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!
