Hobbies and Obsessions ~ Part 1 ~ Badminton

So, I thought I'd start this series that is just, a kind of 'getting to know Eve' thingy-mah-bobby. So, every so often I'll write about my hobbies/obsessions, of which there are ... many.

So, this week's hobby is ... Badminton!!!

I've been playing for 6-7 years now, I forget, but it has been forever, the only people who've been there the same amount of time as me are the old lads who rent the back court and the instructors (who, according to my mum have been there less time than me, oh well!)

So what got you into badminton?

 It was actually through my best friend of the time, Gi (no, she was not actually called Gi, but I'm obviously not revealing her name). She called me up one Tuesday night when we were about 8, asking if I wanted to go with her to a club that her grandmother ran. So I started attending, when the cost of the sessions was only around 75p (oh, the good old days). I remember I was wearing a pair of my sister's trousers, and I think one of my sister's old tops, neither of which were meant for sports, but oh well.

Anything interesting happen over the years?

At first, it was just me and Gi, then when we were ten, our friends A and C joined up, and we had a load of fun the four of us. Then, Gi's grandma sprained her ankle, and had to leave the club to one of the instructors, who's kept it going for the last 4 years or so.

Gi and A left a while afterwards, about halfway through year 6, C hung around for longer, but she left too, and returned last year for a time, but I don't mind.

Any perks?

Free t-shirts!

Over the years I have had 3 shirts from the club. 

- The first was an over-sized red t-shirt, with a tiny logo on the chest. Kinda crappy.

- The second was a black polo shirt with red detailing and the club's name written on the back. I had that for 4 years or so, and it had only started getting small 6 months or so before they got a new shirt in

- The third I'm not particularly fond of, it's kind of a polo shirt, but it's loose, and I can't name what the material is, but it's kinda clingy, kinda baggy (according to the label it's polyester, ugh). It has purple detailing, and the same club name on the back, but the letters are already peeling off, and I've only had it a few months.

Of the three, I definitely prefer #2

Perk number two is the fact that you get to meet so many different people you've maybe seen around school but never actually spoken to. I've met several year nine boys (I'm year 10) and they're usually the lads I hang around with simply out of laziness, they usually play winner stays on first to five, so you don't play for that long. I've also played badminton alongside people half my age, twice my age and quite a few ages inbetween.

What equipment have you used?

Over the years, I've only had two rackets, both of which were from the brand Carlton.

My first racket I dinged up to high hell, it's shape resembles more of a polygon than the egg shape it's supposed to look like. 

What a PowerBlade Sword should look like

What mine looks like

 The second is a Carlton Isoblade 450 in pink and purple, which was a Christmas gift off of my grandparents a few years back. It's served me pretty well so far, is quite light, smashes shuttles well (a must with me) and is pretty minus the dings in the handle.

My current racket

Learnt anything?

- Back tramlines are in for singles, out for doubles
- Side tramlines are out for singles, in for doubles

- If you're serving, you're on the offensive, so you play front and back (applies to doubles)

- If you're receiving, you're on the defensive, so you play sides (applies to doubles)

- If you're serving an even number, serve on the right, odds on the left

Any tips?

- If in doubt, just smash the freaking shuttle

- Don't be scared to mess up, I've found that sometimes when you mess up, you end up winning a point anyway.

- Try not to act hostile towards your doubles partner, they're the ones watching your back (or your front/side). You are a team, act like it, even if it is just for the 21 points you're playing.

- I advise against trick shots. I've never been keen on them, and I personally feel that they aren't all that effective.

Hopefully this is interesting (sorry if it isn't) and maybe helpful to people like +Maya Gibson, who is joining my club next week to pass the Physical section of Duke of Edinburgh, which I will be talking about later :)