Anyone watch Olympic badminton?

bluetrain4 · 08-16-2008, 02:32 PM

Really fun to watch. Great athletes, fast paced.

I know it's huge in Asia. Where do everyday people play?

Yonex must have a huge badminton business.

tennisfreak15347 · 08-16-2008, 02:34 PM

yes, Yonex controls a large majority of badminton, if not all. through the 3 Olympic matches I've watched, they've all carried yonex signatured cloths and racquets. Also, does anyone know how they can break strings? If i'm not mistaken, I saw a chinese player break a string on their racquet during a match. How can you break strings on a badminton racquet? isnt the ball extremely light weight?

mozzer · 08-16-2008, 02:46 PM

Badminton is great to watch. Real fast paced, especially one of the chinese guys!

Fedace · 08-16-2008, 02:50 PM

What would happen if you get hit in the eye with that flying contreption ??

tennisrocks5 · 08-16-2008, 02:56 PM

I watched the Chinese play each other for gold today. I think it was like Xie versus Zhang or something like that.

tennisrocks5 · 08-16-2008, 02:57 PM

Chinese women*

sorry, can't edit posts

SempreSami · 08-16-2008, 03:29 PM

Was sad to see Robertson and Emms lose in Emms' last Olympics : (

fluffy Beaver · 08-16-2008, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fedace

What would happen if you get hit in the eye with that flying contreption ??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfwqSBWDW_A

Imagine this but in the eye.

dave333 · 08-16-2008, 05:12 PM

Yeah, it is really sick. In the US, badminton is a really nerdy sport but the athleticism needed for professional level badminton is amazing. Especially the jumping smash shots. Those are so sick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2k-tsX5KE

AznRamenDude · 08-16-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennisfreak15347

yes, Yonex controls a large majority of badminton, if not all. through the 3 Olympic matches I've watched, they've all carried yonex signatured cloths and racquets. Also, does anyone know how they can break strings? If i'm not mistaken, I saw a chinese player break a string on their racquet during a match. How can you break strings on a badminton racquet? isnt the ball extremely light weight?

Play a high level of badminton, and trust me, your strings wont last. Also, they dont play with those rubber shuttlecocks. I'm lucky I dont break strings in tennis like i do in badminton, or i would be broke.

The shuttlecock may be light, but it is damn hard. Badminton strings are also really thin.

goober · 08-16-2008, 05:31 PM

I watched the Mens doubles final.

It was very interesting. If anybody actually played out here I would probably try out.

TonyB · 08-16-2008, 05:48 PM

Badminton is awesome. It's just too bad it's not more popular in the US.

bluetrain4 · 08-16-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave333

Yeah, it is really sick. In the US, badminton is a really nerdy sport but the athleticism needed for professional level badminton is amazing. Especially the jumping smash shots. Those are so sick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2k-tsX5KE

It's barely a sport in the US. It's thought of as a backyard cookout diversion.

But, I know some states saction badminton for high school. In Illinois, they have girls badminton, but not boys.

ttbrowne · 08-16-2008, 07:44 PM

Very interesting. I noticed all the Yonex stuff too.

The serve was what caught my eye. I guess you have to get it over quickly and below net level so they can't smash it back in your face.

Phil · 08-16-2008, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluetrain4

Really fun to watch. Great athletes, fast paced.

I know it's huge in Asia. Where do everyday people play?

Yonex must have a huge badminton business.

To me, badminton is incredibly boring. It's on almost every week in Japan. During the Olympics it's been on EVERY DAY (along with ping pong, a ridiculous amount of judo and a bit of swimming).

It seems that Yonex sponsors practically every badminton player and team, regardless of country. Not many other badminton manufacturers out there...I don't know of any.

ramesh · 08-16-2008, 08:13 PM

Badminton is very exciting and fast paced, its great exercise. Love watching the smashes and fast rallies, ... no baselines bashing as in tennis !

And yes, as someone noted, I break strings in less than an hour when 'baseline rallying'.

CHOcobo · 08-16-2008, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluffy Beaver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfwqSBWDW_A

Imagine this but in the eye.

LOL. this is fake. a bird isn't that heavy to penetrate bone. no matter how fast. trust me i play a lot of badminton and never seen anyone getting hit in the eye. however possible though. good players don't aim for the eye, more towards the feet.

i hope Lin Dan wins gold.

tkauffm · 08-16-2008, 11:46 PM

I think it's been really fun to watch as well. It's never on here in the states. They were saying that a chinese guy hit the birdie around 200 mph on one of those overheads!

I think it's a really fun sport to play too. In my high school advanced PE class we played it for about 2 weeks and then had a doubles tourney. Once we got towards the end it was so much fun because half of the guys were on the tennis team, so we had some epic matches. Plus my partner and I won.

J-man · 08-17-2008, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluetrain4

Really fun to watch. Great athletes, fast paced.

I know it's huge in Asia. Where do everyday people play?

Yonex must have a huge badminton business.

Yonex has monopoly over the badminton business. Interesting to watch tho. Lots of lunging.

SempreSami · 08-17-2008, 05:54 AM

Really? My badminton playing friend uses mainly Carlton.

08-16-2008, 02:32 PM	#1
bluetrain4 Legend Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 7,404	Anyone watch Olympic badminton? Really fun to watch. Great athletes, fast paced. I know it's huge in Asia. Where do everyday people play? Yonex must have a huge badminton business.

08-16-2008, 03:29 PM	#7
SempreSami Hall Of Fame Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: UK Posts: 3,604	Was sad to see Robertson and Emms lose in Emms' last Olympics : ( __________________ "Oh, lovely, lovely. Well, look, I'd love to stop and chat but I'd rather have type 2 diabetes."

08-16-2008, 05:48 PM	#12
TonyB Hall Of Fame Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,731	Badminton is awesome. It's just too bad it's not more popular in the US. __________________ Lois: "Peter, I'm not wearing any panties." Peter: "That's ok, honey. We can throw that chair out."

08-16-2008, 11:46 PM	#18
tkauffm Rookie Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 105	I think it's been really fun to watch as well. It's never on here in the states. They were saying that a chinese guy hit the birdie around 200 mph on one of those overheads! I think it's a really fun sport to play too. In my high school advanced PE class we played it for about 2 weeks and then had a doubles tourney. Once we got towards the end it was so much fun because half of the guys were on the tennis team, so we had some epic matches. Plus my partner and I won. __________________ x3 Dunlop M-Fil 300 w/ Tecnifibre strings All Courter

08-17-2008, 05:54 AM	#20
SempreSami Hall Of Fame Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: UK Posts: 3,604	Really? My badminton playing friend uses mainly Carlton. __________________ "Oh, lovely, lovely. Well, look, I'd love to stop and chat but I'd rather have type 2 diabetes."