Badminton is a great sport

Do you know that badminton is the fastest racket sports. A badminton smash is faster than a tennis serve.

In a typical badminton match, a player runs about twice the distance than a tennis player does in a tennis match. Not to mention a lot of stop and go, go and back...

It is an extremely competitive sport. It feels great to come back from 17-5 to win a match. If you go to a badminton club, watch the better players play. They play very seriously and want to win in any way they can, both physically and mentally.

When we unintentionally hit a player's face or something, we genuinely apologize and care for the other person.

After a match is over, regardless of who wins and margin of victory, we shake hands at the net to show our appreciation.

A lot of people in America might think badminton is a girly sport because you use a racket to hit a feather birdie. However, that is totally not the case. Whoever thinks that way, try to play with a good player and see how you are owned and embarrassed.

It is a mental game as much as a physical game. You always need to know where your opposing players are and choose your shot selections. Knowing who they are and their styles also help in strategizing a game plan in the mind. Hitting a couple clears to set up that deadly drop shot...

You also need to be mentally tough to believe that you can still win down by 15.

You always have to recover and re-position yourself after a shot or according to your partner's position. There are a lot of thinking and attention here.

You need to have the will to learn from better players. You can only improve if you play against better and equal-level players. If you do so, losing and losing ugly will happen. You can't let that discourage you. Admit that they are better players than you are .Observe and ask what and how you can improve. People have a genuine tendency to help if you ask.

Also understand that the better players sometimes don't play with you because they want to play a competitive game. Would it be fun for both of you if he ends up winning 21-3 match after match.

We are good at what we are doing because we have been a complete idiot in what we are doing.

As competitive badminton can be, it is also seriously fun when you accidentally hit the birdie at your partner's head and bounced up, or hit him in the butt, or hit your opponent in the groin for a guy and the breast for a gal. There are at least 4 or 5 funny moments in every practice I have been to.

Playing badminton can relieve stress in work or school when all your focus is put into thinking about how to win the match in hand. You forget all the little annoying things in your life and come out feeling much better knowing that you have been able to not think about them.

It is a non-contact (except maybe with your partner in a doubles match) but physical game. Injuries are limited to sprained ankles, cramps, hitting yourself (hands and legs).

However, be aware if you play the front. Kneel below the net to avoid getting smashed right into your eye. It is freaking nasty. Getting hit in the face is ok though. It will hurt only a moment.