About the Ballarat Badminton Association
The Ballarat Badminton Association is an incorporated sporting club aimed at introducing new players to the sport of badminton and developing the skills of exciting players. Located at the Ken Kay Ballarat Badminton Stadium in Dowling St, Wendouree, the BBA offers a wide range of sporting programs to suit all ages.
Our expert coaches are on hand to help novice newcomers of the sport, develop their skills either socially or in competition. Many of our players have gone onto achieve glory in national and international badminton tournaments, with some even achieving selection for the Olympics.
The Ballarat Badminton Association prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming sporting club for people of all ages. We offer weekly social and training sessions and games for teams and individuals. The BBA also offers school sports programs and competitions in association with the BAS sports program.
Contact us today to find out more about playing the amazing sport of badminton and begin an exciting journey of fun, fitness, and skill development!
What is Badminton?
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. The game is similar to tennis with the key differences been that the court is much smaller, rackets are smaller with longer handles, the net is raised higher off the ground, and a shuttlecock is used instead of a ball.
Games of Badminton can be played socially or in competition by individuals or teams of two. Badminton competitions range in level from social and causal events right up national levels such as the commonwealth games and Olympics. The Ballarat Badminton Association can provide the training and resources for players to develop their skills to the highest levels.
Playing Badminton
During a game, badminton players take up similar starting positions to that of tennis, with each player taking turns to serve from the back of their court. Players then score points by striking the shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, hit the net, or landed outside of the badminton court. The point is then awarded to the side that was the last to successfully hit the shuttlecock over the net. The shuttlecock may only be struck once by each side before it passes over the net just as in tennis.
Shuttlecocks
The shuttlecock (also referred to as a shuttle) is a small feathered projectile with unique aerodynamic properties. This causes the shuttlecock to fly differently from the balls used in most racquet sports. Shuttlecocks have a dense rubber knob at one end with an array of small feathers in a circular pattern branching out from behind.
When hit through the air, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed, when compared to other racquet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is heavily affected by wind and air flow, badminton is normally played indoors in large stadiums with high roofs. Badminton can be played outdoors but as a more casual recreational activity, often as a garden or at the beach.
Major Competitions
The sport of badminton has been played since the 1500’s and later became modernised in 1873. However, badminton has only become part of major sporting completions in the last 60 years. Badminton became an official sport at the commonwealth games in 1966 and an Olympic sport in 1992.
With its official Olympic debut at the 25th Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, players from the Ballarat Badminton Association where amongst the first to represent Australia in the sport. As a team, Rhonda Cator, and Anna Lao reached the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles before been knocked out of the completion. Anna Lao also reached the quarterfinals for the women’s singles in the same year.
Many of the BBA’s completive players have attended numerous high level and prestigious competitions throughout their playing careers. The Ballarat Badminton Association regally sends groups of players to official BWF tournaments at local, state, national, and international levels.
