Badminton and tennis are both popular racquet sports, although both used comparatively different facilities and equipment. Here is a brief list:
Badminton
• Court of dimensions 6.1 x 5.18 metres
• Badminton racquet
• Shuttlecock
Tennis
• Court of dimensions 23.77 x 8.23m
• Tennis racquet
• Tennis ball
A badminton court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. The courts are usually marked for both singles and doubles matches, although sometimes a court can be marked for singles only. Both the courts are the same length, but the doubles court is wider. The width of the court is 6.1 meters (20 ft) for doubles, and 5.18 meters (17 ft) for singles, and the length is 13.4 meters (44 ft). At the edges of the court, the net is 1.55 meters (5 ft 1 inch) high and 1.524 meters (5 ft) towards the centre. It is not mentioned in the Law of Badminton how high a ceiling about the court should be, but a court won;t be suitable for the game if the ceiling is likely to be hit during play.
Badminton racquets are lightweight, and usually weight between 70 and 95 grams. They can be composed of different materials ranging from carbon fibers to solid steel. Carbon fiber's an excellent strength to weight ratio and stiffness gives it excellent kinetic energy transfer. Cheaper racquets are still often made of metals such as steel. Old-fashioned wooden racquets are no longer manufactured because of their excessive mass and cost. The Laws of Badminton limit racquet size and shape, although the isometric shape is most common in new racquets, and a traditional oval shape is still available.
The shuttlecock is the high-drag, cone shaped projectile used in the game of Badminton, Its shape comes from sixteen overlapping feathers that are embedded in its cork base, a cork base which is covered with a thin layer of leather or synthetic material. Sometimes synthetic plastic 'feathers' are used in shuttlecocks as this reduces costs and these alternatives do not break so easily.
Tennis courts vary mainly in their size to badminton courts, but they can also be of varying surfaces, including clay, grass, carpet, and concrete. A tennis court is also rectangular, but its dimensions are 23.77m in length, and 8.23m in width for a singles match, 10.97 for a doubles match. The net is stretched across the entirety of the court at the halfway point and is roughly 1.07m high at the posts, and 91.4cm high towards the centre.
Tennis racquets are made up of a handle and a neck joining a roughly elliptical frame which holds the criss-cross pattern of strings in place. Since the 20th century, racquets have been made of materials such as ceramics, carbon graphite, and titanium. These stronger materials meant that oversized rackets that yielded more power could be produced, and the now synthetic strings added durability whilst retaining the feeling of the animal gut that was used as strings 100 years ago.
Tennis balls are hollow rubber balls with a felt coating. They were traditionally white, but color was gradually changed to a fluorescent yellow in the latter part of the 20th century to allow for improved visibility.
There are seven essential pieces of equipment that you need when you play table tennis (or ping pong as it is also known). The first one is a table, and unless you have got the room (and the desire) to buy your own, you will find this at a sports club or other facility.
Another important factor in this game is an opponent because this is very definitely a game for two. The rest of your equipment is as follows:
• Bats
A table tennis bat (also known as a paddle) is a flat, rigid piece of wood that has to be rigid, but it can be of any size, weight or shape. The sides that will hit the ball have to be covered in rubber, and they need to be different colors on each side. For example, black on one side and red on the other.
If one side is not covered with rubber, you cannot play with this side of the bat.
• Balls
Ping pong balls are 40mm in diameter and are usually made from celluloid. They are graded according to a three star system: Zero star and one star balls are the cheapest and are used for training; two star balls are better; and three star balls are the ones used in competition.
• Net
A good quality net is not extortionately expensive, but buy one that has screw clamps rather than spring clamps for the best attachment to the table. It also needs to be able to be tightened on each side, and make sure that it conforms to competition regulations if you think that you will be playing seriously. This means that it has to be 15.25cms high.
• Shoes and clothing
When you start to play, reasonable squash or tennis shoes will be fine. Make sure that the clothes that you wear do not restrict movement, and that shorts are above the knee so that you bend your leg without restriction.
Badminton
• Court of dimensions 6.1 x 5.18 metres
• Badminton racquet
• Shuttlecock
Tennis
• Court of dimensions 23.77 x 8.23m
• Tennis racquet
• Tennis ball
A badminton court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. The courts are usually marked for both singles and doubles matches, although sometimes a court can be marked for singles only. Both the courts are the same length, but the doubles court is wider. The width of the court is 6.1 meters (20 ft) for doubles, and 5.18 meters (17 ft) for singles, and the length is 13.4 meters (44 ft). At the edges of the court, the net is 1.55 meters (5 ft 1 inch) high and 1.524 meters (5 ft) towards the centre. It is not mentioned in the Law of Badminton how high a ceiling about the court should be, but a court won;t be suitable for the game if the ceiling is likely to be hit during play.
Badminton racquets are lightweight, and usually weight between 70 and 95 grams. They can be composed of different materials ranging from carbon fibers to solid steel. Carbon fiber's an excellent strength to weight ratio and stiffness gives it excellent kinetic energy transfer. Cheaper racquets are still often made of metals such as steel. Old-fashioned wooden racquets are no longer manufactured because of their excessive mass and cost. The Laws of Badminton limit racquet size and shape, although the isometric shape is most common in new racquets, and a traditional oval shape is still available.
The shuttlecock is the high-drag, cone shaped projectile used in the game of Badminton, Its shape comes from sixteen overlapping feathers that are embedded in its cork base, a cork base which is covered with a thin layer of leather or synthetic material. Sometimes synthetic plastic 'feathers' are used in shuttlecocks as this reduces costs and these alternatives do not break so easily.
Tennis courts vary mainly in their size to badminton courts, but they can also be of varying surfaces, including clay, grass, carpet, and concrete. A tennis court is also rectangular, but its dimensions are 23.77m in length, and 8.23m in width for a singles match, 10.97 for a doubles match. The net is stretched across the entirety of the court at the halfway point and is roughly 1.07m high at the posts, and 91.4cm high towards the centre.
Tennis racquets are made up of a handle and a neck joining a roughly elliptical frame which holds the criss-cross pattern of strings in place. Since the 20th century, racquets have been made of materials such as ceramics, carbon graphite, and titanium. These stronger materials meant that oversized rackets that yielded more power could be produced, and the now synthetic strings added durability whilst retaining the feeling of the animal gut that was used as strings 100 years ago.
Tennis balls are hollow rubber balls with a felt coating. They were traditionally white, but color was gradually changed to a fluorescent yellow in the latter part of the 20th century to allow for improved visibility.
There are seven essential pieces of equipment that you need when you play table tennis (or ping pong as it is also known). The first one is a table, and unless you have got the room (and the desire) to buy your own, you will find this at a sports club or other facility.
Another important factor in this game is an opponent because this is very definitely a game for two. The rest of your equipment is as follows:
• Bats
A table tennis bat (also known as a paddle) is a flat, rigid piece of wood that has to be rigid, but it can be of any size, weight or shape. The sides that will hit the ball have to be covered in rubber, and they need to be different colors on each side. For example, black on one side and red on the other.
If one side is not covered with rubber, you cannot play with this side of the bat.
• Balls
Ping pong balls are 40mm in diameter and are usually made from celluloid. They are graded according to a three star system: Zero star and one star balls are the cheapest and are used for training; two star balls are better; and three star balls are the ones used in competition.
• Net
A good quality net is not extortionately expensive, but buy one that has screw clamps rather than spring clamps for the best attachment to the table. It also needs to be able to be tightened on each side, and make sure that it conforms to competition regulations if you think that you will be playing seriously. This means that it has to be 15.25cms high.
• Shoes and clothing
When you start to play, reasonable squash or tennis shoes will be fine. Make sure that the clothes that you wear do not restrict movement, and that shorts are above the knee so that you bend your leg without restriction.
