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How Does Badminton Differ From Tennis?
Monday, December 01, 2008
InstructionsOlympic SportsStep 1: There are many similarities between tennis and badminton. Both sports involve rackets. Both involve hitting an object over the net and scoring when your opponent cannot return it. Both sports can be played 1-on-1 or 2-on-2. Tennis and badminton both have worldwide appeal and are Olympic sports. Yet if you've never seen a tennis match or badminton match, there are definitely some characteristics that will make it easy to distinguish one from the other.
EquipmentStep 1: The equipment for tennis is different from badminton. Yes, both sports do use rackets, but tennis rackets are considerably larger than badminton rackets, with a 110-square-inch surface versus the badminton racket's 56-square-inch surface. The objects hit across the net couldn't be any more different, either. Badminton uses a shuttlecock, which is a small cork with goose feathers, sometimes made of plastic, attached to it in a cone-like fashion. Tennis utilizes a rubber ball covered with felt.
The courts for badminton are much smaller than tennis courts. Badminton courts measure 20 feet by 17 feet, with a net height of around 5 feet. Tennis courts, however, are 78 feet by 27 feet, or 78 feet by 36 feet during doubles matches. The net height, however, is only 3 feet.
Styles, Skills and RulesStep 1: Tennis and badminton emphasize different athletic skills. Since the tennis court is much longer and the ball is hit with a much broader racket, upper body strength is valued. The court is wider so it takes a lot more momentum to get into place for a return serve as well as the upper body strength to perform it. Badminton's smaller court lends to agility and jumping skills versus strength. A served shuttlecock has a great take-off speed but has high drag, so it can stop in mid-air, allowing the opponent ample time to strike back at any angle. A badminton player must be able to quickly react to his opponent's strike.
It is the rules between badminton and tennis that call for these different skill sets. Yes, both sports end play when the opponent cannot continue the play. But in tennis, the ball is allowed to bounce on your side of the court no more than once before you have to return it, whereas in badminton there is no bounce allowed. The shuttlecock must strike within your opponent's play area for a score. For tennis players, the advantage goes to those who can strike the ball with special spin control, making it change angles as it lands on the surface. Badminton players do not have that ability. Instead, they rely on anticipating the opponent's intent while returning serves or putting the opponent out of position during serve.
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