Badminton

Badminton is the world's fastest racquet sport - a shuttle can leave the racket at a speed of almost 200 mph.

One look at badminton athletes in action will demonstrate that this form of badminton is truly a sport.

Today's players compete in a lightning-fast sport which demands constant, highly concentrated actions: running, jumping, twisting, stretching, running backwards and striking.

Besides explosiveness, quick reflexes and rapid hand-eye coordination, competitive badminton players must also possess superb aerobic endurance. In a typical two-game singles match, top players will cover nearly every inch of the court and travel more than a mile. Badminton is distinguished from other racquet sports, all of which use a ball of some size, by two features: the use of a shuttlecock and the fact the shuttlecock cannot touch the ground during a rally.

The flight characteristics of the shuttlecock and the pace created by constant volleying combine to make badminton one of the most exciting sports to play and watch. (Source: http://www.usabadminton.org/)