yonex BG-66 is about
0.72mm.
It is often argued that high string tensions improve control, whereas low string tensions increase
power.[15] The arguments for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning, such as claiming
that a lower tension string bed is more bouncy and therefore provides more power. This is in fact
incorrect, for a higher string tension can cause the shuttle to slide off the racquet and hence make
it harder to hit a shot accurately. An alternative view suggests that the optimum tension for
power depends on the player:[13] the faster and more accurately a player can swing their racquet,
the higher the tension for maximum power. Neither view has been subjected to a rigorous
mechanical analysis, nor is there clear evidence in favour of one or the other. The most effective
way for a player to find a good string tension is to experiment.
Grip
The choice of grip allows a player to increase the thickness of their racquet handle and choose a
comfortable surface to hold. A player may build up the handle with one or several grips before
applying the final layer.
Players may choose between a variety of grip materials. The most common choices
are PU synthetic grips or towelling grips. Grip choice is a matter of personal preference. Players
often find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent may be applied to the grip
or hands, sweatbands may be used, the player may choose another grip material or change
his/her grip more frequently.
There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and overgrips. Replacement grips are
thicker, and are often used to increase the size of the handle. Overgrips are thinner (less than
1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many players, however, prefer to use replacement
grips as the final layer. Towelling grips are always replacement grips. Replacement grips have an
adhesive backing, whereas overgrips have only a small patch of adhesive at the start of the tape
and must be applied under tension; overgrips are more convenient for players who change grips
frequently, because they may be removed more rapidly without damaging the underlying
material.
Shuttlecock

A shuttlecock with a plastic skirt

Shuttlecocks with feathers

Main article: Shuttlecock
A shuttlecock (often abbreviated to shuttle; also called a birdie) is a high-drag projectile, with an
open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping feathers embedded into a
rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather or synthetic material. Synthetic shuttles
are often used by recreational players to reduce their costs as feathered shuttles break easily.
These nylon shuttles may be constructed with either natural cork or synthetic foam base, and a
plastic skirt.
Badminton rules also provide for testing a shuttlecock for the correct speed:
3.1: To test a shuttlecock, hit a full underhand stroke which makes contact with the shuttlecock
over the back boundary line. The shuttlecock shall be hit at an upward angle and in a direction
parallel to the side lines.
3.2: A shuttlecock of the correct speed will land not less than 530 mm and not more than
990 mm short of the other back boundary line.
Shoes
Badminton shoes are lightweight with soles of rubber or similar high-grip, non-marking
materials.
Compared to running shoes, badminton shoes have little lateral support. High levels of lateral
support are useful for activities where lateral motion is undesirable and unexpected. Badminton,
however, requires powerful lateral movements. A highly built-up lateral support will not be able
to protect the foot in badminton; instead, it will encourage catastrophic collapse at the point
where the shoe's support fails, and the player's ankles are not ready for the sudden loading, which
can cause sprains. For this reason, players should choose badminton shoes rather than general
trainers or running shoes, because proper badminton shoes will have a very thin sole, lower a
person's centre of gravity, and therefore result in fewer injuries. Players should also ensure that
they learn safe and proper footwork, with the knee and foot in alignment on all lunges. This is
more than just a safety concern: proper footwork is also critical in order to move effectively
around the court.

Technique
A player flies high at the Golden Gate Badminton Club (GGBC) in
Menlo Park, 2006

Strokes
Badminton offers a wide variety of basic strokes, and players
require a high level of skill to perform all of them effectively. All
strokes can be played either forehand or backhand. A player's
forehand side is the same side as their playing hand: for a right-
handed player, the forehand side is their right side and the
backhand side is their left side. Forehand strokes are hit with the
front of the hand leading (like hitting with the palm), whereas
backhand strokes are hit with the back of the hand leading (like
hitting with the knuckles). Players frequently play certain strokes
on the forehand side with a backhand hitting action, and vice versa.
In the forecourt and midcourt, most strokes can be played equally effectively on either the
forehand or backhand side; but in the rear court, players will attempt to play as many strokes as
possible on their forehands, often preferring to play a round-the-head forehand overhead (a
forehand "on the backhand side") rather than attempt a backhand overhead. Playing a backhand
overhead has two main disadvantages. First, the player must turn their back to their opponents,
restricting their view of them and the court. Second, backhand overheads cannot be hit with as
much power as forehands: the hitting action is limited by the shoulder joint, which permits a
much greater range of movement for a forehand overhead than for a backhand. The backhand
clear is considered by most players and coaches to be the most difficult basic stroke in the game,
since precise technique is needed in order to muster enough power for the shuttlecock to travel
the full length of the court. For the same reason, backhand smashes tend to be weak.
Position of the shuttlecock and receiving player
A player does a forehand service, 2009, Philadelphia
The choice of stroke depends on how near the shuttlecock is to the
net, whether it is above net height, and where an opponent is
currently positioned: players have much better attacking options if
they can reach the shuttlecock well above net height, especially if it
is also close to the net. In the forecourt, a high shuttlecock will be
met with a net kill, hitting it steeply downwards and attempting to
win the rally immediately. This is why it is best to drop the
shuttlecock just over the net in this situation. In the midcourt, a
high shuttlecock will usually be met with a powerful smash, also
hitting downwards and hoping for an outright winner or a weak
reply. Athletic jump smashes, where players jump upwards for a
steeper smash angle, are a common and spectacular element of elite
men's doubles play. In the rearcourt, players strive to hit the shuttlecock while it is still above
them, rather than allowing it to drop lower. This overhead hitting allows them to play
smashes, clears (hitting the shuttlecock high and to the back of the opponents' court), and drop
shots (hitting the shuttlecock softly so that it falls sharply downwards into the opponents'
forecourt). If the shuttlecock has dropped lower, then a smash is impossible and a full-length,
high clear is difficult.
Vertical position of the shuttlecock
A player prepares for a vertical jump smash

When the shuttlecock is well below net height, players have no

choice but to hit upwards. Lifts, where the shuttlecock is hit upwards
to the back of the opponents' court, can be played from all parts of
the court. If a player does not lift, his only remaining option is to
push the shuttlecock softly back to the net: in the forecourt this is
called a netshot; in the midcourt or rearcourt, it is often called
a push or block.
When the shuttlecock is near to net height, players can hit drives,
which travel flat and rapidly over the net into the opponents' rear
midcourt and rearcourt. Pushes may also be hit flatter, placing the
shuttlecock into the front midcourt. Drives and pushes may be played from the midcourt or
forecourt, and are most often used in doubles: they are an attempt to regain the attack, rather than
choosing to lift the shuttlecock and defend against smashes. After a successful drive or push, the
opponents will often be forced to lift the shuttlecock.
Spin
Balls may be spun to alter their bounce (for example, topspin and backspin in tennis) or
trajectory, and players may slice the ball (strike it with an angled racquet face) to produce such
spin. The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce, but slicing the shuttlecock does have applications
in badminton. (See Basic strokes for an explanation of technical terms.)
 Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to travel in a different direction from the
direction suggested by the player's racquet or body movement. This is used to deceive
opponents.
 Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to follow a slightly curved path (as seen
from above), and the deceleration imparted by the spin causes sliced strokes to slow down
more suddenly towards the end of their flight path. This can be used to create dropshots and
smashes that dip more steeply after they pass the net.
 When playing a netshot, slicing underneath the shuttlecock may cause it to turn over itself
(tumble) several times as it passes the net. This is called a spinning netshot or tumbling
netshot. The opponent will be unwilling to address the shuttlecock until it has corrected its
orientation.
Due to the way that its feathers overlap, a shuttlecock also has a slight natural spin about its axis
of rotational symmetry. The spin is in a counter-clockwise direction as seen from above when
dropping a shuttlecock. This natural spin affects certain strokes: a tumbling netshot is more
effective if the slicing action is from right to left, rather than from left to right.[16]
Biomechanics
Badminton biomechanics have not been the subject of extensive scientific study, but some
studies confirm the minor role of the wrist in power generation and indicate that the major
contributions to power come from internal and external rotations of the upper and lower
arm.[17] Recent guides to the sport thus emphasize forearm rotation rather than wrist
movements.[18]
The feathers impart substantial drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate greatly over distance.
The shuttlecock is also extremely aerodynamically stable: regardless of initial orientation, it will
turn to fly cork-first, and remain in the cork-first orientation.
One consequence of the shuttlecock's drag is that it requires considerable power to hit it the full
length of the court, which is not the case for most racquet sports. The drag also influences the
flight path of a lifted (lobbed) shuttlecock: the parabola of its flight is heavily skewed so that it
falls at a steeper angle than it rises. With very high serves, the shuttlecock may even fall
vertically.
Other factors
When defending against a smash, players have three basic options: lift, block, or drive. In
singles, a block to the net is the most common reply. In doubles, a lift is the safest option but it
usually allows the opponents to continue smashing; blocks and drives are counter-attacking
strokes, but may be intercepted by the smasher's partner. Many players use a backhand hitting
action for returning smashes on both the forehand and backhand sides, because backhands are
more effective than forehands at covering smashes directed to the body. Hard shots directed
towards the body are difficult to defend.
The service is restricted by the Laws and presents its own array of stroke choices. Unlike in
tennis, the server's racquet must be pointing in a downward direction to deliver the serve so
normally the shuttle must be hit upwards to pass over the net. The server can choose a low
serve into the forecourt (like a push), or a lift to the back of the service court, or a flat drive
serve. Lifted serves may be either high serves, where the shuttlecock is lifted so high that it falls
almost vertically at the back of the court, or flick serves, where the shuttlecock is lifted to a lesser
height but falls sooner.
Deception
Once players have mastered these basic strokes, they can hit the shuttlecock from and to any part
of the court, powerfully and softly as required. Beyond the basics, however, badminton offers
rich potential for advanced stroke skills that provide a competitive advantage. Because
badminton players have to cover a short distance as quickly as possible, the purpose of many
advanced strokes is to deceive the opponent, so that either he is tricked into believing that a
different stroke is being played, or he is forced to delay his movement until he actually sees the
shuttle's direction. "Deception" in badminton is often used in both of these senses. When a player
is genuinely deceived, he will often lose the point immediately because he cannot change his
direction quickly enough to reach the shuttlecock. Experienced players will be aware of the trick
and cautious not to move too early, but the attempted deception is still useful because it forces
the opponent to delay his movement slightly. Against weaker players whose intended strokes are
obvious, an experienced player may move before the shuttlecock has been hit, anticipating the
stroke to gain an advantage.
Slicing and using a shortened hitting action are the two main technical devices that facilitate
deception. Slicing involves hitting the shuttlecock with an angled racquet face, causing it to
travel in a different direction than suggested by the body or arm movement. Slicing also causes
the shuttlecock to travel more slowly than the arm movement suggests. For example, a good
crosscourt sliced dropshot will use a hitting action that suggests a straight clear or smash,
deceiving the opponent about both the power and direction of the shuttlecock. A more
sophisticated slicing action involves brushing the strings around the shuttlecock during the hit, in
order to make the shuttlecock spin. This can be used to improve the shuttle's trajectory, by
making it dip more rapidly as it passes the net; for example, a sliced low serve can travel slightly
faster than a normal low serve, yet land on the same spot. Spinning the shuttlecock is also used to
create spinning netshots (also called tumbling netshots), in which the shuttlecock turns over itself
several times (tumbles) before stabilizing; sometimes the shuttlecock remains inverted instead of
tumbling. The main advantage of a spinning netshot is that the opponent will be unwilling to
address the shuttlecock until it has stopped tumbling, since hitting the feathers will result in an
unpredictable stroke. Spinning netshots are especially important for high level singles players.
The lightness of modern racquets allows players to use a very short hitting action for many
strokes, thereby maintaining the option to hit a powerful or a soft stroke until the last possible
moment. For example, a singles player may hold his racquet ready for a netshot, but then flick
the shuttlecock to the back instead with a shallow lift when she or he notices the opponent has
moved before the actual shot was played. A shallow lift takes less time to reach the ground and
as mentioned above a rally is over when the shuttlecock touches the ground. This makes the
opponent's task of covering the whole court much more difficult than if the lift was hit higher
and with a bigger, obvious swing. A short hitting action is not only useful for deception: it also
allows the player to hit powerful strokes when he has no time for a big arm swing. A big arm
swing is also usually not advised in badminton because bigger swings make it more difficult to
recover for the next shot in fast exchanges. The use of grip tightening is crucial to these
techniques, and is often described as finger power. Elite players develop finger power to the
extent that they can hit some power strokes, such as net kills, with less than a 10 centimetres (4
inches) racquet swing.
It is also possible to reverse this style of deception, by suggesting a powerful stroke before
slowing down the hitting action to play a soft stroke. In general, this latter style of deception is
more common in the rearcourt (for example, dropshots disguised as smashes), whereas the
former style is more common in the forecourt and midcourt (for example, lifts disguised as
netshots).
Deception is not limited to slicing and short hitting actions. Players may also use double motion,
where they make an initial racquet movement in one direction before withdrawing the racquet to
hit in another direction. Players will often do this to send opponents in the wrong direction. The
racquet movement is typically used to suggest a straight angle but then play the stroke cross
court, or vice versa. Triple motion is also possible, but this is very rare in actual play. An
alternative to double motion is to use a racquet head fake, where the initial motion is continued
but the racquet is turned during the hit. This produces a smaller change in direction, but does not
require as much time.

Strategy
To win in badminton, players need to employ a wide variety of strokes in the right situations.
These range from powerful jumping smashes to delicate tumbling net returns. Often rallies finish
with a smash, but setting up the smash requires subtler strokes. For example, a netshot can force
the opponent to lift the shuttlecock, which gives an opportunity to smash. If the netshot is tight
and tumbling, then the opponent's lift will not reach the back of the court, which makes the
subsequent smash much harder to return.
Deception is also important. Expert players prepare for many different strokes that look identical,
and use slicing to deceive their opponents about the speed or direction of the stroke. If an
opponent tries to anticipate the stroke, he may move in the wrong direction and may be unable to
change his body momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock.
Singles
Since one person needs to cover the entire court, singles tactics are based on forcing the
opponent to move as much as possible; this means that singles strokes are normally directed to
the corners of the court. Players exploit the length of the court by combining lifts and clears with
drop shots and net shots. Smashing tends to be less prominent in singles than in doubles because
the smasher has no partner to follow up his effort and is thus vulnerable to a skillfully placed
return. Moreover, frequent smashing can be exhausting in singles where the conservation of a
player's energy is at a premium. However, players with strong smashes will sometimes use the
shot to create openings, and players commonly smash weak returns to try to end rallies.
In singles, players will often start the rally with a forehand high serve or with a flick serve. Low
serves are also used frequently, either forehand or backhand. Drive serves are rare.
At high levels of play, singles demands extraordinary fitness. Singles is a game of patient
positional manoeuvring, unlike the all-out aggression of doubles.[19]
Doubles
Both pairs will try to gain and maintain the attack, smashing downwards when the opportunity
arises. Whenever possible, a pair will adopt an ideal attacking formation with one player hitting
down from the rearcourt, and his partner in the midcourt intercepting all smash returns except the
lift. If the rearcourt attacker plays a dropshot, his partner will move into the forecourt to threaten
the net reply. If a pair cannot hit downwards, they will use flat strokes in an attempt to gain the
attack. If a pair is forced to lift or clear the shuttlecock, then they must defend: they will adopt a
side-by-side position in the rear midcourt, to cover the full width of their court against the
opponents' smashes. In doubles, players generally smash to the middle ground between two
players in order to take advantage of confusion and clashes.
At high levels of play, the backhand serve has become popular to the extent that forehand serves
have become fairly rare at a high level of play. The straight low serve is used most frequently, in
an attempt to prevent the opponents gaining the attack immediately. Flick serves are used to
prevent the opponent from anticipating the low serve and attacking it decisively.
At high levels of play, doubles rallies are extremely fast. Men's doubles is the most aggressive
form of badminton, with a high proportion of powerful jump smashes and very quick reflex
exchanges. Because of this, spectator interest is sometimes greater for men's doubles than for
singles.
Mixed doubles

A mixed doubles game – Scottish Schools under 12s

tournament, Tranent, May 2002
In mixed doubles, both pairs typically try to maintain an attacking
formation with the woman at the front and the man at the back.
This is because the male players are usually substantially stronger,
and can therefore produce smashes that are more powerful. As a result, mixed doubles require
greater tactical awareness and subtler positional play. Clever opponents will try to reverse the
ideal position, by forcing the woman towards the back or the man towards the front. In order to
protect against this danger, mixed players must be careful and systematic in their shot
selection.[20]
At high levels of play, the formations will generally be more flexible: the top women players are
capable of playing powerfully from the back-court, and will happily do so if required. When the
opportunity arises, however, the pair will switch back to the standard mixed attacking position,
with the woman in front and men in the back.
 BENEFITS IN PLAYING BADMINTON

 Physical fitness: Between the running, lunging, diving and ball hitting, playing badminton burns fat at
approximately 450 calories per hour. This kind of cardiovascular workout can help keep you in tip top
shape, especially if you’re looking for a good alternative cross-training exercise.
 Develops athleticism: The fast-paced nature of the game increases your speed and improves your
reflexes. Intelligence is also a factor since players must know how to deceive their opponents in every
shot.
 Increased muscle tone: Playing badminton builds and tones the quads, glutes, calves and
hamstrings. In addition, your core muscles, arm and back muscles get a workout as well.
 Psychological benefits: Because badminton promotes physical fitness, it helps to reduce stress and
anxiety. Exercise increases endorphins, which are the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, and has
also been found to improve mood and sleep.
 Social health: You’ll need at least one opponent, but you can also play with a teammate and two other
opponents. The social interactions of a game will result in positive feelings after a session on the court.
Joining a league can also help you become part of a community.
 Good for overall health: As with all forms of physical exercise, badminton can reduce or eliminate
your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. It can also
reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your
“good” cholesterol.
 Flexibility and muscle strength: The more you move, the more flexible you become, especially in a
sport like badminton where swinging and reaching are required. In addition to improving flexibility,
players also gain muscle strength and endurance.
 Mobility: As we age, mobility becomes limited, but staying active can help prevent these problems.
Keeping mobile lubricates your joints, preventing arthritis and similar conditions from developing.
 Weight loss: Badminton can also help with weight control because of its fat-burning and metabolism
boosting qualities. Combined with proper diet, optimal weight loss may be achieved.
 Decrease diabetes: It can decrease the production of sugar by the liver and therefore can decrease
fasting blood sugar. In fact, one study from the Diabetes Prevention Program found that exercise
decreased the incidence of developing diabetes by 58% even better than medication.