All you need to know about: Badminton

What the expert says

Tracey Hallam is a member of the Great Britain Badminton Team. She won a gold medal in the women's singles, and silver in the team event, at this year's Commonwealth Games.

Use the whole court: The big difference between recreational players and professionals is that, in a pro match, the two players constantly make their opponent move around the court. Try not to stay rooted to the spot. Instead, use all four corners of the court and get your opponent running around as much as possible.

Buy the right shoes: Running shoes are not suitable. Court shoes offer more support and protection, and have a lower profile, so you are closer to the ground and less likely to turn an ankle. The sole is also designed for better grip on an indoor surface.

Improve your body position: Two of the most common faults are a bad body position for an overhead shot and a poor lunge. For an overhead, you should be side-on to the net, not facing it. As for the lunge, the toes should be pointing towards the shuttle rather than directly forwards. This keeps your knees over your toes, which is an easier position to come back from, and also less stressful on the ankle joint.

Play both singles and doubles: Doubles will help you 'read' the game better, working on speed and reactions, while singles will improve your fitness and stretch your movements.

Get competitive: It's great to challenge yourself now and again. Competitions and tournaments take place for all levels of ability around the UK. Or simply vary who you play with, so you don't get into a rut.

Try shadow play: Shadow badminton - without a shuttlecock - helps develop speed and agility, and improves footwork. One player points to different positions on the court, and the other has to get there as quickly as possible. You can make it harder by pointing elsewhere before the player has reached the first spot, mimicking what happens in a match when a player adds deception to their stroke.

Be balanced: Badminton is quite a one-sided sport, so it's important to work both sides of the body equally off-court, to maximise strength and reduce the risk of injury. Lunges and squats are both helpful exercises.

Getting started

Badminton is the second most popular participation sport in the world, with 2.5 million players in the UK, so you shouldn't have any difficulty finding somewhere to play. The fact that it's an indoor game makes it a viable option for year-round play, too.

Most leisure centres and sports clubs in the UK have courts, while governing body Badminton England has more than 2,200 affiliated clubs and 100-plus leagues in operation. To find a local club or centre, contact your local badminton development officer via Badminton England (01908 268400). Or contact the Scottish Badminton Union (0141‑ 445 1218), the Welsh Badminton Union (029-2049 7225), or the Badminton Union of Ireland (028-9038 1222).

If you're just starting out, it's worth having some coaching, so you learn a good technique from the start, rather than picking up bad habits. Badminton England's website has a 'find a coach' link, or get hold of its Technique DVD (pounds 19.99). You will also find advice on technique and training, as well as gear reviews, forums and news, at Badminton Central.

The scoring system for badminton changed in August 2006, which has made things simpler to understand. Basically, there is now a point at stake in every rally, which Tracey Hallam believes has made badminton more exciting and more of an attacking game, rather than a tactical one. You can view the new rules at

The gear

Kit-wise, all you really need is a decent pair of trainers. Don't make do with running shoes: they're not designed for moving sideways and backwards, and don't offer a firm enough 'upper'. Instead, buy badminton-specific footwear , or a 'court' trainer designed for indoor use, such as the Asics Gel Tactic Indoor trainer (pounds 54.99) or the top-of-the-range badminton-specific Yonex SHB (pounds 50). Wilson is also worth checking out.

Wear clothing that is lightweight and comfortable. Breathable fabrics will keep your skin sweat-free, while snugger cuts prevent flapping fabric getting in your way (a 'skort' skirt/short hybrid is a good choice for women). The Nike, Ellesse and Yonex ranges are all worth a look.

Equipment-wise, you need a racket and a bunch of shuttlecocks . Plastic shuttlecocks will do at first, but they don't fly so well, so once you're more experienced you'll need to upgrade to feather ones - expect to pay a tenner upwards for a dozen, and bear in mind they don't last all that long.

You can get a racket for as little as pounds 20-30 or as much as pounds 100. The difference won't be especially noticeable if you're just pottering around on the court, being mainly to do with weight, as well as the flexibility, 'balance' (placing of the weight) and length. Yonex, Carlton, Ashaway and Wilson all make good ranges. You can try them out at Tennis Nuts (01923 827637), a racket sports specialist with one branch in Middlesex, another in north London and an online store. If there isn't a specialist store, concession or outlet nearby, you should be able to find most of what you need in a common or garden sports shop; if not, contact manufacturers direct.


It's frustrating: It's easy to learn the basics of badminton, but darned hard to get good at it.

It has a fusty image: Despite being a worldwide competitive sport, in the UK badminton is seen as a 'leisure pursuit' rather than a sport.

Ankle injuries and Achilles tendon problems: Sprains, Achilles tendonitis and Achilles rupture are the most common injuries in high-level badminton, due to explosive and multi-directional movements.


Speeds up reactions and improves coordination: Badminton players need to react faster than tennis and squash players do

Improves cardiovascular fitness: Players can cover up to four miles in a singles match. A study that monitored six Indian national players during 12 training sessions and 35 matches found that they worked at an average intensity of 82-100% of maximum heart rate

Strengthens arm muscles: The shuttle can reach speeds of 150mph in flight, and research at the University of Tokyo, to assess muscle activity in the playing arm, observed the greatest activity in the triceps, biceps, elbow rotators and wrist flexors

Strengthens legs: The muscles of the dominant thigh and non-dominant calf develop greater strength and size due to the amount of work they do in the game

Improves agility: Badminton involves fast and explosive movements in all directions, building impressive agility and quickness. According to research by George Washington University, the shuttlecock is hit every 0.8 to 0.9 seconds