Badminton Overview

Interested in badminton? I see you like a challenge.

While many people currently play casually in their backyard, this game can become quite intense when playing competitively. A well rounded player must have speed, stamina, agility, focus, and excellent hand/eye coordination.

Shuttles have been clocked at over 200mph (Andy Roddick's fastest clocked tennis serve was slightly over 150mph), and players can cover up to 1.25 miles of ground in 1 match.

The goal of the game is to hit a shuttle (aka a "birdie") back and forth over a net with rackets slightly smaller than those used for tennis.

Rules of the game have become very standardized across the world thanks in major part to hard work from the Badminton World Federation (BWA).

While the game is popular in American, its almost a religion in Asian countries like Malaysia and China.

Championship tournaments in these regions can bring as many as 15,000 spectators.

China currently dominates the sport, but many feel America is due for a resurgence in the prime style championship play they enjoyed in the 1950's-1970's.

While infant versions of the game have been around for over 2000 years, the game as we know it today didn't get extremely popular until the early 1900's. Check out the interesting history of badminton.

Of course, in order to play you'll need the proper equipment. You can purchase a basic entry level set for fairly cheap or if you're ready to play competitively can upgrade to higher quality equipment.

See this list of companies producing recreational sets with summaries & reviews of each as well as links to great deals for buying their products online.

If you're a competitive player, see this list of companies producing competitive equipment with all the same information.

Racquets, birdies, and shoes can vary quite a bit in cost and quality. To find out what to look for before purchasing your own set, check out this information about racquets and other equipment.

Whether playing casually or competitively, you can spend hours enjoying this great outdoor game. Check out the rules link (listed above) to find dimensions to set up your own court in your back yard, then let the fun begin!

Check out other great outdoor games. Head back to the outdoor games homepage.