Height does factor into playing badminton. Height can be an advantage or a disadvantage. If you are tall you have a higher impact point for smashes making it harder for opponents to retrieve. Assuming that you have long legs, then you are probably going to be able to lunge further than most people ,but it might be harder to recover out of lunges. Height can sometimes prohibit you from executing horizontal drive shots(the ones that you push with the back hand grip). If the shuttle were the drop lower than the net it would make drive shots really hard for a tall person because you would need to duck down. However you could clear it but it could create a disadvantage in doubles games.
Russell when you play badminton ,your height or whatever,that does not tell you how good you will become. What matters is yourself, what is your value on badminton? Is it big or small? If you have confidence and you like the game, you will improve. You never want to set yourself to a level(Ex.I want to get into advanced level). The mind set is to always have fun by playing the game and learning more things.Of course you dont just ignore other people's comments about a few disadvantages. Such as your uncle telling you that your height is too low. Well instead of thinking of it as a weakness think about what advantages you could use like drives and pouncing shots in net play and not getting hit by the shuttle in the face =).The moral of my little paragraph is have fun.
I think height is not a problem short player can retrieve most of the shots since their can hit shuttle at lower point than taller player I played double with my friend who 150-155cm he is fast, and able to hit the shuttle (especially pretty low one) easily in fact he is the best double player in my group! (out of 6 people)
I think height is advantageous up to a certain point but once you are too tall - say taller than 6'6' - then you have more disadvantages than advantages. Essentially longer arms take longer to move and the fraction of a second difference can be a problem at the higher levels of the game. Badminton can be so fast that it can be significant. I'm 184cm. From my perspective my height helps: - at the net because I reach shots and intercept shuttles than shorter people couldn't, this can surprise people - in the mid court for similar reasons and because reaching drops *can* be easier for a taller player - in the rear court for smashes because I can generate decent angles without jumping, or great angles with jumping However I also weight 98Kg - I'm not a typical badminton build in that respect. My height compensates for my heavier build (the two are not necessarily connected) by allowing me to move faster. My height in genral comes with increased weight. Long arms also generate more power on some shots because the racket head is further away from the point movement (say the shoulder) and so is necessarilly travelling faster. Ultimately though skill is still key - it's how you use your body to improve your game. You work to your physical advantages, but you must also work against your physical disadvantages. One of the people I play doubles with is a good foot shorter than I am but is faster at net kills than I am. He's got better back court drops than I have. I can smash harder and with better placement but by jump smashing he can hit hard enough. It's swings an roundabouts.
