Tips for beginners in badminton and necessary material

Although badminton seems simple when seen on television, mastering the proper technique, both to play and to prevent injuries, is much more complex than expected. For this reason, if you want to progress, the best thing to do is to look for a coach, or go to a sports club, where you will find the precise orientation to learn how to handle the keys of badminton practice.

Carlos Longo Esteban, technical director and head of the Andalusian Training Center belonging to the Andalusian Badminton Federation, recommends that beginners "above all have fun, and encourage family and friends, as it is a very fun sport". It is essential to keep this in mind, since it is easier to maintain a routine and get hooked when the activity is shared with someone close to you, and if you focus on having fun and take it as a hobby, the process will be more enjoyable and addictive.

When buying the material, in the case of a beginner it is not necessary that it be the best on the market, because it probably does not take full advantage of its potential, and misuse can quickly end up damaging it. The best thing is to buy medium quality products, which will prevent them from breaking easily, and if you practice this sport regularly there will always be time to improve the material you have.

Equipment needed to practice badminton

The practice of badminton requires few elements, one of the factors that have made it a sport for all audiences:

track and net

To practice badminton, first of all you need a space to play, a court with the right dimensions, which is 13.40 meters long and 6.10 meters wide – although in singles it is played in 5.18 meters. The net must be placed at 1.52 meters in singles and 1.55 in doubles.

If a court and net are not available, any space can be found and chalked out to meet Badminton World Federation (BWF) requirements. The net can be simulated with a rope tied to two points at the right height, knowing that the shuttle must always pass over it.

badminton racket

Most practitioners invest more money in the badminton racket because it is the most personal element, both for quality and design. You can choose any model that meets the BWF regulations, which in terms of size cannot exceed 68 centimeters in length and 23 centimeters in width. They are usually made of granite, titanium or steel.

Badminton rackets consist of five parts:

1. The handle or handle, which is where it is held.
2. The stick or rod, which joins the handle with the head or the crosshead, measures about 20 cm and is characteristically thinner than in the rackets of other sports.
3. The crosshead or throat, which is a kind of neck that is between the stick and the head and makes the racket more resistant, but it exists in all rackets.
4. The head or frame, which is the circular metal that surrounds the area of ​​the strings with which the shuttlecock is struck.
5. The string: the part intended for the strings must be flat, with a uniform synthetic string design, avoiding that it is denser at the edges than in the center; this area must have maximum dimensions of 28 centimeters long and 22 wide.

The racket cannot be modified so that it can change its shape, nor can any type of object that varies it be placed, except for those approved that prevent wear, breakage and vibration of the strings.

The prices of badminton rackets are very varied depending on their quality and characteristics. In the big sports centers there are models that cost from 6 euros, but the professional ones do not go below 100 euros, easily doubling or tripling that figure.

The steering wheel or pen

The other most characteristic element of badminton is the shuttlecock. Currently they are made with natural or synthetic feathers; Whatever they are, they must have a cork base covered with a thin layer of leather.

In addition, they must comply with the BWF regulations, which specify that the badminton shuttlecock must have 16 equal feathers between 62 and 70 mm, which must be anchored to the base, which must be between 25 and 28 mm in diameter. The weight of the steering wheel must range between 4.74 and 5.50 grams. In the case of synthetic feather ruffles, these measurements are allowed to be modified up to 10% due to the difference between the materials.

badminton shoes

Regarding the shoes to play badminton, the choice will depend on the style of play of each practitioner. Those more conservative who usually play at the back of the court should choose ones with great support and stability so that they protect correctly in turns and sprints, as well as extra protection on the tread, indicated in the landing and takeoff phases.

For their part, the most attacking players who go up to the net a lot need shoes with good traction on the soles to facilitate constant and sudden changes of direction, as well as having a good grip, which will help avoid injuries. Its price is usually around 50 euros for the basic models, to 100 euros for the most professional ones.