AirBadminton: Hit or Miss?

Did badminton just get even more accessible?

Credit: BWF

If you’ve ever tried to play badminton outdoors, you know the pain of seeing the shuttle, plastic and feather alike, swaying around in the wind as you maniacally try to track its flight. And then there’s the added challenge of actually hitting it, and hitting it to a good area.

In June 2013, the BWF heeded our collective pain and produced a brief outlining its intention to produce a wind-resistant outdoor shuttle. After six years of research and testing, the AirBadminton project was formally launched. In 2020, the long-awaited AirShuttle was introduced to global markets. In 2023, a tube of AirShuttles and a specialized “pop-up net” should cost under $50.

The What And The Why

In the words of the BWF:

• “AirBadminton is a concept that brings to life a vision of a fun, new inclusive outdoor game for everyone.”
• “It was important for us to ensure that the word ‘badminton’ was uncompromised in any manner, so as to create a strong, recognizable brand that is in keeping with the roots of the sport.”
• “To us, badminton is a sport for all and we believe this new outdoor game is critical in our attempts to promote the sport in more countries and to more people. We also envisage that AirBadminton will function as a development, recreational and competitive game.”
• “The aim of AirBadminton is to inspire more people to play more badminton in more places. As such, we feel the conceptualized name of AirBadminton works to facilitate and promote key messages of fun, participation and inclusiveness within sport.”

What does this mean?

• The main goal is to promote interest and participation in badminton.
• AirBadminton is a standalone brand in and of itself, and should grow into its own sporting discipline.

Same, Same, But Different

Not only is AirBadminton its own brand, it also possesses its own intricacies and quirks that separate it from badminton.

Rackets

The AirShuttle is 3g heavier than a regular feather or plastic shuttle. So, for players who already play badminton and have their own rackets, it is highly recommended that they get a new racket which is customized for AirBadminton, or risk having their strings break regularly. Specifically, the new string tension should be between 18–20lbs, and the strings themselves should be thick, ideally 0.68mm gauge or greater.

Even if you are going in the opposite direction — starting with AirBadminton and switching to badminton — a separate racket is recommended as the AirBadminton specifications don’t fully translate. While the strings will be durable, their low tension means significantly less control and repulsion power.

Rules

There are some key differences to note here:

• AirBadminton adopts a best of 5 sets, first to 11 points scoring system.
• At the competitive level, AirBadminton has the option of singles, doubles, AND triples.
• AirBadminton courts are longer (16m vs 13.4m), narrower (5m vs 6.1m), and do not have tram lines.
• Speaking of courts, there is also a “dead zone” stretching 2m either side of the net. Shots landing here will be penalized. In other words, drop shots, net-cord trickles, and short serves are “illegal.”
• Service takes place at a special marker 3m away from the net, and can be done at any height below the net, and in any direction (i.e., it does not have to be diagonal).

Competition

AirBadminton may be in its infancy, but that hasn’t stopped AirBadminton from setting up its own competitions! In fact, AirBadminton was included in the 2023 ANOC World Beach Games, hosted fittingly in Indonesia.

Verdict: Hit or Miss?

Hit!

For someone transitioning from indoor badminton, AirBadminton may be a bit of a shock to the system. So what? This isn’t about us! If we already love and play badminton, chances are we live in a place where badminton courts are readily accessible.

What I love about this project is that the BWF, despite some of its lofty messaging, has proactively pinpointed a contradiction in its sales pitch and attacked it with gusto: badminton is meant to be accessible yet it is not enjoyable or feasible in most parts of the world (i.e., outdoors) because regular equipment is not up to the task, and existing rules are not suitable for outdoor conditions (e.g., drop shots may result in people lunging or diving riskily). Better still, they have managed to create distinctive branding, competitive structure, and affordability.

To cut a long story short, more of this, please!