I've been trying out different place for drop ins and find myself among the lower skilled players. I'm probably lower intermediate, and every suboptimal shot gets exploited by opponents in doubles games and I'm not able to get to a close game. Maybe 21-15 at best in doubles depending on my partner, but I definitely feel I'm dragging my partner down most times. Should I stick it out and keep going and see if I can improve with a few months time or find some other way to play badminton with people lower skilled? If I keep going, how would I make the best of the losses? I'm taking some group lessons, but I'm not expecting it to transform things in just a few months. How do the advanced players at drop ins feel about lower skilled players at drop ins?

So i think it's fair to say that I'm quite an experienced/advanced player. I started playing as a pre-teen and have been playing competitively for approximately 15 years now.

Some months ago I joined a new team and after our first few matchdays of the season, a more experienced teammate came up to me and said that I should work on my self talk, body language and mental strength. But how do i do that?

I think they said so because i tend to talk to myself a lot during singles, kind of commenting on what i do in a sarcastic way. Also, i don't really cheer or hype myself up when i score a point or do something good. I'm also never really happy or proud of my performance in or after a game even when i played well objectively.

I'm not insulting myself and I'm not aggressive or screaming or anything. So i guess it could be a lot worse. But i guess it would improve my game (and also my personal experience) if i could just be more positive and cheerful and confident and less serious and tense. So how do i get there?

How did you get there?

Hi, I'm living in Finland. Does anyone have any contact to Chinese shuttlescock (feather) supplier preferable RSL, Ling Mei, Yonex or Aeroplane ? I have tried retail shops in Netherland, Germany, I think buying directly from the China would be better option in longer run. Thanks in advance for any leads.

Looking to find a group to play with in Mississauga (Etobicoke/Vaughan are fine as well), ideally make it a group of 4 that play weekly.

I'd say I'm intermediate-advanced, just getting back from an ankle injury and would like to play more often. Anyone else looking for something similar?

Recently got the yonex 65z3 white tigers, and whenever i lunge or take a heavy step with my right leg(dominant leg) the insoles scrunch up near the toes making it very uncomfortable when playing. Anyone else have this issue or have a solution?

A couple things:

• I don't have a vid yet but when I do backhand when the shuttle is behind me, I always end up being 0.5 step too near the shuttle, is this a normal mistake? What's the angle that I should approach for my arm to do the work?

• Is there a cue y'all use to get better accuracy or is it all through practice? Like your wrist flexion aim towards the space you're aiming at? Do you look at the target just before you make contact with the shuttle to know where you're hitting?

• I always struggle with shuttles that go so far behind I'm almost doing the bridge with my upper body. Is it my issue being too slow to get towards the back of the court? Should I be jumping slightly earlier to intercept the shuttle trajectory? Or does it just happens sometimes and you just have to deal with it with a save shot or something?

I'm new to this subreddit so idk how things work here, hope someone is kind enough to guide me. 🙏 Thanks

I searched some time ago about Badminton shirts from my country (Portugal) but for some reason I couldn't find anything, I'm still getting to know this sport, supposedly I think there should be shirts visibly for sale just like in football.

I can't be the only one right? Everything feels so off. The distorted sense of space/distance, the weird shot sounds, the super reflective flooring, and other minor things. It just doesn't feel good to me.

Hi, does anyone know or have experience in badminton bootcamp in China? Preferably the coach can speak a little bit English as well. We are looking to go in April 2025. Thanks!

Time to explore and celebrate the success of some non Asian players in the sport 🎉

Note i said non-Asian instead of European, because believe it or not the US actually did well in international badminton competition in the 1950s

Happened in the quarterfinals of National Championships in China

Source:
https://twitter.com/shanghaidaily/status/1852318722234392808?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Edit #1:
Took me some time to finally find a fan-taken footage of the incident. Here's what I observed:
- Shi Yuqi himself called for medical support after feeling unwell
- Medics arrived in less than half a minute
- The view was partially obstructed, but it looked like he laid himself down on the floor after the medics arrived
- He was indeed stretchered off

Edit #2:
- He had high fever due to gastroenteritis (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lc4B8AnkOec)
- Ugh, I can't seem to change the title of this post to reflect this update

I serve, that dude pulls a net drop either at the other side of the court or at the side I least expect. After I serve I usually move towards the middle and then the dude will just cross-court drop to the side I am leaving. How do I stop being a flop in this situations.

Hi guys, I have been playing badminton for a couple of years now. I had a badminton injury while playing an overhand shot. I have a shoulder dislocation now

Visited a doc he says it impossible to get back to same sport with same fitness level

Anyone faced the same issue. What would be your advice and how did your recovery looked like

I don't play a lot of doubles so I want to be prepared when I inevitably do. When the bird comes between the two teammates, who should receive the shot? Conventional knowledge tells me that the forehand player hits if it's in the middle, and the backhand player hits if it's more on their side. However, what if one player is left handed? Especially if you don't have much chemistry/experience with your teammate it seems hard to determine.

When I was younger I used to play to a fairly high level and trying to get back into it again. However the yips are ruining the game for me and making it hard for me to progress or even enjoy playing any sort of competitive games

Currently my serving, as well as any delicate shots around the net it is happening. I can even replicate it in a calm setting where someone just throws a shuttle to me.

For example a backhand push, as I am about to hit the shuttle my wrist will shake uncontrollably and the shuttle could go anywhere

I’m currently trying different methods like therapy to overcome this but I’m not sure what to do

Has anyone else ever dealt with this?

Has anyone used In Out device which is a line calling equipment originally intended for tennis but has been developed for other racket sports including pickleball and badminton. If so, please share your experience. Thanks

I will start. I love how fast paced and powerful this sport is.

The feeling of hitting a perfect smash is intoxicating - it is an effortless transfer of energy from your feet to your waist to you shoulder, fingers than onto the racket. You can feel the power vibrating in your hands, and also that crisp sound of pure explosiveness are what got me hooked.

For all your questions about which rackets/strings/shoes to buy, comparisons and etc.

Before you post:

We have a list of reddit-curated online shops in the sidebar/wiki menu. There is also a couple of guides on how to pick your equipment, do message the mods if you wish to contribute a guide.

List of Equipment guides

Always try to buy local, you not only get to try out the racket in person, you can also support your local badminton association/shops this way. If you are not able to, we have a list of reddit curated online shops.

List of online shops

​

Please post all your equipment requests/advice on this thread. Also do drop by and give your advice to others who seek it.

If you want to put an image, upload your image to an image hoster site and put the link in your comment.

We also have a discord channel at r/Badminton Discord, do feel free to drop by and chat with players around the world! Please be patient when you post a question, you may be asking about an equipment or issue that is not commonly known among the badminton community.

As you all know, Men's Single is arguably the most physically challenging and brutal discipline of badminton.

And height is undeniably one of the most vital parts for a successful badminton player.

It doesn't mean that if you are towering at 200cm+, you automatically win since being tall in Men's Singles reduces your speed of movement and causes stamina issues (from constantly retrieving drop shots).

And of course, being short doesn't stop you from becoming a good MS players. We have seen many names over the past 20 years like Tien Minh Nguyen (169cm) or Anthony Ginting (171cm), and who can forget the legend Lee Chong Wei (172cm).

And recently, we also have a sensation of Koki Watanabe standing at 166cm (5'6)! This man rose almost 40 places in World ranking this year to Rank 13 and has beaten many big names.

But that makes you wonder, IS THERE is a LIMIT to achievements that shorter players can achieve?

Fun fact: throughout History of BWF World Championship since 1977, no players below 173cm (5'8.5) has ever won a World Championship with the shortest winner Icuk Sugiarto (173cm) in 1983.

Also no one shorter than 175cm won a WC in the past 20 years. with the base being Loh Kean Yew and Kento Momota at 175cm.

Could Lee Chong Wei standing at 172cm (5'8) be the absolute limit for what players 172 (5'8) and below can achieve?

You may say "Yeah but it's just a few centimeters and what matter is skills, footwork, tactics, etc"

YES of course, but that slight reach is what gives a bit more steepness in the deciding smash. That slight reach is what could have saved a shuttle at 19-20 3rd game. That slight reach is what could make your footwork a bit more comfortable (even by 2% compared to your opponent is what could decide the game).

This again has to be said, being tall doesn't guarantee you win the game or become a legend. BUT IT SURE AS HELL HELPS many LEGENDS in the past to have a more comfortable footwork, not having to dive so much, or not having to work as hard in a rally.

What would have happened if LCW was a bit taller? What if he was Lin Dan's height?

Will Koki Watanabe win a WC at his 166cm and follow his senior Kento Momota?

Personally, the China Open tournament has one of the best camer angle, it's not too high and low and it also offers a good balance of view.

Hi! Noob question about badminton tournaments. I've been playing badminton for some time but only recently started watching badminton on YouTube. I'd love to see some of the players I've become a fan of play in person, and coincidentally I've wanted to go to Europe for some time and would love to plan a trip next year that includes watching a tournament. However I don't really know how tournaments are organized so that I can plan.

I tried googling around and it seems like the dates are set for the countries I want to maybe go to (i.e. England, Paris). But I don't know how the lineups work, is it determined very close to the date? When would I be able to know if a particular player is playing on a certain date?

thank you!

Hi everyone,

I have always felt that this year Antonsen seems a bit taller and lankier (even though he has always been lol). And then I watched the Final of him vs Watanabe in Denmark Open this year and he was listed at 186cm (6'1).

But he has always been listed at 183cm (6'0) before this and in earlier tournaments like China Open 1 month ago.

I know that BWF usually get the height wrong and Gil Clark actually has her own "database" of height, like Vitidsarn was originally listed at 181cm (5'11), but he's actually only 176cm (5'9.5).

However, in the case of Antonsen, if you look at him in 2019 vs Lee Ji Zia who is 186cm (6'1), he is actually slightly shorter. And now he's the same height or slightly taller in the match vs LJZ in Malaysia Open 2024.

What do you think? Did he really grow at 27 years old?

And do you see any other players who actually look a bit taller now compared to a few years ago?

P/S:

Look at this clip Antonsen vs Axelsen (194cm) in 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E22h90L0u5w 3:20

and Antonsen vs Axelsen (194cm) in 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMc3g50rzM 1:15

In 2023 clip, he doesn't seem too far away from Axelsen's height, but in 2019 there is a clear difference.

Hello, I just made another video of me made my friend playing a couple of games!

I'll link it down below. Filmed for personal reasons so I could analyze more but made it a quite fun one edit!

Feels like i have bad flow all-around still, and feels like im late for backcourt and can't react for the dropshots in time! However what should I be focusing on if I want to improve further at this stage? I know the shots could be better played. But now im talking more about footwork and reading the game!

We both are still fairly new! Any specific advice or exercises to improve the flow? Would be nice with some feedback, from you guys! All love, Fred! :)

Videolink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7FJ9VGYdcc

I've been playing singles regularly for a couple of years and I'm wondering how important is anticipation to progress. How much focus do you put on this while playing? Is it risky or worth it? I mean moving before the opponent hits can put you on the back foot, even when they are late in the rally. At the moment I focus mostly on not being out of position, hitting the 4 corners, force the backhand and wait to be in a good position before attacking.

Very interested to hear you what you focus on while playing that helps you make a difference (rather than pure technique)

Thanks! :)

Anyone tuning into this badminton tournament held in Indonesia? Heard it'll be live on SPOTV YouTube.

There's also a unique 3vs3 format. With some mega stars like Axelsen, Setiawan, Ohori playing.

Not expecting it to be fiery serious, though there is some prize money at stake. But it'll be fun to see players relax a little.

Recently, a group of us were able to give the Yonex F90 shuttles a try for a casual meet up. When I mean casual, I was the worst player there. So the calibre of players was high. So what did we learn about the F90 in 2 hours?

The F90 shuttles are very expensive. In fact the picture I took was over $100 retail. And let me tell you, each one of those shuttles are still excellent for training. The 6 of us played with each one until we agreed it wasn't very playable anymore.

The F90 feel heavier. Something that we were surprised at. In fact the Mizuno Tech feather 3 almost feel just as weighted. So hitting it felt as though a little more effort was needed but not really the case after a few shuttles as we learned. We're just use to playing with "cheap" shuttles.

One major thing we noticed about the F90 was it's flight path. It wasn't interrupted even when a feather was bent or even broken off. The F90 stayed true to it path. Many of us commented how, when a regular shuttle would break one feather, they would lose so much flight or just disintegrate moments after to an unusable form. Each shuttle was palyable for more than one game. Even when we retried the shuttle, it was still usable for training or rallies... You're definitely getting money for value here.

Was it worth it? The answer is mixed. The high cost of $10 per shuttle versus $3 for cheaper alternatives adds up, especially for casual players. While the F90's durability means fewer shuttles are needed (about three to four cheaper shuttles per game), the upfront cost feels significant. For advanced players who don't often mis-hit, the F90 is definitely worth it when playing serious games. However, for casual play, the expense is hard to justify. Badminton is already a costly sport, and adding $100-200 per session for shuttles is a significant burden. Despite the quality, I'm content sticking with more affordable options for casual play.

I have an Really important tournament coming up in late January and this might be the only chance i have to get a scholarship. I have like 2 and a half months left. I'll read all your comments, please give me some tips especially tactics on singles, u can also suggest me tips on doubles too😁😁