It’s the Law –
Testing the Shuttle
By Geoff Lewis (BDBL Committee and
Andover BC)
This
is a practice that, from my experience, has all but died out at club level in
both the Basingstoke and Winchester Leagues, but should be an
essential part of any league match. If you get the time (sad, I know) to search
the Web and read some of the threads in badminton-related forums, an incorrect
speed shuttle (particularly a slow one) can result in arm and shoulder injuries
as a result of over-hitting and could provide a significant advantage to the
home team while the visitors adjust to the shuttle speed (think of the last
time you played a match with a plastic shuttle…).
On
the rare occasion when the shuttle is tested, there are a number of commonly
seen rituals. You have the big-hitters, who stand as far back as possible then
give the shuttle as much wellie as they can in an attempt to try to hit the
back wall at the other end of the court. If, like me, you can’t hit the shuttle
with the pace you had when you were a twenty-something, you can take a pace or
two into the court, significantly increasing your chances of hitting the back
wall. As for the girls, there are a few that will try to outdo the blokes and
hit the back wall, while a number adopt the ‘to you’ approach where the shuttle
is popped gently over the net while all concerned admire the butterfly flight,
then politely agree ‘that’s fine’.
On
the odd occasion I have seen a shuttle pulled from the tube and given a fair
whack, only to see it wobble off into the distance leaving one or more feathers
at the feet of the tester (come on...you’ve all done it, I certainly have).
While
the hitter is working his or her way through a tube searching for the ideal
shuttle, at the other end of the court the opponents are discussing last
night’s footie or yesterday’s ‘Loose Women’ when, suddenly, a shuttle flies
into view. The incoming budgie is then plucked out of the air with consummate
ease, or hit back before it drops to the floor.
So
what do we all make of this? Do we really need to test each new shuttle? After
all, if the shuttle is too fast then don’t hit it so hard; if it’s too slow
then give a bit more of a welt to achieve the same end result.
What,
if anything, do the laws of badminton say?
3. TESTING A SHUTTLE FOR SPEED
3.1 To test a shuttle, a player shall use a full underhand stroke which
makes contact with the shuttle over the back boundary line. The shuttle shall
be hit at an upward angle and in a direction parallel to the side lines.
3.2 A shuttle of correct speed will land not less than 530 mm
and not more than 990 mm short of the other back
boundary line as in the diagram below.
Those
of you who have played at the Hampshire Badminton Centre at Westgate in
Winchester may have noticed the odd appendages to the lines at each end of the
court – they mark the limits for testing the shuttle (ah - so that’s what they
are for!). I can’t say that I’ve ever seen similar markings on any on other
courts in the Basingstoke or Winchester League, now I’m aware of their possible
existence I will look for them.
At
the end of the day testing the shuttle should, at the very least, be seen as
court etiquette and hopefully be seen as an important integral part of the
game. Either way, regardless of your thoughts or feelings, if your opponent
wants to test the shuttle please always take part in the exercise respectfully
and co-operatively – it is actually in your interest to pay attention and play
with the correct speed shuttle – or at least be aware of it’s failings if you can’t
find one!
So
you’ve tested one shuttle and it’s no good. You work your way through a whole
tube of shuttles and, although they are reasonably consistent (within the
limits of your ability to consistently strike the shuttle at the same speed and
in the same direction), none of them are the correct speed. What speed shuttles
should you be using for your hall? - obviously the speed that tests correctly,
but what do the numbers on the end of the tube actually mean and how are
shuttle speeds affected by hall temperature, height above sea level and
humidity? I plan to cover all of these that in a future article….
The authoring of this article was
triggered by a complaint received by the secretary of BDBL. We are in the
process of building a library of similar articles taking a light-hearted yet
informative look at some of the rules of badminton. Other burning issues are:
the serve and what constitutes a foul shot. If there are other issues that you
would like addressed, please let us know or, even better, write something
yourself and send it to secretary@bdbl.org.uk.