Badminton is a trendy sport, which is usually played and watched by people worldwide just after football.
People love to play this sport on indoor courts as well as outdoors.
Also it is played in two different forms: Singles and Doubles.
This sport has introduced its new form, Air-Badminton.
Have you ever heard about Air-Badminton?
If not, don’t worry, I will explain what Air-Badminton is and how it is played.
So let’s begin:
What is Air-Badminton?
It is simply outdoor badminton, played using a racket and a newly designed shuttlecock.
This new outdoor shuttlecock is designed slightly differently than the normal shuttlecock, which provides more stability and is more wind resistant.
Rather than this, it is also highly durable.
To dubbed the air shuttle, it took over 30 prototypes before the shuttle’s final design was chosen.
And now, the air shuttle delivers a consistent and satisfying game experience to the players.
What is the main aim of Air-Badminton?
The main aim of Air-Badminton is to open up the sport and allow people of all ages and abilities to play it on different types of surfaces.
Then it could be on hard grass ground, streets, playgrounds, or the sand surfaces of the park and beaches.
In his interview, the president of BWF, Poul-Eric Hoyer, stated, “This is a momentous occasion for this sport.
Strategically, Air-Badminton will allow us to fulfil our overall objective of putting a racket in the hands of as many people as possible,”
Rather than this, BWF is also keen to stress the health and social benefits of playing either the indoor or outdoor form of the sport.
How to play Air-Badminton?
I know Air-Badminton is totally a new kind of sport, but don’t you worry, as I will mention all the basic steps below, that will help you to play Air-Badminton easily:
1. Choose a format
Air-Badminton is generally played in three different formats, and you can choose one accordingly:
- Singles: 1 vs 1
- Doubles: 2 vs 2
- Triple: 3 vs 3
2. Rules for Air-Badminton
Likewise the traditional form of this sport, Air-Badminton also holds some rules and regulations, which include:
- Rallies commence with service from anywhere behind the 3m marker.
- The AirShuttle must be struck in an upwards direction with both feet stationary behind the 3m marker.
- The server may direct the AirShuttle anywhere into the opposition’s playing area beyond the 2m line.
- Singles and doubles follow the same style of play as badminton, taking into consideration the court dimensions and service regulations.
- In triples, the same service regulations apply, but any one player cannot return the AirShuttle on two consecutive occasions.
3. Scoring
- You are free to set your own scoring system. However, the BWF recommend a scoring system that is the best of five games to nine points.
- If the score is tied at 8-all, the side which gains a two-point lead first will win the game.
- If the score becomes 11-all, the side scoring the 12th point shall win the game. The winning side will serve first in the next game.
- Players shall change ends at the end of each game and in a deciding fifth game when a side first scores five points.
- Intervals should not exceed 120 seconds between games and not exceed 60 seconds in the fifth game when players change ends at five points.
4. Which surfaces are perfect for Air-Badminton?
As Air-Badminton has been created to be played on different kinds of surfaces, which includes hard, grass, and sand surfaces.
It is recommended that courts are set up laterally to the prevailing wind direction to allow for the best wind resistance.
If you play it on the sand, then remember that the height of the net from the surface of the court is lower at 1.45m at the centre and 1.5m over the side lines for doubles and triples.
Some amazing facts about Air-Badminton
Know a bit more about Air-Badminton and the new outdoor shuttlecock – the AirShuttle:
- Air-Badminton can also be played using traditional rackets on outdoor courts.
- The only difference between traditional form of this sport and Air-Badminton is the shuttlecock’s shape and design and the court’s dimensions.
- The Air-Badminton court has a two-metre dead zone at the front of the court, and if the AirShuttle lands in that area, it will be counted as a fault.
- Talking about AirShuttle has a minimal impact from the side and axial wind and limited influence from humidity variations.
- The net shots in the AirShuttle are challenging to control, and therefore, the net area has been taken out to encourage strokes away from the net and to facilitate rally situations.
- Setting up a court for Air-Badminton is very simple; all you need is a net system and a set of boundary lines.
- Air-Badminton introduced a new format of triples. It is played by teams of three, each with a female player.
- Also, in triples format, the Players are not allowed to hit two consecutive returns. They must allow another member of the team to take the next return.
- There is a three-metre long visible sideline, and one must serve from behind this line, with both feet stable on the court.
- One can also play Air-Badminton using traditional rackets on existing outdoor courts.
Final Words
Now you must have known what Air-Badminton is and why it was created.
Badminton is the world’s fastest racket sport, making it one of the most exciting and thrilling games to watch and play.
As many people around the world think of badminton as an outdoor sport.
However, international badminton tournaments are officially played indoors.
The main issue playing outdoors with regular equipment is the wind.
The normal shuttlecocks are too light and not built to be wind-resistant.
There was no official badminton sport specifically for playing outdoors – until now.
But after Air-Badminton (one of the newest innovations designed to be played outdoors ) was created, it solved the problem of unplayable conditions caused by wind.
And in case you face any problems or have any questions in your mind regarding this post, then feel free to ask us or pin it up in the comment section below.