Badminton is the world's fastest racquet sport: a shuttle (aka birdie) can leave the racket at a speed of almost 200 mph! And in competitive badminton, the shuttle isn't the only thing moving at a fast pace. Badminton athletes must have explosiveness, quick reflexes, rapid hand-eye coordination, and also possess top aerobic endurance. In a competitive game, athletes move at a fast pace running, jumping, twisting, stretching, and striking. In a typical two-game singles match, top players will cover nearly every inch of the court and travel more than a mile!
The game of badminton dates back at least two thousand years to the game of battledore and shuttlecock played in ancient Greece, India, and China. The game took its name from Badminton House of Gloucestershire, the home of the Duke of Beaufort, where the sport was played in the last century.
In the United States the first badminton club was formed in 1878. The Badminton Club of New York became a weekend meeting place for New York 's society leaders. In 1936 the American Badminton Association was organized, changing later, in 1978, to USBA. As of September1995 nearly 2,700 members belong to the USBA. The USBA sends players to various championships including the World Championships, the Junior Championships, and the Pan American Games.
To enjoy a game of badminton though, you needed be a world-class player. Badminton is an exciting indoor or outdoor sport that can be played with friends or competitively through a club. Follow these steps to play a game of badminton:
- Toss a coin. The winner of the toss may choose to receive or serve first.
- Always serve from the right side and serve to the diagonal service box.
- Serve underhand only.
- Count scored points only on your serve.
- Gain control of the serve by winning the point when your opponent is serving.
- Score a point when the shuttle lands in your opponent's court.
- Also score a point when your opponent hits the shuttle out of your court, into the net, hits the shuttle with his body or clothing, or hits it before it crossed the net.
- Win the game by scoring 15 points first.
- Play a match based on the best two out of three.
A 130-pound person can burn approximately 342 calories playing a leisure game of badminton for one hour.
Be sure to consult a physician before beginning any new form of physical activity.
For more information, go to www.usabadminton.org