Amanda Knapp
Badminton is a racquet sport that involves hitting a shuttlecock, also known as a birdie, back and forth across a net. The sport was invented in the town of Badminton in England during the late 1800s and has since become a popular recreational and professional sport worldwide. The shuttlecock is a projectile made of feathers or plastic with an open conical shape, and it is hit using lightweight rackets. The feathers or plastic create drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate rapidly. The speed of a shuttlecock is an important factor in the game, with different speeds available to compensate for atmospheric conditions and playing styles. The name shuttlecock originates from Victorian times when badminton became popular, derived from the back-and-forth motion of the shuttlecock during play.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A high-drag projectile used in the sport of badminton |
| Other names | Birdie, shuttle, ball |
| Origin of the name | The name 'shuttlecock' originates from Victorian times when badminton became popular. The "shuttle" part of the name was probably derived from its back-and-forth motion during the game |
| Weight | 4.75 to 5.50 g |
| Number of feathers | 16 |
| Feather length | 62 to 70 mm |
| Cork diameter | 25 to 28 mm |
| Materials | Feathers, plastic, synthetic alternatives, cork, rubber |
| Speed | Different speeds are used to compensate for atmospheric conditions. The speed is classified into categories of 75-79, with smaller numbers indicating slower speeds |
| Price | Higher-grade feathers are less plentiful, so high-end shuttlecocks come with a premium price |
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What You'll Learn
The origins of badminton
The sport of badminton involves hitting a shuttlecock, also known as a birdie, shuttle, or ball, back and forth across a net using strung rackets. The shuttlecock is a high-drag projectile with an open conical shape formed by feathers or plastic embedded into a rounded cork or rubber base. The feathers create significantly more drag than the balls used in other sports, resulting in the shuttlecock's rapid deceleration and the sport's high top speed.
While the modern game of badminton developed in the mid-19th century among British officers stationed in India, similar games involving a shuttlecock have been played for centuries across Eurasia. The ancient game of battledore and shuttlecock, which involved hitting the shuttlecock back and forth, was played in ancient Greece, China, and India. The game was then brought to England, where it was first played in Gloucestershire, specifically in the town of Badminton, in the late 1800s.
As early as 1860, a London toy dealer named Isaac Spratt published a booklet titled "Badminton Battledore – A New Game," indicating that the game was already being recognised as distinct from the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. An 1863 article in The Cornhill Magazine describes badminton as "battledore and shuttlecock played with sides, across a string suspended some five feet from the ground."
Over time, the materials and construction of shuttlecocks have evolved. While traditional shuttlecocks were made with feathers, modern synthetic shuttlecocks, often called "birdies," are now commonly used, particularly in backyard and beach badminton games in North America. Shuttlecocks are hand-made in factories, primarily in China, and the feathers used are sourced from goose and duck wings. The preference is to use feathers from either the right or left wing only for each shuttlecock to ensure consistent flight properties.
The speed of a shuttlecock is a crucial factor in the game, as it determines how far it will travel across the court. Different speeds are used to compensate for atmospheric conditions such as humidity and height above sea level. The World Badminton Federation Rules specify the distance the shuttlecock should travel under standard conditions.
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Shuttlecock materials and manufacturing
The shuttlecock is an essential item for playing badminton and is made from feathers and cork. The feathers used are typically duck feathers, although some sources suggest eagle bird feathers. The cork is usually pre-bored to save time and labour, and additional materials include fevicol, glue, polish, detergent, washing blue, and packaging consumables.
The manufacturing process for shuttlecocks is relatively simple and can be summarised as follows:
- Source high-quality feathers, typically duck feathers, and wash them with detergent for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Treat the feathers with washing blue, dry them, and cut them to size.
- Take the cork bottom and make 16 bores on its surface.
- Insert the feathers into the bores and secure them with glue.
- Use a cotton thread to tie the feathers together around the cork.
- Tie a silk ribbon at the base of the shuttlecock.
- Measure the finished shuttlecock to ensure consistency.
- Package the shuttlecocks in cylindrical card boxes with 10 shuttlecocks per box, usually referred to as a roll.
Starting a shuttlecock manufacturing business requires careful planning and consideration of various factors. Market research is essential to understand local demand, trends, competitors, and pricing. The business also demands a small space for manufacturing, typically around 200 to 300 square feet, as well as office space for operations. Renovations may be necessary to install proper ventilation and electrical systems and create designated production areas.
In terms of equipment, machinery, and raw materials, the business requires a relatively small investment. A feather shuttlecock manufacturing business can be established with a budget of around ₹100,000 to ₹300,000 if started from home. However, additional funds are needed for licensing, registration, staffing, distribution, and marketing. It is recommended to have a business plan and project report before initiating the venture.
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Rules and standards
The game of badminton involves striking a shuttlecock, also known as a birdie, back and forth across a net using strung rackets. The sport was invented in the town of Badminton in England during the late 1800s, and the name "shuttlecock" originates from that time, with the "shuttle" part of the name derived from the back-and-forth motion of the game.
Badminton can be played as singles or doubles. In singles, two players compete against each other, while in doubles, two pairs of players form teams, resulting in a game of four players. All singles and doubles matches are the best of three games, and the first side to reach 21 points wins. A point is scored on every serve and is awarded to the side that wins the rally. The winning side gets to serve next. If the score reaches 20-20, a side must win by two clear points. If the score reaches 29-29, the first side to score their 30th point wins.
The shuttlecock or birdie is a cone-shaped projectile with an open conical shape. It is made of feathers or synthetic material embedded into a rounded cork or rubber base. A regulation standard shuttlecock weighs around 4.74 to 5.5 grams and has 16 feathers, each 62 to 70 mm in length. The diameter of the cork is 25 to 28 mm. To ensure optimal flight properties, it is preferable to use feathers from either the right or left wings in each shuttlecock, avoiding a mix of feathers from different wings due to their distinct shapes.
The birdie must be served diagonally into the opponent's service box, and players must wait for it to cross the net before playing a shot. It should be hit below waist height, and players must remain stationary until the serve is made. In singles, the server starts from the right service court when their score is even and switches to the left court for odd-numbered points.
A point is scored if the birdie hits the ground inside the opponent's half of the court, including the lines. A point is conceded if the birdie hits the net or passes through or under it, goes outside the court boundaries, or if a player strikes it twice with their racket. Touching the net with the body or racket results in a conceded point.
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Badminton's Olympic debut
Badminton made its Olympic debut as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. On 4 September, over 3000 spectators watched the action in a volleyball hall. Twenty-five players from eleven member associations participated. Indonesia's Rudy Hartono and Japan's Noriko Nakayama (née Takagi) won the singles titles, while Ade Chandra/Christian Hadinata (Indonesia – Men's Doubles) and Derek Talbot/Gillian Gilks (England) won the Mixed Doubles.
Despite the success of the demonstration event, progress towards badminton becoming an Olympic sport stalled due to a political issue that led to the formation of a parallel body called the World Badminton Federation in 1978. However, reunification of the IBF and WBF in 1981 renewed hopes for badminton's Olympic inclusion.
Badminton was played as an exhibition sport at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, with thirty players from eight member associations participating. The hosts, South Korea, won three gold medals, and China won the remaining two.
Finally, at 5:45 pm on 5 June 1985, at the 90th IOC Session, badminton was unanimously included as an official Olympic sport for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Foo Kok Keong of Malaysia struck the first shuttlecock in Olympic badminton history, and the event saw 178 players from 37 countries take part. The debut of Olympic badminton was a success, with compelling matches in all four categories: Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Men's Doubles, and Women's Doubles. The Indonesian off-court couple Allan Budi Kusuma and Susi Susanti won the singles medals, providing a golden start for badminton on the Olympic stage.
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Badminton vs. ancient 'battledore and shuttlecock'
The ancient game of battledore and shuttlecock is closely related to the modern sport of badminton. In fact, the game of badminton evolved from the older game of battledore and shuttlecock, which was played as early as the 1800s in the town of Badminton in England. The game was first mentioned in an article called "Life in a Country House", published in December 1863 in the Cornhill Magazine, a Victorian literary journal. The article describes a game played on either side of a net, with the net height at five feet (1.52m), which is the same height as a modern badminton net.
Battledore and shuttlecock was played without a net and without the boundary lines of a court. The game could be played by a single player or by two or more players. When played by a single player, the objective was to hit the shuttlecock as many times as possible without letting it fall to the ground. When played by two or more players, the players would hit the shuttlecock back and forth to each other, usually in a cooperative manner, with the goal of keeping the shuttlecock in the air for as long as possible.
The equipment used for battledore and shuttlecock included rackets, battledores, and even wooden paddles. Battledores were small rackets made of parchment, plastic, or rows of gut or nylon stretched across wooden frames. Shuttlecocks were made of a base of some light material, such as cork, with trimmed feathers fixed around the top. The feathers used for shuttlecocks were typically from the right or left wings of birds, as the feathers from different wings are shaped differently and ensure satisfactory flight properties.
Badminton, on the other hand, is a competitive sport that involves striking a shuttlecock back and forth across a net using strung rackets. The shuttlecock, also called a birdie or shuttle, is a high-drag projectile with an open conical shape formed by feathers or plastic embedded into a rounded cork or rubber base. The feathers used for badminton shuttlecocks are typically goose or duck feathers, and the higher-grade feathers come at a premium price. Different weights of shuttles are used to compensate for local atmospheric conditions, such as humidity and height above sea level.
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