Badminton is a sport enjoyed widely across the world. Played at the Olympics, this sport requires excellent hand–eye co-ordination, great footwork, and immense stamina and speed. This indoor sport had its roots laid in Ancient Egypt and Greece. Various versions of the game were played under different names in countries like Japan, India and England. The modern day version of the game was officially launched in 1873 at Badminton House, Gloucestershire, England, and was initially known as “The Game of Badminton”. This was later changed to simply “Badminton”. Slowly, the game’s popularity rose and spread to the United States, Australia and Europe. In 1934, the Badminton World Federation was established as a governing body for international badminton.
Badminton can be played as singles, doubles or as mixed doubles. The length of the badminton court for both singles and doubles is the same, but the width differs. A singles court is 44 feet long by 17 feet wide, while for doubles the court is 20 feet in width. The sport is played on a rectangular court with a net placed at a height of 5 feet from the ground at the centre of the court. The rules of the game are easy: using the racquets, the opponents have to hit the shuttlecock to and fro over the net. If the opponent fails to hit the shuttlecock back and it hits the ground, then he/she loses a point. Today, at competitive level, the winner is from the best of three games. Each game is played for 21 points.
The main equipment needed for badminton includes a badminton racquet, a shuttlecock, grips and shoes. Badminton racquets have to be lightweight and can weigh anywhere from 70 grams to 100 grams. These are made from materials like carbon fibre composite, steel, aluminium, titanium and graphite. Oval shaped racquets are common. However, some of the newer racquets are an isometric shape. The strings in the racquets are generally thin. The string tension may vary from 18 to 36 lbf, depending upon the thickness or thinness of the strings. Higher tension allows for enhanced control, while lower string tension allows the player to hit more powerful smashes. Grip on the racquet is very important. Grips like PU synthetic grips or towelling grips are popular among players. These are wrapped over the handle of the racquet, thus increasing the thickness of the racquet and providing a better grip. Shuttlecocks have a conical shape and are made from goose feathers or synthetic materials.
It is essential that the player wears the right shoes for better movement and to get a firm grip on the ground. Badminton shoes need to be lightweight and should provide adequate cushioning. Generally, the shoes have a rubber sole for good grip. Badminton bags are available to carry the necessary equipment. Over-the-shoulder and duffel bags are two popular types of badminton bags. Duffel bags are usually large and designed to hold racquets, shuttlecocks, clothes and shoes.
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