Bordentown Regional
High School
Physical Education
Badminton Study Guide
BadmintonStudy Guide
History
Badminton is said to have been played centuries ago in China. Mention of the game has been noted as far back as the twelfth century. The badminton that we know today was played around1873 in England by soldiers back from military service in India. In 1903, the first international competition was played in Ireland. The International Badminton Federation (IBF), founded in 1934, now claims that there are more than 53 countries participating in competition. Badminton is now an Olympic sport.
Equipment
Aside from the regulation court (22 feet long by 17 feet wide) and net, badminton requires a racket and shuttlecock. The racket resembles a tennis racket only it is lighter in weight. Most modern players prefer the metal rackets over the wooden ones. The shuttlecock is one of the most unusual pieces of sports equipment. One type of shuttle cock has a cork base with sixteen feathers arranged around the edge. Many players use the plastic version
Singles Play
Badminton is similar to tennis. Once the player who will serve first is determined, play starts from the right service court. The shuttle has to fall into the opposite court diagonally opposite to the server. The receiving player then returns the shuttle and continues to do so until one player fails to return the shuttle or commits a fault. A fault constitutes a shuttle falling outside the boundaries, failing to go over the net, striking the shuttle cock before it goes over the net, or going through the net.
Points can only be made only by the server. If the server wins the point, they continue to serve. However, the second serve is then made from the left side of the court. The serving player alternates from left to right until the serve is lost.
The side that attains 15 points first wins the game. A match is best of 3 games.
The same rules apply to doubles play except for the order of serving.
Basic Skills
Forehand- basic forehand shots are similar to throwing a ball while backhand shots are best described as flicking. These shots are best done when a player is in ready stance.
Serve- the serve is an underhand shot. The racket head must be below the level of the server’s hand while the shuttlecock is hit below the waist. It is especially important to follow through.
Smash- this is the ultimate attacking shot and requires a powerful stroke with the arm. It can be played from anywhere on the court
Drop – this shot is sometimes referred to as the controlled smash. It is different from the smash as it is hit with less force. To execute, the player is to use the same motion as any overhead stoke except tilt the rack head to cause the shuttle to move downward.