BADMINTON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BRIEF HISTORY, NATURE,

BASIC SKILLS IN
01 AND DEVELOPMENT OF
BADMINTON
02 BADMINTON

RULES AND
FACILITIES AND
03 EQUIPMENT 04 REGULATION OF THE
GAME
START!
 BRIEF HISTORY,
NATURE, AND
01
DEVELOPMENT
OF BADMINTON
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME
BADMINTON
Badminton first originated in India during the 18th century where it was called
"Poona”. It was played by that name until the 1870's. Our modern-day version of
the game came from England. It was introduced by the British Army officers as an
upper-class amusement. The English played the game of Badminton, in the
Hometown of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England. Hence, the name
badminton became the official name of the game.
Records describe the game with wooden paddles and a shuttlecock being played in
Ancient China, on the Royal court of England. In Poland and in India later in the
eighteenth and nineteenth century, a game called "battledore and shuttlecock,
involved hitting a shuttlecock with wooden paddle known as bat or battledore. The
participants were required to keep the shuttle in play as long as possible. The
playing area inside the hall was an hourglass shape narrower at the middle than the
two ends. Badminton was played on this odd shaped court until 1901. A string was
added across the middle of the hall to make a rudimentary net. The original rules
for badminton were standardized in 1887 and later revised in both 1895 and 1905.
These rules still govern the sport today with minor changes
 NATURE OF THE GAME
Badminton is a racket sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs
(doubles). The teams take positions on opposite on halves of a court that is divided by a net. The
object of the game is to serve and hit the shuttlecock or bird across the net with enough skill and
accuracy so that opponent cannot return the shot. In order to score a point, players must strike the
shuttlecock with their racket so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponent’s court. The
shuttlecock may only be stuck once by each side before it passes over the net and struck the
shuttlecock on the ground to end a rally. Players need to employ a wide variety of strikes in the right
situation to win the game. 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. Deception
is also important. Expert players make the preparation for many different strokes 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 the shuttlecock.
The singles court is narrower than the doubles court, but the same length, with
the exception that a serve in the single can reach the end of the court while a
serve in doubles could not. Since one person needs to cover the entire court,
single tactics are based on facing the opponent to move as much as possible; this
means that singles strokes are normally directed to the corners of the court. In
doubles, both players will try to gain and maintain the attack, smashing
downward when possible. lf a pair is forced to lift or clear the shuttlecock, then
they must defend. If a pair cannot hit downwards, they will use flat strokes in an
attempt to gain the attack. Whenever possible, a pair will adopt ideal attacking
information with one player hitting down from the rear court, and his partner in
the midcourt intercepting all smash returns except the
 RECENT DEVELOPMENT
The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was established in 1934 with its
founding members; Canada, Denmark, England, France, Netherlands, Ireland, New
Zealand, Scotland and Wales. In 1981 the IBF merged with the World Badminton
Federation, and in September 24, 2006, at the Extraordinary General Meeting in
Madrid, the name of the organization was changed to Badminton World Federation
(BWF).

When the BWF was founded (as the IBF), its head office was located in Cheltenham,
United Kingdom. In October 1, 2005 the head office was relocated to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. Its current president is Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen. The BWF currently has
176 member nations around the world, organized into 5 continental confederations.
The BWF regularly organizes seven major international
badminton events and one event for para-badminton:
• Olympic Games in co-operation with International Olympic
Committee
• World Championships
• World Junior Championships
• Para-Badminton World Championships
• Thomas Cup
• Uber Cup
• Sudirman Cup
• BWF World Senior Championships
Currently, the best players in the world come from China, Europe, Malaysia,
Indonesia and South Korea and dominate competitions on the international
level with China domination in recent years. Indonesian players won both
men's and women's singles at the 1992 Olympics. Indonesians also won four
in the five events in the 1994 World Championships. Badminton is presently
the numbers one sport in Great Britain. The immediate future for both
professional and amateur badminton players appear to be very bright.

The Philippines participates in various tournaments and sends a badminton

team to the Asian games. Badminton is becoming increasingly popular in the
Philippines both for serious play and casual recreation.
 BASIC SKILLS IN
02
BADMINTON
BASIC SKILLS IN BADMINTON

01 GRIPPING THE RACKET

02 BASIC SHORTS OR STROKE IN BADMINTON

03 TYPES OF SERVICE
Badminton is a sport in which it is easy to learn some basic skills but is very difficult to
master. It can be fun for all ages, simply hitting the bird in a high arc back and forth
over the net. To develop a high degree of skill, however, you must be prepared to
practice as much as for golf and tennis. A skilled player has not only learned the
strategy of the game, but has improved his/her hand-eye coordination, agility, balance,
kinesthetic awareness, muscular strength, and aerobic fitness. Good players learn to
anticipate shots which give them the edge on reacting to the best position for the return
shot. If you wanted to pick one phrase to characterize good badminton it would be
"quick movement for good position."
GRIPPING THE
RACKET
There are three basic types of grips used in
badminton: forehand, backhand and frying pan. The
two grips used most of the time are the forehand and
backhand. Some players find they can use the
forehand grip for all shots since it often becomes
difficult to change grip when the action is occurring
rapidly. Most players, however, do change their
thumb slightly on the backhand. The key for each
player is the wrist action that can be generated for
each stroke.
FOREHAND
GRIP
Hold the racket by the shaft with the non-racket
hand, keeping the racket face perpendicular to the
court and pointing away from the body. Simply shake
hands with the grip of the racket. The index finger
should be slightly separated from the other fingers
and the "V" formed between the thumb and index
finger should be directly on top of the handle. The
grip should be loose to allow for maximum wrist
action. A tight grip creates tension in the wrist
muscles which restricts the movement of the wrist
joint.
BACKHAND
GRIP
Known as the "thumb-up" grip. From the forehand
grip, turn the racket slightly to the right, for a right-
handed player, and place the thumb along and
parallel to the back side of the handle. The thumb
position produces more power by providing for a
more forceful wrist-snap from the backhand side.
Another advantage of this grip is that by making this
slight change, less body turn is required for many
backhand strokes. Often when using the same grip
for the forehand and backhand, a backhand grip
requires more arm and shoulder turn to provide the
needed power. By using the thumb up backhand grip
and cocking the wrist and thumb toward the elbow,
the required power can be provided without as much
shoulder rotation.
 BASIC SHOTS OR STROKE IN
BADMINTON
Overhead forehand
the most common we see, the first
to learn
Overhead backhand
many people’s main weakness

Underarm forehand
a low shot on the forehand side

Underarm backhand
a low shot on the backhand side.
 DIFFERENT SHOTS IN
BADMINTON
1. Clear Shot
2. Drop
3. Drive
4. Smash
5. Net Lift
6. Net Kill
 CLEAR SHOT
Trajectory: High, towards the back court
Played from: Back court
Purpose: Defensive shot

Aim of this shot is to let the shuttle fly high in the

air and land at your opponent’s back court. It is
used when you need time to get back to the base
before the next return or if you don’t have a clear
opportunity to kill and win the point.
 DROP
Trajectory: Looping close to the net
Played from: Back court
Purpose: Attacking Shot

It is used when the shuttle is heading towards you

in the back court. As an attempt to this stroke, the
player must hit downward towards the opponent’s
fore-court, aiming for it to go just over the net.
The closer the shuttle drops to the net, the harder it
is to return.

This shot is used when the opponent is in the back

court, expecting a clear shot or a drive
 DRIVE
Trajectory: Flat, towards the body
Played from: Mid-court
Purpose: Defensive Shot

The drive is a flat shot hit directly and slightly

over the net. It is a very powerful and quick
counter attacking shot. Your racket should be held
with the head facing straight ahead. It can
sometimes be strategic to aim the shot at your
opponent who will be unable to react or shift his
body in time as their natural reaction will be to
duck/avoid the shot.
 SMASH
Trajectory: Looping close to the net
Played from: Back court
Purpose: Attacking Shot

It is used when the shuttle is heading towards you

in the back court. As an attempt to this stroke, the
player must hit downward towards the opponent’s
fore-court, aiming for it to go just over the net.
The closer the shuttle drops to the net, the harder it
is to return.
 NET LIFT
Trajectory: High, towards the back court
Played from: Frontcourt
Purpose: Defensive shot

The net lift sends the shuttle high up to your

opponent’s baseline. It is hit from very close to the
net. When you find it difficult to retrieve your
opponent’s net shot, you can choose the defensive
net lift. Do not hesitate to lift it high and towards
the back court. This can prevent your opponent
from striking with a net kill. Practice to lift the
shuttle high enough so the shuttle won’t hit the
net.
 NET KILL
Trajectory: Flat and downwards
Played from: Fore court
Purpose: To end a rally

A very useful shot to end a rally when your

opponent executes a poor quality (too high) net
shot. Practice these shots and master them.
SERVICE
The serve is the underhand stroke that begins play.
For a serve to be legal, the bird must be hit below
the server's waist, and all of the racket head must
be below the server's hand.
TYPES OF SERVE
1. Out-of-hand serve- is the easiest to learn, since as the name implies, the bird is virtually
hit from the hand.
2. Drop serve- requires greater concentration and coordination because the bird is struck as it
drops to the court.
3. Backhand serve- is more advanced serve that currently used by many tournament players.
4. Long hand serve- resembles a forehand underhand swinging motion. You should stand
near the centerline and approximately 4 to 5 feet behind the service line.
5. Short serve- this is basic serve for doubles. The primary exception is that you should
stand much closer to the short serve line, perhaps 6 inches or less.
6. Drive and flick serve- this drive is a low flat serve usually directed to your opponent’s
backhand. The advantages of this drive and serve are its quickness and unexpectedness.
 FACILITIES AND
03
EQUIPMENT
COURT
Court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Courts are usually marked for both singles and
doubles play, although badminton permit a court to be marked for singles only. The doubles court is
wider than the singles court, but both are of same length. The exception, which 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 meters (20 ft.), and in singles this width is reduced to 5.18 meters (17 ft.). The full length
of the court is 13.4 meters (44 ft.). The service courts are marked by a center line dividing the width
of the court, by a short service line at a distance of 1.98 meters (6 ft. 6 inches) 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 meters (2 ft. 6 inches) from the back boundary. The net is 1.55 meters (5 ft. 1 inch) high
at the edges and 1.524 meters (5 ft) high in the center. 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.
RACKET
Badminton racquets are lightweight, with top quality racquets weighing between 70 and 95 grams
(2.4 to 3.3 ounces) not including grip or strings. They are composed of many different materials
ranging from carbon fiber composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid steel, which may be
augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fiber has an excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff,
and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the adoption of carbon fiber 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, nanomaterial such as
fullerene and carbon nanotubes are added to rackets giving them greater durability. 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 in the range of about 0.62 to 0.73 mm
thickness. 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
2010). Professionals string between about 110 and 160 N (25 and 36 lbf). It is often argued that
high string tensions improve control, whereas low string tensions increase power. 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: 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 favor 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 his
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 varieties of
grip materials. The most common choices are PU synthetic grips
or toweling 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 material or change his
grip more frequently.
There are two main types of grip:

a. Replacement grips- are thicker, and are often used to

increase the size of the handle.
b. Over grips- 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. Toweling grips are always replacement grips.
Replacement grips have an adhesive backing, whereas over grips
have only a small patch of adhesive at the start of the tape and
must be applied under tension; over convenient for players who
change grips frequently, because they may be removed more
rapidly without damaging the underlying material.
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.
 RULES AND
04 REGULATIONS OF
THE GAME
 BADMINTON RULES
Badminton is a sport that has been around since the
16th century. The sport is played indoors and the
pinnacle comes from its Olympic events. The sport is
very popular in Asian countries such as China and India
with these countries leading the way by producing
some of the world’s best players.
 OBJECT OF THE GAME
The object of badminton is to hit the shuttlecock over the
net and have it land in the designated court areas. If your
opponent manages to return the shuttlecock then a rally
occurs. If you win this rally i.e. force your opponent to hit
the shuttlecock out or into the net then you win a point.
You are required to win 21 points to win a set with most
matches being best of 3 sets. Points can be won on either
serve.
 PLAYERS AND EQUIPMENTS
There are two forms of badminton, singles and doubles (it’s also possible to play mixed
doubles). Each player is allowed to use a stringed racket (similar to a tennis racket but with
the head being smaller) and a shuttlecock. The shuttlecock is made up of half round ball at the
bottom and a feather like material surrounding the top. You can only really hit the bottom of
the shuttlecock and as gravity comes into play will always revert the ball side facing down.
You may only hit the shuttlecock once before it either hits the ground or goes over the net.

The court measures 6.1m wide and 13.4m long. Across the middle of the rectangular court is
a net which runs at 1.55m. Running along each side of the court are two tram lines. The inside
lines are used as the parameter for singles match whilst the outside line is used for a doubles
match.
 SCORING
A point is scored when you successfully hit the shuttlecock
over the net and land it in your opponent’s court before they
hit it. A point can also be gained when your opponent hits the
shuttlecock into either the net or outside the parameters.
 WINNING THE GAME
To win a game you must reach 21 points before your opponent. If
you do so then you will have won that set. If the scores are tied at
20-20 then it comes down to whichever player manages to get two
clear points ahead. If the points are still tied at 29-29 then the next
point will decide the winner of the set. Winning the overall game
will require you to win 2 out of the 3 sets played.