The physics of Badminton Shots
Badminton is a fun racquet sport played in either singles or doubles, where the objective of the game is to hit the birdie over the net so that the birdie falls within marked boundaries on the opposite court before the opposing singles or doubles team can hit it back. Badminton is an extremely popular sport in Asia and Europe with millions of people not only watching it, but also playing it daily. In North America, badminton is less popular of a sport due mainly to the lack of media coverage to it and attraction to other sports such as football, basketball and hockey. Badminton is the fastest racquet sport in the world, with smashes coming in at speeds close to 300 kph. ( Below YouTube video is of a 305 kph jump smash)
As a fan of the sport and a player myself, I have always wanted to learn more about the sport and find out how I can improve my game. This is why I decided to investigate the sport of badminton for my "Everything is About Physics" Project. Although badminton is a very fun sport, and it seems at times to just be hitting the birdie, there is a lot of physics behind everything in the sport. From the design of the birdie, the design of the racquet (string tension, racquet mass), to the point of impact, swing and power taken in badminton shots, everything in the sport is based around physics.
To try and improve my game through this project, I have decided to experimentally focus on my offensive shots and investigating the physics behind these shots. I will be investigating how the point of impact and velocity inflicted upon a birdie by a racquet affects the drop, smash, and clear. (more on this on the 'Focus Question' page) However, on the side i will also investigate the physics behind the game regarding the racquet, and birdie.
The drop is an overhand shot where the birdie, ideally travels at a medium-slow speed and ideally lands before the service line (short). It is a shorter shot, but the arc of the shot should not ideally be very high. This shot is mostly used to make the other player move, tire, and create space for your next shot.
The smash is an overhand shot where the birdie would ideally travel at a very fast speed, with a low arc, and should usually land in the mid-area of the court. The smash is usually a shot used to end a rally - you are trying to win a point with this shot.
The clear is an overhand shot that can be used in 2 ways. It can be used as a way to attack the open space at the back of the court, or to buy time for you to return to your base. In an offensive clear, the birdie will travel flat and fast towards your opponent. In a defensive clear, the birdie will travel with a high and deep trajectory. The offensive clear will be investigated in this experiment.
As a fan of the sport and a player myself, I have always wanted to learn more about the sport and find out how I can improve my game. This is why I decided to investigate the sport of badminton for my "Everything is About Physics" Project. Although badminton is a very fun sport, and it seems at times to just be hitting the birdie, there is a lot of physics behind everything in the sport. From the design of the birdie, the design of the racquet (string tension, racquet mass), to the point of impact, swing and power taken in badminton shots, everything in the sport is based around physics.
To try and improve my game through this project, I have decided to experimentally focus on my offensive shots and investigating the physics behind these shots. I will be investigating how the point of impact and velocity inflicted upon a birdie by a racquet affects the drop, smash, and clear. (more on this on the 'Focus Question' page) However, on the side i will also investigate the physics behind the game regarding the racquet, and birdie.
The drop is an overhand shot where the birdie, ideally travels at a medium-slow speed and ideally lands before the service line (short). It is a shorter shot, but the arc of the shot should not ideally be very high. This shot is mostly used to make the other player move, tire, and create space for your next shot.
The smash is an overhand shot where the birdie would ideally travel at a very fast speed, with a low arc, and should usually land in the mid-area of the court. The smash is usually a shot used to end a rally - you are trying to win a point with this shot.
The clear is an overhand shot that can be used in 2 ways. It can be used as a way to attack the open space at the back of the court, or to buy time for you to return to your base. In an offensive clear, the birdie will travel flat and fast towards your opponent. In a defensive clear, the birdie will travel with a high and deep trajectory. The offensive clear will be investigated in this experiment.