Friday, March 19, 2010

Badminton Terms

There are the common Badminton Terms used in badminton

Attacking clear : An offensive stroke hit deep into the opponent's court.

Backcourt : Back third of the court, in the area of the back boundary lines.

Backhand : The stroke used to return balls hit to the left of a right-handed player and to the right of a left-handed player.

Base position : The location in the centre of the court to which a singles player tries to return after each shot; also called "centre position".

Baseline : The back boundary line at each end of the court, parallel to the net.

Carry : An illegal stroke in which the shuttle is not hit, but caught and held on the racket before being released; also called a "sling" or "throw".

Centre line : A line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right service courts.

Clear : A shot hit deep into the opponent's court.

Doubles : A game where a team of two players play against another team of two.

Doubles sideline : The side boundary of a doubles court.

Drive : A fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net.

Drop shot : A shot hit softly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close to the net in the opponent's court.

Fault : A violation of the playing rules.

Feint : Any deceptive movement that disconcerts an opponent before or during the serve; also called a "balk".

Flick : A quick wrist-and-forearm rotation used to surprise an opponent by changing an apparently soft shot into a faster passing shot.

Forecourt : The front third of the court, between the net and the short service line.

Forehand : The stroke used to return a ball hit to the right of a right-handed player and to the left of a left-handed player.

Game : The part of a set completed when one player or side has scored enough points to win a single contest.

Hairpin net shot : A shot made from below and very close to the net and causing the shuttle to rise, just clear the net, then drop sharply down the other side so that the flight of the shuttlecock resembles the shape of a hairpin.

Halfcourt shot : A shot hit low and to midcourt, used effectively in doubles play against the up-and-back formation.

High Clear : A defensive shot hit deep into the opponent's court.

Kill : Fast downward shot that cannot be returned.

Let : A minor violation of the rules allowing a rally to be replayed.

Long Service Line : In singles, the back boundary line. In doubles a line 2-1/2 feet inside the back boundary line. The serve may not go past this line.

Match : A series of games to determine a winner.

Midcourt : The middle third of the court, halfway between the net and the back boundary line.

Net shot : A shot hit from the forecourt that just clears the net and drops sharply.

Passing shot : A shot which passes the opposing player or team.

Push shot : A gentle shot played by pushing the shuttlecock with a little wrist motion.

Rally : The exchange of shots that decides each point.

Serve : The stroke used to put the shuttlecock into play at the start of each rally; also called a "service".

Service court : The area into which a service must be delivered. Different for singles and doubles.

Set : To choose to extend a game beyond its normal ending score if the score is tied with one point to go.

Short service line : The front line of the service courts 1.98 metres from the net. Singles : A game where one player plays against another player.

Singles sideline : The side boundary of a singles court.

Smash : A hard-hit overhead shot that forces the shuttle sharply downwards into the opponent's court.

Wood shot : A legal shot in which the shuttle hits the frame of the racket.

Hope you find the definitions for the Badminton Terms above useful for your further understanding of the game.

Facts about Badminton

Here are some Facts about Badminton that you may not know yet and may find it interesting.

The official game of Badminton was born in a stately home in Gloucestershire, England, home of the Duke of Beaufort.

- Badminton is the Fastest Racket Sport with shuttle clocking speed in excess of 200 mph.

- The best shuttlecocks are made from the feathers from the left wing of a goose.

- The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was founded in 1934 with nine members and now has over 150 members.

- The IBF is now headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

- Badminton was introduced into USA in the 1890s and became popular in the 1930s.

- Badminton is the second most popular sport in the world, after soccer.

- Badminton is an Olympic Sport played first in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

- More than 1.1 billion people watched the 1992 Olympic Badminton competition on television.

- Only 3 countries have won the Thomas Cup since it's inception in 1948: Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

- Only 4 countries have won the Uber Cup since its inception in 1956: USA, Japan, China and Indonesia.

About racket

Rackets

Badminton rackets are light, with top quality rackets weighing between about 70 and 100 grams (without strings). They are composed of many different materials ranging from carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid steel, which may be augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fibre has an excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the adoption of carbon fibre composite, rackets were made of light metals such as aluminium. Earlier still, rackets were made of wood. Cheap rackets are still often made of metal, but wooden rackets are no longer manufactured for the ordinary market, due to their excessive weight and cost.

There is a wide variety of racket designs, although the racket size and shape are limited by the Laws. Different rackets have playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The traditional oval head shape is still available, but anisometric head shape is increasingly common in new rackets.

Strings

Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings in the range of about 0.65 to 0.73 millimeters thickness. Thicker strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel of thinner strings. String tension is normally in the range of 18 to 36 lbf (80 to 130 newtons). Recreational players generally string at lower tensions than professionals, typically between 18 and 25 lbf (110 N). Professionals string between about 25 and 36 lbf (160 N).

It is often argued that high string tensions improve control, whereas low string tensions increase power. The arguments for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning, such as claiming that a lower tension string bed is more bouncy and therefore provides more power. An alternative view suggests that the optimum tension for power depends on the player:[12] the faster and more accurately a player can swing their racket, the higher the tension for maximum power. Neither view has been subjected to a rigorous mechanical analysis, nor is there clear evidence in favour of one or the other. The most effective way for a player to find a good string tension is to experiment. Playing at high string tensions can cause injury, depending on the player's ability: few amateur players can safely play above 30 lbf (130 N), and for most players even 25 lbf (110 N) is too high.

Grip

The choice of grip allows a player to increase the thickness of his racket handle and choose a comfortable surface to hold. A player may build up the handle with one or several grips before applying the final layer.

Players may choose between a variety of grip materials. The most common choices are PU synthetic grips or toweling grips. Grip choice is a matter of personal preference. Players often find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent may be applied to the grip or hands, or sweatbands may be used, or the player may choose another grip material or change his grip more frequently.

There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and overgrips. Replacement grips are thicker, and are often used to increase the size of the handle. Overgrips are thinner (less than 1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many players, however, prefer to use replacement grips as the final layer. Toweling grips are always replacement grips. Replacement grips have an adhesive backing, whereas overgrips have only a small patch of adhesive at the start of the tape and must be applied under tension; overgrips are more convenient for players who change grips frequently, because they may be removed more rapidly without damaging the underlying material.

Badminton Safety Concern

Badminton Safety is not too much a concern if you take reasonable care. Badminton is not a
contact sport and therefore is a relatively safe game and the risk of getting injuries is not high.

Warming up before play is important and will reduce the chances of muscle and joint injuries. You can start with general warm up like stretching and jogging. Then spend some time on specific warm up like playing gentle shots for the first 2 -3 minutes with another player. Gradually upping the pace and tempo.

On average, players need about 15 minutes to warm up themselves. I would suggest that you do that too. Cooling down after play is important in preventing injuries. Avoid lying down straight after play. You can walk around or just do a few simple stretching exercises to cool down and relax your body.

Take extra care in cold halls where keeping warm between games is important. Put on a tracksuit or an extra layer of clothing to gradually cool down your body after a game.

Avoid slippery floors if possibles.If your badminton shoes are not giving the grip as it supposed to give, consider getting a new one. The soles of your shoes have probably worn off.

In strenuous play, you may get blisters on your feet or hands, so it is worth carrying some plasters in your sports bag.

Intense physical exercise of any type, particularly in hot conditions, can lead to dehydration. Badminton is no exception. To prevent this, take small quantities of water or isotonic sports drinks both before play and at intervals during play.

Eye injuries do not happen often, but you must be prepared for the possibility. If it happens, it happens in doubles play most of the time. Keep your racket head up so that you can intercept any shuttle which is coming towards your face.

If you are taking the front position, do not turn around to see what shot your partner is going to hit. It is better to get a shuttle in the neck than in the eye!

I have a friend who once played doubles in which he smashed his racket on to his partner's head. Tough luck and a lack of badminton safety awareness i guess. These accidents can happen if you both go for the shuttle together. Communicating to your partner is important.

Avoid running into anyone when you are practicing. If the shuttle is hit on to another court where play is in progress, wait for the play to stop before retrieving it.

When leaving your court, remember not to cross too close behind any other court where play is in progress. You wouldn't want to injure yourself in this fashion. Badminton Safety will not be much of an issue if you take reasonable care towards yourself and other players around you.

BWF World Ranking - Mens Singles Classification

Rank
Sportsman (athlete)
Points
1
84571.1
2
67184.6
3
65831.7
4
65220
5
63435.2
6
60520
7
56304.8
8
55291.8
9
54314.5
10
53190
11
52392
12
52220
13
48726.7
14
44400
15
43611.3
16
41140.2
17
39744.8
18
39041
19
38730
20
38340
21
38259.6
22
38070.8
23
37156.6
24
36805
25
33440.2
26
33350
27
32755.9
28
31284
29
30766.9
30
30740.7
31
30160
32
29599.5
33
29545.9
34
29498.9
35
29409.4
36
29351.5
37
29140.7
38
28507.4
39
27376.7
40
26358
41
25400
42
24980
43
24802.5
44
24758.5
45
24560
46
24363.7
47
24225.4
48
23730
49
23591.5
50
23573.9
51
23518.9
52
22920
53
22558.6
54
22490
55
22364.4
56
22329.6
57
20913.8
58
20550
59
20240
60
19703.9
61
19200
62
18704.2
63
18291.3
64
18090
65
18080
66
17987.6
67
17860
68
17121.3
69
16729.8
70
16640
71
16449.6
72
16410
73
16260
74
16227.8
75
15948.1
76
15890
77
15740
78
15740
79
15310
80
15252.5
81
15225
82
15150
83
14810
84
14606.7
85
14460
86
14393.9
87
14348.6
88
14221.7
89
14175.7
90
14056.3
91
14020
92
13980
93
13760
94
13652
95
13430
96
13340
97
13240
98
13110
99
12949.9
100
12880
101
12550
102
12520.7
103
12444
104
12380.6
105
12330
106
12183.9
107
12000
108
11963.4
109
11960
110
11880
111
11880
112
11760
113
11718.2
114
11590
115
11000
116
10950
117
10923.9
118
10922
119
10840
120
10670.9
121
10490
122
10478.2
123
10405.5
124
10360
125
10093.1
126
9960
127
9870
128
9780
129
9750
130
9707.1
131
9542.53
132
9450
133
9287.7
134
9250
135
8850
136
8842.86
137
8768.33
138
8587
139
8540
140
8470
141
8420
142
8350
143
8300
144
8100
145
8080
146
8050
147
8040
148
8017.07
149
7970
150
7959.9
151
7920
152
7903
153
7870
154
7870
155
7740
156
7620
157
7603.16
158
7430.28
159
7380.9
160
7274.09
161
7260
162
7187.75
163
7098.09
164
6980
165
6970
166
6951.67
167
6890
168
6880
169
6810
170
6714.73
171
6690
172
6590
173
6586.59
174
6559
175
6530.6
176
6328.52
177
6320
178
6293.7
179
6271.79
180
6270
181
6220.9
182
6199.1
183
6143.8
184
6090
185
6050
186
6020
187
5982
188
5910
189
5840
190
5830
191
5810
192
5780
193
5710
194
5710
195
5703.8
196
5632.6
197
5550
198
5530
199
5520
200
5400
201
5340
202
5310
203
5300
204
5290
205
5290
206
5260
207
5256
208
5240
209
5230
210
5175
211
5090
212
5020
213
5020
214
4953.33
215
4940
216
4914.29
217
4890
218
4847.53
219
4830
220
4770
220
4770
222
4740
223
4725
224
4715.6
225
4710
226
4686.3
227
4674.29
228
4640
229
4620
230
4613.58
231
4570
232
4380
233
4380
234
4372.08
235
4370.57
236
4310
237
4307.2
238
4280
239
4270
240
4240
241
4230
242
4220
243
4170
244
4120
245
4120
246
4040
247
4013.33
248
3961.8
249
3930
250
3924.95