To play the classic lawn game of badminton, all you need is a net, a pair of lightweight rackets, an opponent and a shuttlecock or shuttle. Although just about anybody can enjoy a casual game of badminton, to excel at this deceptively simple activity requires practice, strategy and finesse. Whether you're playing a friendly backyard match or competing in a tournament, you'll have plenty of company: World Badminton says more than 1.2 million Americans play badminton at least 25 times a year.
History
The origins of badminton are rooted in antiquity. Historians believe it began in ancient Greece and spread to early Far Eastern civilizations; the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater says that a version of the game was depicted on Chinese pottery as early as 1,000 BC. In India, the pastime was known as "poona" and was introduced to England in the 1860s by returning British officers who had developed a passion for the game. Badminton acquired its English name after being featured at a party given by the duke of Beaufort at his Gloucestershire estate, Badminton House. According to World Badminton, the first American badminton club was formed in 1878. In 1934, the International Badminton Federation, the sport's sole international governing body, was established. Badminton became a full-medal Olympic sport in 1992.
Basic Rules
A rally, in which the shuttle is hit back and forth, begins when the shuttle is put into play with a serve. Badminton Information notes that you can return the shuttle using a forehand or backhand stroke, but you must serve underhand. You win a rally if you hit the shuttle to the ground in your opponent's court, if your opponent returns the shuttle but hits it out of court, or if he otherwise commits a fault. Only the serving side can win a point. If the serving side doesn't successfully return the shuttle, it loses the serve. A receiving side that fails to return the shuttle loses a point and must receive again. The first side to reach 21 points wins the game.
Basic Equipment
Requirements for badminton equipment are fairly straightforward. According to USM, the court should measure 44 feet by 17 feet for a singles game; for doubles, the width is extended to 20 feet. The net should be 5 feet high at the center and 5 feet 1 inch at the posts. Shuttlecocks, the cone-shaped projectiles that are batted back and forth, usually feature cork bottoms and are fitted with 16 overlapping goose feathers. Dimensions Guide notes that plastic shuttlecocks, which have plastic skirts instead of feathers, also can be used and tend to be more durable. Badminton Information says that badminton rackets, which are more lightweight than those used in tennis, shouldn't weigh more than 100 g, or 3.52730 oz.
Misconception
A common misconception regarding badminton is that it is a genteel, physically undemanding and slow-paced sport. According to World Badminton, nothing could be further from the truth. Badminton can be a challenging and explosive game that not only requires endurance and fast reflexes but places more physical demands on its players than tennis does. The website points out that in the course of a typical two-game match, a player will run a mile, and adds that although a badminton match is only half the length of a tennis match, badminton players run twice as far and take almost twice as many shots as tennis players.
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