Hello everyone, I'll just start with a short introduction. My name is Junhao, turn 14 a couple of months ago (June to be exact) and I live in a tiny dot on the world map known as Singapore. I just finished my exams and I really wanted to start learning how to play badminton seriously(actually wanted to do that last year but for some reason my holidays disappeared). Well, my real question is where to begin? I am going to get a new raquet (mine is one of those 2 for $20 raquets where the the grip fell off) but I don't really know where to begin learning how to play badminton. Does anyone have any advice to me on where to start? Thanks.
Try to hook up with some Sporeans from this forum.. :O) I'm sure alot of them play regularly.. you can join them. They can also assist in looking for coaches for you as well. Maybe you can alos try to look if there is any regular badminton meetings in various CCs or the nearest CC to your place.
Watch lots of prefessional matches, watch they way the players move around the court and the way singles, doubles, and mixed are played. It'll give you an idea of where you need to get to and give you something to aim for. You'll need to do one to one coaching if you really want to improve, a couple hours a week if you can afford it. Look for a coach who's in your area and try find someone who you like, cause you'll spend a lot of time with him/her . I'm not sure if young people are supposed to do weights (maybe somebody could comment on that), but making sure your fitness level is high enough, cause when you get older it doesn't get any easier to get fitter!
If you start playing in a club you might pick up some bad habits, I would suggest finding a junior group coaching session so you learn the basics quickly and don't form bad habits. This will not only help you learn the basic techniques but will make you friends and introduce you to others who play the game so you can join in with them.
Wow, thanks for all your replies! I just wanted to ask a few more questions : 1) What kind of raquet should I buy? 2) Is it ok just to wear normal running shoes? 3) Are there any books y'all can recommened I can get? 4) Where can you get any videos for badminton tournaments? I recently found a class that starts soon in one of the sports hall. Just wanted to ask any Singaporeans living in Singapore whether you all know any coaches or other junior classes? Thanks
Hello junhao, Many of your questions (and more) can be found at the top of this forum in the FAQs section. I suggest you spend some time looking there first, and digest all that information. Good luck and enjoy the game.
1. The best racket you can afford. Look through the product reviews section for help deciding. (n.b. beware of fake rackets on ebay) 2. No, badminton halls require you wear non-marking soles, and you need the grip from proper badminton shoes anyway. 3. I'm not a big reader, can't help you here. 4. There is a tournament video section on this forum. You can get videos there.
Just go to the sport section at any book store and start looking for book related to badminton. I remember that i saw a book regards badminton writen by Han Jian but couldn't recall the title
Hi... I also in a small little dot on the world map named singapore...anyway where do u live?? If u stay near me we can always get to play badminton at times... And of coz... choice of racket will have to depend on - How much are you willing to pay?(Very important!! ) - What kind of brand you wish for? - Single or doubles player? - Offense or control player? - DO you exert plenty hell of crap load strength for shots other then clears and smashes...(Depend on how much your racket can hold the tension of the string) Anyway here are some recommendations Offense SOTX -Woven 10(Good and strong , head heavy , able to hold rather high tension if u really hit hella hard , however pricey...can go up till S$300+) -Woven 7 (not as good as woven 10 but still good , smashes are sharp , can hold as much tension as woven 10 , reasonable price S$150+) Yonex -Muscle Power 100 -Muscle Power 99 I dun really fancy yonex alot Doubles Offense: Yonex Armotec 800OF (heard from many that its durability isnt very good) Control : Yonex Armotec 800DE (Not much comment heard) But since you are a beginner u should first start with a cheaper racket and slowly upgrade(unless u are rich just get any of the above ) Choose your path of Control/Offense Singles/Doubles Before heading of a racket... always begin with the end in mind...
If you're only just beginning to play badminton, please don't buy the latest expensive Yonex racket (currently the Armortec 800 OF/DE). Rackets like Armortec 700/800, and Muscle Power 88/99/100 are a waste of your money. You are better off spending the money on coaching or a good pair of shoes. Yes, they're great rackets, but you won't feel the benefit until you are much more experienced. If you buy an expensive racket now, you'll probably want to change it anyway as you develop your own style of play. Beware: some people here will simply recommend whatever racket they like. Make a sensible decision - buy a racket that's right for you. As a beginner, you get little or no benefit from a "top-class" racket. Choose something fairly cheap, that's not TOO heavy.
I agree with Gollum, if you have just started, then you should use racquet which are not he most powerful/fast/top of the range, as when you improve your skill in the future, you will appreciate top end racquets more. When I got my mp100, I was thinking, what now?? That was before the AT700 came out. IMHO MP100 is still the best (but that is only for me and my style). I would also like to add one more thing. There is another reaons for starting with cheaper ones. You should start with oval racquets. I started with a Cab-7000 equivalent, which would forced me to hit the shuttle right in the centre (small sweet spot). This improved my skill faster than any iso-head racquet could (such as MP and AT). Later on, when I started to compete, I switched away from oval ones, as I needed to score points, not something to practice shots with. JL
I personally reccomend a heavier Racquet when you start to learn to play. I think that a Carbonex 8 would be a good place to start. you won't care if you drop it, you won't care if you clash it and its good for strength training!!! You should really invest in a good pair of Badminton/indoor shoes as normal runners is really Hell to play in. you have no grip what so ever.