Lesson Introduction

Introduction:
Badminton is a tennis-like game played with light strong rackets that are used to
strike a shuttlecock 9 a feather cork missile) back and forth, before it hits the ground
across a high net within a rectangular court.
The game has an extremely varied repertory of strokes. This fact derives from
the lightness of the rackets, so that the wrist can be used much more than in most 
other tennis-type games; and even more from the peculiarities in the flight of the
shuttlecock, or bird struck. Badminton is not a good outdoor game because breezes
affect the shuttlecock. All organized tournaments are played indoors.

HISTORY
Most scholars feel that the game developed from the ancient pastime known as
battledore and shuttlecock. The game was learned in India as “Poona”. It was brought to
England about 1870 by British army officers stationed in India. The duke of Beaufort
introduced the game at his country place, Badminton, in Gloucestershire. Not having a
name at that time, the game was referred to as “that badminton game.” This reference was
never changed and badminton became the accepted title.

The oldest badminton club in the world is the Badminton club of the City of New
York, which was founded in 1878, however, the game did not become widely popular in the
United States until the middle 1930’s. The US Badminton Association was formed in 1936.
 
 
 The International Badminton Federation, the world governing body for the sport, was

founded in 1934. The premier interna

tional men’s team is the ‘Thomas
 Cup,” which was established in 1948 and its counterpart in the women’s competition
is the “uber cup,” which was founded in 1956. Both competitions are held biennially and the
Chinese dominated ever since they began in 1981. In the mid-90’s, Indonesian and some
Europeans stole the supremacy from the Chinese.
In 1977, the World Badminton Federation (WBF) was founded. It sponsored the first
World Championship in the same year in Malmo Sweden. This was the start of several
international competitions all over the world. The “Suderman Cup” in 1989 was established
in memory of the former IBF Vice President Dick Suderman. He was also considered
the “father of Indonesian Badminton.

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

THE COUR T
 The official court measures 44ft. long by 22ft. wide for doubles game and 44 ft. long
by 17 ft. wide for singles game. A 1 ½ feet alley on each side is commonly referred to as
double alleys. There is also a space 2 ½ feet wide at both ends of the court, which are the
back alleys. There are two service areas on each side of the net, the right and left service
court bounded by a line running parallel to the net, called the short-service line.
The ceiling height should be 30 feet for official game, and 24 feet for instructional
game. Floor surface is traditionally wood, but many synthetic and plastic courts have been
developed.
THE NET and POSTS
The net should be made of dark-colored mosh, 2 ½ feet deep, with a 1 ½ inch white
tape extending across the top. The top of the net should be 5 feet above the floor at a point
equidistant from the sidelines; and 5 feet and 1 inch in height at point above the doubles
sidelines. The posts is 5 feet and 1 inch in height from the floor.

THE RACKET

 
 
  
It is light and can be made of wood, aluminium metal or synthetic material such as
graphic or carbon. It can be up to 68 centimeters long and it is usually weighs about 100
grams. Most strings are made of synthetic such as nylon but world-class players use lamb.
Gut is more expensive than synthetic and has disadvantages of a short lifespan when
strung tightly or not protected from moisture. String diameter ranges from 19-22 gauge.
Most competitive players prefer 21 to 22 gauge strung string at 14 to 15 pounds of
tension, that provides power and control. For school and recreational use, with 20-gauge
string at a tension of 12 to 13 pounds is adequate.

 
 
THE SHUTTLECOCKS

 
It is made from 14-16 goose feathers that are placed in a leather-covered cork head,
made of either plastic or nylon. Synthetic shuttles are suitable for recreational games but
feathered or official shuttlecock weighs from 4.74 to 5.50 grams.
  
 
 
 

OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME

Playing consists of volleying (hitting) the shuttle back and forth over the net without
allowing it to hit the ground. The shuttle is made of feathers or nylon in a cork base. It flies
slowly when hit gently. But when hit hard and timed perfectly it may travel at more than 300
kilometers per hour. However, the shuttle decelerates quickly after a short distance. The
shuttle is served with an underhand motion into the opponent's service court, diagonally
opposite. The server must hit the shuttle while it is below his waist. The racket head must
also be below the serving hand. Only one attempt on the serve is allowed. If the server fails,
then the opponent serves.
OBJECTIVE OF THE AME
SKILLS IN BADMINTON
OBJECTIVE OF THE G
BADMINTON GRIP
Starting with a correct Badminton Grip is the foundation of Playing Badminton.
Holding the racket wrongly will decrease your stroke's power and accuracy. Your shots will
be limited and therefore you will not enjoy the game as much let alone improve.

SERVICE IN BADMINTON
 Serving is critical in badminton because it is
the first shot of every rally and therefore it has the power to shape how the rally develops.
Serving consistently gives you a good chance of staying in the game, whereas not being
able to serve consistently will diminish your chances of success, even if you are superior to
your opponent in all the other parts of the game.
 Stand inside a service court, not touching any boundary lines.
 Serve from right to left if your score is an even number, and vice versa.
 Don’t lift your feet off the ground during the serve
 Hit each shot from below your waist
 Vary your serves so they won't be predictable
 
 
 

COMMON STROKES IN BADMINTON

 
The term stroke and shot are sometime used interchangeably, but authority in the
games uses the word stroke to refer to striking patterns.
All strokes can be forehand or backhand strokes. Much deception is possible in placing
shots and in controlling the shuttle, which often will stop short in its flight and plunge
down to the court.
 Shot - is used to differentiate flight patterns according to trajectory or elevation
and depth. A forehand underhand stroke may be used to hit a variety of shots served.
 Forehand Stroke - refers to any shot struck on the racket side of the body.
 Backhand Stroke - these are hosts struck on the side away from the racket/left
side of right-handed, right side for left handed.
Three Parts of Backhand of Forehand Stroke
 Backswing - involves all movements of the racket away from the target.
 Hitting Action - includes all forward motions until the racket contacts the shuttle.
 Follow-Through - involves all movements from control contact until the player is
back in a position to await the opponent's next shot.
The primary source of power hitting action is the acceleration of the hand and racket.
These movements are primarily responsible for acceleration:
 Forearm Rotation - the turning can be inward (pronation) or outward
(supination).
Kindly visit this link for the demonstration of Forearm Rotation:
 Wrist action or wrist cock-the motion can be a bending towards the inside of
the forearm (flexion) or bending backward the outside of the forearm (hyper-flexion).
Kindly visit this link for the demonstration of Wrist Action:
Learning effective wrist action is among the most important aspects of proper
stroking technique. The wrist action for forehand strokes is to hyperextend during the
backswing, then flex during the hitting action and follow-through. The wrist action for
backhand is to flex during the backswing, then vigorously without hyperextension during
the hitting action and follow-through.
Underhand Stroke- used when the approaching shuttle is low in front of the player.

Here are the steps in executing the

underhand stroke
 
 In a backswing position, drop the racket hand down and back.
 Move the right foot forward in the direction of the spot where the shuttle will hit
the floor, weight will transfer to front foot. The wrist cocks back during the backswing,
hyperextension on the forehand side but flexing on the backhand side.
 Move forward the arm while the wrist remains cocked. 
 Hit the target shuttle combining the three movements in accelerating with full and
rapid upward movement of the hand toward the target, including a vigorous uncocking
of the wrist.
 
 
 
Overhand Stroke - used to return the shuttle with a high trajectory coming  from the
opponent's court when the shuttle gets behind you.

Here are some steps in executing the overhand stroke.

 
 Lift both arms overhead. Sharply bend the elbow of the racket arm and move the
racket foot in the direction of the area where the shuttle would hit the floor.
 The non-racket hand provides balance. It should be higher than the head and
points toward the incoming shuttle when you are hitting a forehand, and it will be nearer
shoulder level and behind the shuttle when you are hitting a backhand.
 During the execution of a smash (overhead shot sharply hit forcefully at a steeper
downward angle), the wrist sometimes moves fast extending to a flex position during the
follow-through.
 
 
 
 Sidearm Stroke - if the opponent uses a drive (fast
low shot with flat trajectory) to hit the  shuttle parallel to either sidelines and you reach it
at a height between your waist and your shoulder, return it with a sidearm stride.
 

 
  For you to understand the difference between Underarm Stroke, Overhand Stroke,
and Sidearm Stroke, here is a picture for your basis. Do note that side is reversed if the
player is left-handed.
 

1. CLEAR
Clear is also called lob. The shuttle soars in a
high arc and falls into the court behind the opponent.
 Use the forehand overhand position. Bring the racket from behind the body with
the head up. Strike the shuttle at highest point of reach when your arm is fully extended.
Just before the moment of impact, use a forceful wrist snap so that the shuttle is hit up
and toward the baseline in the opponent's court. When hitting with this stroke, the racket
follows the same path as it does in the long service except that left side is toward the
direction of the bird flight. 

2. DROP

The shuttle falls gently and just clears the net. The
flight of the bird is relatively slow and is hit using the forehand or backhand side with
accuracy. Bring your arm from behind the body and extend completely at the impact of
the shuttle. Follow with a wrist snap and let the bird follow straight line and drop just
over the net. The follow-through is minimum.
 
 
 
 

3. DRIVE

It is a hard stroke hit on a straight line.

This is a fast moving shuttle that follows a horizontal path from one court to the
other. Bring the racket back at shoulder level followed by a swing in which the racket
head remains parallel to the floor. The shuttle is struck in front of the body and the wrist
snaps at the moment of impact . The right arm follows through across the body to
shoulder level on the left side. See to it that the shuttle flies low or else, it is easy to
return.
 
4. SMASH

It is a hard stroke hit sharply downward Bring

the arm from behind the body with the elbow bent. Then forcefully extend your arm
overhead to contact the shuttle. The shuttle must be hit with a strong straight downward
position and tremendous wrist snap. The shuttle must be hit at the highest possible
point and in front of the body. Be sure that you are able to make the shuttle travel
downward with great speed.
 

BADMINTON RULES

The official rules of the game follow the International Badminton Federation (IBF).

1. TOSSING FOR SERVE

Before a match begins, opponents can toss a coin, spin a racket, or toss a
shuttle to determine who shall get the choice of “serve" or "side".
 

2. SCORING
The rally point system is used in scoring the badminton game which means any
fault committed by the serving or receiving team gains point.
 Love - designates a score of zero.
 Love-all - is called when both opponents or teams have a score of zero
 In Side - is called for the serving player or team
 Out Side - is called for the receiving player or team
 Game point-is the point that a server won which results to the server's winning
the match. All double games, as well as men's singles, are played to 15 points; a
women's singles game ends at 11 points.

3. SETTING THE SCORE

 If the score tied at 13-all or 14-all (9-all or 10-all for women's singles), the Side
that first scored 13 or 14 has the choice of setting (extending) or not setting the game.
When the game has been set, both scores revert to zero, and a player must win
according to the conditions illustrated below:
How to Set the Score

Points in Game Score Tied At Game May Be Set  To

11 9-all 3 points

11 10-all 2 points

15 13-all 5 points

15 14-all 3 points

4. CHANGE OF ENDS
Players change ends of the court at the beginning of the second game and at the
beginning of the third game if the third game is necessary. In the third game, players
change ends when either player first reaches 8 in a game of 15 points, or 6 in an 11 -
point game. If players forget to change ends as prescribed by the rules, they should do
so as soon as the mistake is discovered.

5. SERVICE ROTATION FOR SINGLES AND DOUBLES

 Singles serve and receive in the right service court when the server's score is an
even number. When the server's score is an odd number, the players serve from
the receive in the left service court.
 In doubles, the service is determined by the serving team's score and by the
court position of each player at the beginning of the game. In the first half inning, the
first team to serve is entitled for only one service or simply called as "one down initial
service." Thereafter the initial serve, the partners will change service each after they
lose a rally.
The first service in each half-inning is always from the right service court, to the
opponent's right service court. The server changes courts after every point his team
wins. The receiving side does not change courts. When the score is even at the
beginning of a half-inning, the players who started the game in the right court should be
in the right court and should serve first in that half-inning.
The winning team serves first in the next game. In double matches, either player of
the winning side may serve first in the next game and either player of the losing side
may be positioned in the right court to receive.
6. FAULTS
A team that violates the rules is charged with a fault. If the serving team faults, a
side-out results; if the receiving team faults, points are for the serving team. It is fault
(loss of service "hand out” for the serving, or loss of point for the receiving side) when:

1. service is illegal (not correct);

2. if the server, in an attempt to serve, misses the shuttle;
3. if on a serve, the shuttle is caught in or on the net, either before or after passing
over the net;
4. if in play, the shuttle lands outside the boundaries of the court, passes through or
under the net, fails to pass the net, touches the roof, ceiling, or outside walls, touches a
player or dress of a player, touches any object or person outside the immediate
surroundings of the court, is caught and held on the racket during the execution of a
stroke.
5. if the initial point of contact with the shuttle is not on the striker's side of the net.
6. if when the shuttle is in play, a player touches the net or its support with racket,
or body, except on follow-through.
7. if, during a game, a player deliberately distracts an opponent by an action, such
as shouting or making gestures.
8. if a player is guilty of flagrant or repeated misconduct violations, such as
deliberately causing a suspension of play, interfering with the speed of the shuttle, or
behaving in an offensive manner.
7. LETS
When lets occurs, players who served serves again.
The following are considered lets:

1. a shuttle or player from an adjacent court encroaches, thus, interfering with play
or concentration;
2. a shuttle, after passing over the net, becomes caught in or on the net except
during service;
3. a shuttle hits an obstruction that hangs over the court and is lower than the
recommended 24-foot ceiling height;
4. during service, the receiver and server both fault at the same time;
5. the server serves before the receiver is ready, and
6. a line judge is not present and the umpire is unable to make decisions.
FOOTWORK IN BADMINTON
 
FOOTWORK
Ready position the stance you assume while waiting for the opponent.
 Establish both feet at the moment the opponent is hitting the shuttle.
 Feet should be apart, one slightly ahead of the other for better balance.
 Knees remain flexed at all times, to move fast around the court.
 Remember to position yourself at the center court to reach any return.
Moving into hitting position the steps you take in getting into position to stroke the
shuttle.
 Consider to take a long first step with the racket foot when moving forward in the
court for effective technique.
 Pivot your left or right when moving to the rear of the court. If the shuttle is hit to
your backhand side, pivot is followed by crossover step with right foot.
 Use shuffle or short steps to reach the shuttle, avoiding further crossover steps.
Footwork during the hitting action → the relationship of the feet during the hitting
action.
Forehand:
 When the shuttle is behind you on the forehand side or directly overhead, face
the forehand sideline or front corner.
 During the hitting action, transfer your weight to your front foot, raising the heel of
your back foot well off the floor.
 Powerful hitting could be displayed through hitch kick or scissors kick, in which
both feet come off the floor at the same time.
 
Backhand:
 When the shuttle is behind you, pivot and cross over so that you face the
backhand sideline or back corner.
 Transfer your weight onto the foot closest to your target as you stroke the shuttle.
 Back heel will come high off the floor, and the toe of your back foot may drag
across the surface.
Footwork during the recovery → returning to base before your opponent hits
again.
 If in front court, it is efficient to recover with a long step with the racket foot,
followed by shuffle steps as needed.
 When you have hit from the back 8 feet of the court, or your backcourt the first
recovery step will also be with the racket foot.