Does Starting Late Really Matter?

Many badminton players at international level, have started playing badminton at a very young age. For example, Lin Dan started his badminton training at the age of 5. Think how high the net would have seemed! True, he may have played in a smaller court with a lower net or equipped himself with a shorter racquet. But is particpation from a young age a vital requirement for a player to reach international levels?

Lee Chong Wei does in a way disproves this theory. He started playing badminton at the age of 11 - 6 years later than Lin Dan. Yet he managed to achieve World No.1 ranking and reach the international stage just as Lin Dan did. Even with 6 years less training. In my opinion, starting badminton as early as Lin Dan did, would certainly give you an advantage, but you would still need the determination to succeed, high quality and quantity training, high work rate and last but not least; raw talent. So there could be several factors deciding how high your badminton career could reach, but it is unlikely that you will reach the international stage if you enter the sport around 14-16 years of age, as most of the national squads are selected from quite a young age and you have to be able to make the cut from early on.

However there are a occasional exceptions. Han Jian, a former Chinese international badminton player, started the sport late at the age of 16. However, he still managed achieve great success in several World Grand Prix competitions, before becoming the men's singles champion after beating Morten Frost in the 1985 IBF World Championships. Considering he started the sport at the age of 16, while his peers may have had a 10 year head start, Han Jian has accomplished more than that of many other professional players.

You could argue that Han Jian achieved his successes nearly 25 years ago and a modern player who has entered the game as late as he did, would have a slim chance of replicating his feats. However Colin Haughton is one player that has reached international level with England, despite also starting badminton at the age of 16. Although his highest international ranking of 19th cannot compare to Han Jian's several World Grand Prix victories, he still held the No.1 position in the national rankings. For any 16 year old player starting badminton, it would be a dream come true.

So does starting late really matter? I think that although starting the game from a tender young age isn't vital to reach international levels, it would definitely improve their chances of doing so. Realistically, if you start the game at around the same age as Colin Haughton, then chances are that county level would be the highest you would be able to reach. But with quality training, hard work, grit determination and raw talent, then maybe following Colin's Haughton's footsteps or even surpassing them, is possible.

The Hunt For Cheap Shuttles!

During this difficult financial climate, prices for shuttlecocks have shot up and many people are looking for cheaper alternatives. Not everyone can afford to play week in week out with Aerosensa 50's. But there are a few brands of shuttles available that don't break the bank.

Mybadmintonstore stock Hi-Qua Special Edition shuttles for $11.50 (approx. £7)
I have yet to try these, but if you're on a budget and willing to test a few brands then these look a decent acquisition. Also, mybadmintonstore provide FREE worldwide shipping for every order. Not bad.
http://www.mybadmintonstore.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=693

Central Sports also stock some fair shuttles at a respectable price. Yehlex have launched the new Yehlex Competition shuttle. "From one of the Uks most respected shuttle suppliers comes a new shuttle for 2009/10. Manufactured from First Grade Duck , the Competition Shuttle is the answer to many clubs feather shuttle cost nightmare. Excellent flight characteristics with good speed consistency and combined durability equate to an absolute winner."
http://www.centralsports.co.uk/shop.php?page=detail&product=7000

The Ashaway Red Tournament 10 is available at an incredible £8.50. "One of our best selling club/league feather shuttles - consistent in flight and durability - great value."

http://www.centralsports.co.uk/shop.php?page=ashawayd&product=1552

While RSL Tourney No.3 comes in at a £10.95 price tag, which seems a good bang-for-your-buck shuttle. "Used by many clubs throughout the UK the No3 is a club secretarys dream, durable, consistent and economical. No wonder its one of the Uks top selling shuttles."
http://www.centralsports.co.uk/shop.php?page=detail&product=5766

For those who want to cut cost for shuttles and are willing to delve into the world of plastics, then the Mavis 2000 looks like a improved form of the ordinary Yones plastic shuttles. "Built using “Wing Rib” structure technology, this new shuttlecock has the flight characteristics and performance of a feathered shuttlecock coupled with durability of a synthetic shuttlecock."
http://www.centralsports.co.uk/shop.php?page=yonexd&product=7015


However do keep in mind that Central Sports do incur a £2.25 charge for the first dozen shuttles and more for every extra dozen ordered. Check the website for more details.

These are only a few budget options available, so I'm sure that you avid badminton players and fans know where to get different brands of shuttles at an even cheaper price. If you would like to share your views and knowledge, please feel free as always to comment below.

Good Luck in your matches! ^_^

All the credit and rights of these pictures go to their original owners. These pictures have only been displayed for reference purposes.

Arcsaber Z Slash?

The upcoming addition to the Arcasber range, the Arcsaber 'Z Slash' has been covered it some mystery, as Yonex have tried to stay quiet about revealing any specific details about their latest racquet. Entering the Yonex Japan website and clicking on the 'Z-Slash' promotional banner, will just display the teaser screen shown above. There is yet to be an official release date for this upcoming and although we know very little about it, it seems Yonex could have pulled somethingvery special right out the bag with this new racquet.

Win a Yonex bag signed by Lee Chong Wei!

Interested in winning a Yonex racquet bag signed by badminton's world no.1 player Lee Chong Wei? Its a genuine Yonex Tournament Active 6 racquet bag , signed by the world's best player and it's free to enter! Why not? :P

Simply visit the Yonex website:
http://www.yonex.co.uk/Badminton/Page.aspx?ID=197&Type=Comp

You'll just have to enter a few of your details and you're done!

While you're at it, there's also an option which allows you to order a free Yonex badminton brochure. I did - it's always handy to browse the latest badminton gear from the sports no.1 brand! (which badminton player hasn't heard of Yonex?)

Gail Emms awarded MBE in Queen's Honours

In my opinion, badminton is a very undervalued and under-rated sport and therefore badminton players' achievements are not fully recognized. Not everyone can name the badminton singles final champion in the Beijing Olympics. But at least the Queen it seems, shows some recognition for the great achievers in badminton.


Taken from the BBC Sport website:

Badminton star Emms, who retired from the sport following the Beijing Olympics, has also received her MBE for services to her sport.

She won Olympic silver in 2004 with Nathan Robertson in the mixed doubles, and bronze, silver and gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

She said: "This award isn't about me, it's about all the coaches and support staff who have been behind my success."

It's definitely refreshing to see a badminton player being awarded such a high honour and lets hope that many other badminton greats in the future can achieve such accolades! :D

Badminton v Tennis

If you have read my earlier article (or have some knowledge of the sporting world in general), you will know that tennis is arguably a far more popular sport than badminton. However, this doesn't mean it is a better sport. Here are several factors which make badminton a much more exciting, skillful and unique game than tennis:

1. In tennis, the ball may bounce once before the player hits it; in badminton, the rally ends once the shuttlecock touches the floor.

• Tennis players have the luxury of the tennis ball being allowed to bounce once before they hit it. This gives tennis players more time to make thir return hit. The rally in badminton ends as asoon as the shuttle hits the floor. As a result, badminton players have to be quicker in their feet so that they can retrieve the shuttle. Also, badminton players must have a good sense of court awareness, because they have to judge whether to shuttle is going to land in or outside the court.

2. In tennis, the serve is dominant to the extent that the server is expected to win most of his service games; a break of service, where the server loses the game, is of major importance in a match. In badminton, however, the serving side and receiving side have approximately equal opportunity to win the rally.

• In tennis, if you serve, you have a bigger chance of winning the rally than your opponent. But in badminton, the serve is important, but the serve doesn't grant you a considerably larger chance of winning the rally compared to your opponent. This factor makes badminton a much more interesting and exciting game to watch, because it is much more unpredictable than tennis. If a tennis player serves in that rally, you assume that he or she is going to win that point, so the outcome isnt a surprise. On the other hand in badminton, the rallies are much more absorbing, because both players have a decent chance of winning the point and the result is more unexpected than in tennis.

3. In tennis, the server is allowed two attempts to make a correct serve; in badminton, the server is allowed only one attempt.

• Again, tennis players have another luxury; the serve. In tennis, if you make a mistake on the first serve, you are handed a second serve. But there is no such safetly cushion in badminton. If you serve out or hit the shuttle into the net, that is one valuable point lost. Therefore badminton players have to be more skillful, accurate and deceptive with their serves.

4. The fastest recorded tennis stroke is Andy Roddick's 153 mph (246 km/h) serve; the fastest recorded badminton stroke is Fu Haifeng's 206 mph (332 km/h) smash.

• I believe that this factor makes badminton a more dynamic sport than tennis. The shuttle moves faster, and therefore badminton players have to have faster reaction times and also quicker footwork. I think it makes badminton a much more exciting and intense sport to watch - especially in doubles - where jump smashes are shot around the court like bullets. Evidence of this can even be seen on various Youtube videos. Search around for badminton doubles matches and see for yourself!

I think that badminton is much more a skill based sport, while tennis requires more strength. A badminton shuttle is lighter than a tennis ball, so it takes less strength to hit it. Furthermore, it requires great skill and practice to be able to hit the shuttle in the desired location and with sufficient speed and deception. I have played tennis in the past, but I found that I couldn't match the strength of my opponents. Therefore, they forced weak returns out of me and was unable to win many points. However, once I tried my luck at badminton, I found a lot more success. Badminton required more agility, speed and skill - footwork plays a big part in badminton, just ask any coach! These traits were more suited to my abilities and it has become an important part of my life. This article is not here to demote tennis. It is just to prove that badminton has its own unique qualities. I am not a hater of tennis, I do enjoy watching and playing it, (when the weather is right!) but I believe that badminton is a much undervalued and misunderstood sport, and this should be seen as a tribute to badminton!

Badminton's Struggle For Popularity and Power

In many parts of the world, especially Europe and America, tennis is a more popular sport than badminton. But in some parts of Asia, badminton could be considered as the more dominant sport of the two. However, tennis is widely recognised as more popular than badminton. If you were to ask a person on the high street to name a tennis player, anyone at all, they probably could. Nearly everyone knows Roger Federer don't they? They could probably name a few; Roddick, Murray, Sharapova, the Williams Sisters....ect - many are household names. But if you were to ask a person on the high street to name a badminton player, they would probably be unable to answer. Out of your friends, who knows Lin Dan or Lee Chong Wei? Not even the world no.1 is a household name -at least not in most parts of the world. National tennis players are celebrities or even heroes in their own countries. I doubt badminton players will get the same level of reception

It's not just popularity where badminton falls behind the mighty sport of tennis. The amount of professional players in tennis far exceed those of who make a living out of badminton. The considerably smaller audience in badminton means that less money is funded into the sport and only a select few from a single country are likely to turn professional. Recently a Scotland No.1 ranked player complained that he had to fund his trips to several international badminton tournaments out of his own pocket, because the Badminton Scotland has withdrawn his funding - and he is the best badminton player in his country. You wouldn't see Andy Murray being told that he had to put his hand into his own pocket to travel to various grandslam tournaments.

An era where badminton becomes a major, mainstream sport seems far out of sight for the time being. Sponsorship in tennis is widespread, with companies like Wilson, Prince, Head, Babolat, Slazenger and Dunlop all wanting their slice of market share. In contrast, Yonex dominates the badminton market and its firm grip on tournament sponsorships and market share look to continue. Badminton tournaments aren't headline news either. News coverage of badminton events are minimal, if at all and live coverage of badminton events on television are scarce. Meanwhile tennis events such as Wimbledon is big news on the back pages of many national newspapers and practically every round is shown on national television - at least in the UK anyway. It remains for now, that tennis is is probably a more popular sport in terms of the amount of people playing it and also the amount of money pumped into the sport comapared to badminton. The total prize money for Wimbledon is £12.5 million, whereas the the total prize money for most badminton grand slam tournaments is £100,000 - thats 1% of the amount of prize money compared to tennis.

However, there have been improvements in the awareness of badminton in recent years. The stereotypical image of badminton being a garden sport is changing. If several companies were to successfully attempt to dethrone Yonex as the king of badminton manufacturers or at least attempt to give them a run for their money, more money could circulate into the sport. If a company were to mass market badminton and advertise it to a national audience, it may attract popularity and gain increased exposure. But again, at this moment in time, this remains a big "if".