A Brief History Of Badminton Equipment

Friday, April 19, 2013

A Brief History Of Badminton Equipment

A shuttlecock and badminton racket.

Badminton has changed substantially since it was little more than a children's game whose only equipment was their feet and ball. There have been refinements, starting with the use of hands. But besides the formalization of rules and the addition of a net and official-sized court, the game bears little resemblance to the children's game played centuries before it was discovered by the British sometime before the 1870s in India.

Child's Play

The precise origins are a little sketchy, but the forerunner to badminton is believed to have been a noncompetitive game played in China in fifth century B.C. called "ti jian zi," which means "kicking the shuttle." Centuries later, the game became known as Battledore (paddle) and Shuttlecock, played in Japan, India and Greece. The object was simply to keep the shuttlecock in the air as long as possible. During their occupation of India in the 1800s, British soldiers picked up on the game and brought the equipment back to England.

Competition

In Europe, the game became known as "jeu de volant," which in English means battledore, though as it gained popularity, it became known as poona. The English added a net. Lore has it that in 1873, the Duke of Beaufort held a lawn party that included a new party sport called poona. It became known as badminton and four years later, the Bath Badminton Club was established and developed official rules for the game.

Evolution

While many still play badminton as a recreational backyard game, it has taken a parallel track as a very serious sport. In 1893, the Badminton Association of England was founded, becoming the first national governing body of the sport. By 1899, the first All-England championship was held. Across the Atlantic, the Badminton Club of New York was organized, but the sport didn't catch on until the Badminton Health Club of Boston was founded in 1925. It was officially recognized as an Olympic sport at the 1992 Barcelona Games

Official Court and Net Size

The court must be a rectangle measuring 43.96 feet long and 20 feet wide. Vertical posts are placed mid-point along the length of the court. Between the posts is stretched a mesh net, 29.9 inches high and 20 feet wide (21 feet for doubles). The top of the net must be 5 feet high at center court. The recommended playing surface is wood.

Racket and Shuttlecock

A racket consists of a stringed head, a short throat that attaches the head to the shaft, which leads to a leather handle. The head cannot be wider than 26.78 inches long and the width is permitted to be 9 inches. The weight must be less than 100 grams. The racket may be made of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, boron or some combination. A shuttlecock must have 16 feathers, which, for an unknown reason, usually come from the left wing of a goose. The feathers must be of uniform length and fixed in a cork covered in kid (young goat) leather. The shuttlecock must be 2.4 to 2.75 inches long and weigh between 4.74 and 5.5 grams.

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Friday, April 19, 2013