DALLAS SPORT

When people think of sports they very rarely consider Badminton one of them, but it is a real sport and it can be a really tough sport at the higher levels. It is very popular around the world, and fun to play. In fact, anyone can play the game without too much training, but for the world badminton players, its fierce competition, and they mean business!

The reality is that the average person doesn’t even know how to spell Badminton without a spell checker. They try things like;

• Badminton
• Bad Mitten
• Badminton
• Bad mitten

All of which is really bad spelling errors, so you need to know that first. Next, before you go out and trash a sport you don’t know much about, I suggest you go to YouTube and search “Crazy Badminton” and watch a few of the 1-2 minute videos of extreme rallies, Olympic style competition, and world class tournament play. Then come back to this article so, you can participate without your incorrect pre-conceived notions of one of the greatest games ever created.

You see, badminton requires extremely sharp hand-eye coordination, super agility, and when two-man teams play, there is a lot of strategy to be worked out, well, if you want to win that is. Yes, it is true you can go to Wal-Mart and buy a badminton set complete with net for about $29.00 but that is not what the world class players or serious players use.

Luckily, you can get a backyard set up very inexpensively, and you start there, it’s great for kids, BBQs, and fun. Then as you progress you can work yourself up to an amateur category. But I warn you these superstars of humanity that play at the world class level are nothing short of incredible athletes all the way around, and they are young too, in their early 20s. Please consider all this.

Even the best frame in the world will not perform to its potential without the help of the correct string and tension! Your frame, string, and tension all work together to create the feel, and playability of your racquet. So when you’re looking for that extra edge to improve your game, don’t overlook any of these factors. In this guide we will share our knowledge of how stringing will effect your racquets performance so you can use it to help improve your game.

There are a many strings to choose from on today’s market, and with every manufacturer carrying such a large range, how do you know which one is for you? One way is to try a variety of strings until you find something that suits your style best. If possible, start by owning at least two identical frames so you can compare strings and tensions directly. A tip is to test one variable at a time. For example, string your racquets with the same string at different tensions to test the variable effect of tensions, or string your racquets with different strings at the same tension to test the effect of different strings. This way you can be sure of which variable (tension or string) you are feeling in your racquet when on court. Before you go out trying different strings there are a few things that should help you narrow down which types of string are worth considering for your playing style:

1) Gauge (or thickness) of the string plays a big part in determining the overall performance and durability of the string. A thicker string (lower gauge number) will be more durable and should last longer in your frame than a thinner version. That being said, the trade off is in the playability that you will find in a thinner string. Thinner strings will not last as long but will provide a little extra zip and power to your shots. Typical gauges range anywhere from.62mm to.85mm (or approx 20g to 22g (gauge)). Finding the right balance between the playability of a thinner string and durability of a thicker counterpart is definitely well worth the effort and always enjoyable. So next time you’re looking for a new string or are just trying out something new keep in mind how the thickness or gauge can have an effect on the playability or your racquet.

Background

As I work for a badminton retailer, I am occasionally asked to review other manufacturer’s racquets. Against this backcloth, I recently tested a Victor Braves word 10 badminton racquet and got a huge surprise.

A few years ago, the Victor brand was extremely small in the UK, mainly considered a European brand. We knew very little about their products and level of quality. That changed just over a year ago when it was announced that they were the new sponsors of the Korean National Badminton Team. This was a serious leap forward for Victor and ultimately gave them an international seal of approval in terms of quality. After all, if a racquet is good enough for Lee Yong Dee, current Olympic Mixed Doubles champion and World Menes Doubles Silver Medalist, and his team, then it must be good!

On to my review…

The Victor Braves word 10 is the “second” racquet in the Braves word series, the cream of the Victor badminton range, sitting either side of the 9 and 11.

It’s a good looking racquet in charcoal grey, with flashes of red, white and what looks like a hologram strip along the side of the head. It arrived in a full length bag in red with the name on the bag to differentiate it from the 9 and 11. This is a high quality full-cover bag too, nothing flimsy here.

Grip size is G3 which is the smaller of the two grip sizes on Victor racquets. It’s equivalent to a size 3.5 inches or Onex G4, which is a bit confusing. Weight is 86g. Interestingly, this racquet has a maximum recommended stringing tension of 30lbs so it’s got to be very strong and should be extremely popular in the Asian market where strings tensions are so much higher.

This is a fairly even balanced badminton racquet, slightly head heavy, but not too much. The shaft is designated stiff.

Usually when I test and review racquets, I like to play with the racquet factory strung. On this occasion, the Braves word 10 had been custom strung to around 26lbs. Rather than be disappointed, I was absolutely delighted and you will see why when you read on.

Braves word technology revolves around the shape of the frame – which is actually the shape of a sword. And this racquet certainly sounds like one as you can hear it cut through the air!

At this time of year it seems that we are far more likely to try a new activity – and with the children off school it’s great if you can find something that they will love too!

Last week we gave you our top five reasons to try martial arts, this week we thought we’d take a look at the benefits of badminton!

Fitness

Badminton allows for a wide range of physical movement, from sprints and jumps to twists and turns. You can play it fast or reasonably slowly and can use a variety of strokes, which gives the opportunity to burn those calories if you wish and really improve fitness levels, or simply take it easy and enjoy the game. Either way it will improve your fitness levels if played regularly.

Inclusive and social

Badminton is a social game and can be enjoyed whatever your age. It is simpler to learn quickly than tennis, as the shuttlecock slows down in the air due to its clever design. This gives you the chance to have a successful rally with other players and means that you can involve children in the game from quite a young age – as they should be able to pick it up quite easily.

Focus

Once you have mastered the basics of badminton, and may be playing a faster game, you will soon notice how good this activity is for focus and hand-eye coordination. These skills can be used when playing other sports or in other areas of your life.

Challenge

Learning badminton is a challenge but an achievable one, so it gives a real sense of satisfaction. The game will test your imagination, intelligence, physical fitness and skill. You can enjoy hours of fun attempting to outwit your opponent/s. If you have a competitive streak, this sport could be for you.

Fun

Most importantly, badminton is great fun! For all the reasons above, we feel that playing badminton is a fantastic way to spend some time this summer. Physical activity makes you feel great and if you decide to give this one a try you should leave the court having really enjoyed yourself!

Basically, badminton training depends on the need of each individual badminton players. It is usually related to the standard of the player. The training for children who just started to learn badminton is likely just for having fun with little technique in the beginning. But for players who want to be a pro athlete needs greater commitment to the game and willing to learn many potential training types that will impact its level of competitiveness.

When it comes for badminton training, plainly it is divided into on-court and off-court exercise. On-court exercise meaning by practicing badminton movements using a racket and shuttlecocks (depend on the goal you have set before). Off-court exercise meaning extra work that has a goal to improve some aspects of fitness and support on-court exercise.

By continue reading this article, you will find the important of training program together with exercise selection and training developments. The key to be a successful player depend on the seriousness of training program that he or she followed. Your skill will improve dramatically if you follow all the instructions and practice it.

You need a good training program that helps you increase your stamina, power and master your badminton skills. You also need to make sure that your training will deliver you to the right path of enhancing your game skill.

Badminton Training Concepts

In general, badminton training program will concentrate on developing your wrist flexors and the endurance. These two parts are very crucial for the player. Many movements in the badminton game rely on the power of your wrist flexors.

Hitting a shuttlecock is always using your wrist, so if you have a weak wrist will impact to the game. Good endurance will benefit you when you have to move back and forth across the court during the game for period of time.