Badminton coaching - one of England’s most popular sports - find out here if it’s also the sport for you.

At a glance:

• Improve your fitness
• Can be played all year
• Learn a very traditional sport

The Lowdown

Badminton coaching is a very worthwhile venture considering that badminton is one of those quintessentially English sports that perhaps everyone has played at some point or another in their lives. Invented by British military officers stationed in British India in the 18th Century (naturally), badminton has since become a popular game in British sport. Whilst it’s closely related to tennis, there are some significant differences - namely using a shuttlecock instead of a tennis ball. And unlike tennis, when the shuttlecock touches the floor, the point is over. These two facts create a game that demands a subtle mix of gentle dexterity and strategic passes coupled with decisive point-winning smashes. A smaller court and a faster acceleration of the ball (shuttlecock) leads to a faster game – perhaps the fastest out of all racket sports. So fast it will get you moving about all over the place and help you burn as much as 500 calories in one game!

The Crowd

Looking to try something new by learning a social sport that can be played year round - indoors and outdoors? Badminton lessons will have you and the other players getting fit without the redundancy that sometimes goes with gym workouts. And maybe after some badminton classes you can join the ranks of the badminton elite like Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork?

The Cost

As far as sports equipment goes, everything you need for a badminton game will definitely not set you back much. If you’re just starting out and need, well, everything - you can get a whole four player set including the net for less than £20.  Even if you’re looking for something a little fancier - most rackets don’t cost much more than £30, and your TasterLab coach will probably have a racket for you to borrow if need be during your badminton lesson.

And Finally…

Before your TasterLab taster, you might want to brush up on your terminology so you’ll be ready to feint and flick as soon as you hit the court for your badminton coaching.