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Do you know what it’s like to use all the techniques in badminton, play a few amazing rallies, and feel like you’re ready for the pro tournaments? … Only for your opponent to push you around the court as exhaustion creeps up on you? Just like this insane rally from the recent All England tournament: […]

I recently needed a new weapon of choice. I wanted a head heavy racket again but I ended up getting interested in almost even balance badminton rackets instead as all the other options on my shortlist were sold out. I was pleasantly surprised as I’ve noticed getting almost the same power in all my shots […]

I recently got a new racket. I knew that I wanted better strings than the factory ones it came with but I had no clue which would be the best badminton string for me. I had just spent a bunch of time comparing rackets only to discover that it’s the same all over again with […]

Before I returned to court last year, I hadn’t played since I was fifteen so I discovered that badminton for adults feels quite different than when we’re teenagers.  On the positive side, we now have more money so we can afford better gear and adult badminton is a terrific way to stay fit or even […]

Last year, I started playing badminton again after fifteen years away from the game. I couldn’t remember which racket I used to play with so I immediately got curious about the best badminton rackets out there. Having been back on court for a while and found my rhythm, I’ve been looking for a new racket […]

They say that the first time you go to a professional live badminton event, you’ll be surprised how powerful the smash sounds compared to the TV or Youtube. But even through the screen, it makes me curious about the best badminton racket for smashing. Lately, the crew and I have been playing our weekly games […]

I was at the court the other day, casually looking at lightweight badminton rackets at a small adjacent shop while resting in between games. A girl from our group came up to me and we got talking about rackets as she showed me her ultra-light Li-Ning racket. Since my return to the court as an […]

Head heavy badminton rackets have historically been known to be good for smashing, clearing and everything power-related. Since rackets rarely are like in video games where gear just gets better without any downside, the power has come at the expense of something else. In the past, that was often speed which resulted in a slow-moving […]

In the search for the best badminton racket for doubles, I recently dusted off my old friend, a smashing-prone racket that I didn’t feel skilled enough to take advantage of earlier in my badminton “career”. I wanted to compare it against my standard, more lightweight, and flexible racket in order to figure out what’ll work […]

The more we play badminton, the more excited we tend to get, and the more we want to improve. We get addicted to the intensity. Knowing that what we train during the week can already be used on the weekend to beat our friends is encouraging and the right badminton training equipment can help speed […]

There are a ton of badminton rackets out there and while you might already be familiar with Yonex, Victor, and Li Ning, most of the models have confusing technical names that look more or less identical at first glance. That makes it surprisingly difficult to figure out how to choose a badminton racket. Just look […]

Worse than getting taunted by your opponent, worse than bad umpire calls, worse than breaking your racket, worse than losing – is getting injured.  A badminton injury sucks! This is THE worst possible scenario that can happen when we play badminton.  If you’ve ever rolled your ankle, you know one of the first things through […]

Is there a fun way to shed a couple of pounds, trim belly fat, and improve your overall fitness? Isn’t it always hard work, exhausting diets, and motivational speeches? There’s no shortage of workout gurus and fitness programs in this world, and maybe you’d rather sweat your way through a game or activity than sign […]

As a player, it’s common to do badminton wrist training to avoid experiencing tightness (or even pain) in your wrist after hitting a power strike, or from trying to reach an angle on a shuttle that got behind you (typically an overhead shot). At the same time, we also want power, but it always takes […]

Think about the peak display of agility… For me, one of the first things that come to mind is always animals. More specifically, the cheetah. If you’ve ever seen a clip from national geography of a cheetah chasing down its prey, you know what I’m talking about. While most people are amazed by its speed […]

If you’re looking for a quick fix for your badminton motivation, here are four easy examples that usually work for me as a little “pick me up” on a rainy day. These fixes make us feel better for a little while but we end up creating a habit that depends on one fix after the […]

I can’t count the times I’ve been excited about starting a new sports routine, going on a shopping spree for new badminton gear… … only to use it twice, and months later, finding it collecting dust in the closet. It feels great to spend hours geeking out on gear online, looking at what the pros […]

It was the halfway mark of the second set. I had lost the first one, 21-18, with a few hard points towards the end where I was simply outplayed. Now, it was 9-11 in my favor. I glanced at my opponent and saw something that completely changed my approach to the rest of the match. […]

Three months ago, I began looking into how to get better at badminton and the results have been better than I expected. Other players have commented on my improvements, which I find to be a great benchmark that it actually made a difference. Especially, considering how little time I’ve been able to invest after work. […]

How do you attempt to get the shots that land in the corner of the badminton court? By running as fast as you can, hoping to hit the shuttle before you crash into the net poles at full pace? Or give up and let it cost you a point? The ideal answer lies behind door […]

When it comes to badminton strength training, we all assume that Hulk or The Rock can smash like hell — and they probably can — but do we really need to look like them in order to have a powerful shot? A couple of years ago, Viktor Axelsen landed a smash at 419 K/H, which […]

If you’re improving your footwork, you might have heard of the split step in badminton and be curious if this is something worth implementing into your own game. I’ve found it to be particularly effective if you know how to move around the court but are missing that last bit that allows you to reach […]

Service in badminton is not an easy thing to deal with.  There’s a lot of pressure on not messing things up for your partner when you play doubles, and it sucks striking a bad serve in singles that lose you quick points and momentum for no apparent reason.   When it comes to the backhand serve […]

One Sunday, I played badminton with a group of friends, and there was a massive trophy on the line… Bragging rights (and a small cash price because we all chipped in $10).  We play recreationally, and the primary goal is always to have fun and push ourselves with high-intensity practice. We’re all fairly competitive (read […]

Last week, one of the more advanced players came up to me after the game with a surprised look on his face and said “you’ve improved a lot!” In that same game, his teammate was shaking his head laughing at what the hell it would take to land the shuttle on our side of the […]

Everyone loves to watch professional players jump at the shuttle as limber and elegant as a cat, smashing it down with a vibrant strike. The high-pitched sound of the racket strings hitting the shuttlecock and sending it at the opponent’s court like a bullet is nothing short of exciting – but do you have the […]

One of the most satisfying feelings in badminton is when you make your opponent run around the court with well-placed shuttles in a striking variation they can’t figure out.  It can quickly evolve into a double whammy because the more effort they spend reaching your shuttles, the quicker they gas out and become even easier […]

Net shots are one of the trickiest parts of the game for badminton players to get good at. There’s no power. There’s barely any hitting motion with your racket. You get into the most extreme low lunges, and it requires an immense amount of focus to tap the shuttle lightly enough that it crawls over […]

Do you look at other players during social matches and deep down feel like you’re the only one who wants more? Maybe you dream of becoming world-class and want to put in extra work but feel like it’s too late. Training for badminton tends to have a frustrating lack of structure for adults who seriously […]

Diet in sports ranges anywhere from plain confusing to highly controversial and opinionated.  Should you eat organic? Should you avoid certain things like sugar and fat? Should you be on a strict and specific diet like keto, paleo, vegan, carnivore, etc?  Diet for badminton players is much like any other athletic sport, and you can […]

To tell you about the best badminton grip, I’ll need to turn back time to last weekend. I was so frustrated because I kept making these simple mistakes that I normally never make and it happened seemingly out of the blue. The shuttle would fly far wide, nowhere near the court on an easy shot, […]

Imagine an inner monologue like this every time you step onto the court to play a new opponent.  “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know your level, playing style, or how fast your racket is. If you’re looking to outplay me, I can tell you that I’m still learning, but what I do […]

It feels like a beautifully executed backstabbing when you get the opportunity to hit an aggressive fiery feather ball at your opponent, and instead, tame the raw power of your racket into a controlling trick that often leaves players with a look of despair on their faces.  There’s almost no worse feeling than losing points […]

If you were to ask pros which cool down for badminton they do after each session, how do you think they would respond? A stretch or two in front of Netflix? Out of curiosity, I dug around to see if the pro players were sharing their routine and it turns out that Lee Chong Wei […]

Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world, and if you’re not ready, you’ll get shuttlecocked to smithereens. Your stance in badminton is the antidote to this (and potentially a helluva lot more).  Outside of training your damndest to strike every shuttle with power and accuracy and keeping yourself flexible enough to avoid snapping […]

A presumably boring and defensive maneuver, considered to be the simplest technique in badminton. Anyone with a badminton racket in their hand for the first time can learn how to perform this strike in less than one hour. People do this in their backyards, with a racket in one hand and a can of beer […]

When I was small and played badminton at the local club, the coach scared me and the other kids into using proper badminton warm up exercises before playing. He vividly explained how the achilles can snap if we don’t. I’m not going to retell the tale but it certainly had an effect on me and […]

When it comes to tactics for badminton, everyone is talking about the latest spin serve and trick shot, but the secret to dominating your games this weekend is something far more powerful and difficult to master…  *Drum roll*… It’s your racket. It’s the only thing that tou… I can’t even do this.  I’m kidding, of […]

The most fundamental thing you can focus on as a beginner badminton player is keeping your games fun. Before you develop hyper-focused and detailed workouts. Before you start thinking about entering national tournaments. Before you know your preferred playing style. Before all that, you need a racket that matches your level and helps you improve […]

Check out this clip of positions in badminton and try not to laugh. It’s hilarious. … But it also presents the most common problem in badminton doubles strategies: how do we effectively communicate with our partner in the heat of the battle? Usually, the problem is who should return the shot. Half the time it’ll […]

How the hell do you win a point like this? The shot is good but nothing special at this level. It’s not deceptive nor a surprise…  Have you guessed it? It’s footwork.  It allows Axelsen to reach the shuttle in time while still offering him the split second necessary to judge if it’s out and […]

I recently felt like my elbow was struggling to swing my heavier racket, so I finally allowed myself to get a new one as having a problem-free elbow is priceless. Getting the best badminton racket for intermediate players is not exactly a breeze, though. It’s nearly impossible to play-test a racket before buying it unless […]

Before we dive into the badminton drills, check out this smooth trick Viktor Axelsen managed to pull off in a high-stakes semi-final at the All England tournament against Shi Yuqi a few years back. One thing is learning that trick and using it against friends on the weekend, it’s something else having the confidence to […]

“50 badminton tips”… “75 best badminton tips for beginners”… “101 badminton tips and tricks”… What do these three headlines have in common? They tend to lead us to think that there must be something good among that many tips… right? If you’re anything like me, you might even begin reading only to get overwhelmed by […]

“Your hand should be more relaxed… and if you’re able to land both feet before you hit the shuttle, you’ll get more stable shots,” Andy explained to me as we left the court and I asked how to improve badminton skills. Andy isn’t his real name but it’ll serve the purpose for now. He was […]