About Badminton
Badminton is a racket sport played on a rectangular court. Courts can be found in schools, universities, leisure centres, badminton and mixed sports clubs.EQUIPMENT
Clothing:
Shorts, T shirt or sports shirt and a warm top are all you need. If you have a tracksuit then that is also useful but not absolutely necessary.
Footwear:
Sports socks and comfortable badminton shoes or trainers with a good sole to obtain a grip on the floor are important. Black soles to the shoes are not allowed
Rackets:
These are made of various lightweight materials. Buy as good a racket as you can afford from an established producer, Yonex, Fleet, Carlton, Slazenger, and Talbot. You will find many different makes at your local sports shops. Make sure that the racket is evenly balanced between the head and the handle and the handle is thick enough for you. It should feel comfortable in the palm of your hand and easy to control the racket. If possible borrow a friends racket to try. Ask advice from a coach or badminton player.
Shuttlecocks:
These are plastic or feathered. If you are just starting plastic shuttlecocks are ideal and cheaper. They come in three speeds, fast, medium and slow. Buy medium speed to start with until you know more about the game. At the highest levels of the game the shuttle can be hit to speeds in excess of 150 miles per hours and may be changed after single points.
For a beginner, badminton is a relatively low cost sport to start playing.
Courts:
Courts are marked for both singles and doubles play. Doubles matches can be mens, womens or mixed.
WHERE TO PLAY
Local Authority Education Department:
Telephone them and ask for details of evening classes at a Centre for Adult or Further Education and ask if the tutor is a Registered Badminton Coach. Enrol for a class at which you will receive some basic instruction and be shown how to play the game.
Local Sports Centre:
Book a court and go along with a friend and have a go.
Local League Clubs:
Look in the Advertisements section of your local newspaper or telephone the Sports Editor for information. Visit the local library for details of local badminton clubs, and then telephone the club secretary or visit the club and ask about joining. If they are full ask for the addresses of some other clubs you could try. Telephone the County Badminton Secretary for names and addresses of clubs. You can obtain the name and telephone number from BADMINTON England. Ask if the club is a registered member of BADMINTON England.
