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AirBadminton is a new sport, similar to badminton but played outdoors.
The aim of AirBadminton is to make badminton more accessible. It can be played on hard, grass and sand surfaces, and uses a wind-resistant AirShuttle.
AirBadminton has three formats – singles (one player per side), doubles (two players per side), or triples (three players per side).
When playing Triples, a player can only hit the AirShuttle once in a row. This is to encourage movement and strategy.
To begin the rally, the serve must be struck behind the ‘serve marker’ (3m behind the dead zone), into anywhere behind the dead zone on the opposing side. The AirShuttle must be struck below the height of the net tape.
If the AirShuttle lands in the dead zone at the net, this is out.
The dead zone eliminates net play as the AirShuttle is difficult to control. The dead zone also reduces deep lunges, minimising the risk of injury on the outdoor surfaces.
AirBadminton is played to 11 points, and is the best of 5 sets.
If the score reaches 10-10, a two-point advantage is required. If the score reaches 14-14, the next point wins.
The AirBadminton court has a very noticeable difference compared to a ‘normal’ badminton court.
As you can see, there are no back tramlines like in the normal game, and the court dimensions are quite different.
The AirBadminton court dimensions are:
The overall playable area is slightly smaller in an AirBadminton court compared to the normal game.
The AirShuttle weighs 8g, which is heavier than a feather or plastic shuttle that both weigh 5g. There are five pillars, allowing the shuttle to be more wind resistant and therefore creating a more ‘true flight’ in outdoor conditions.
The BWF recommend that AirBadminton should be played at a wind speed of up to 12kph. Playing at a high wind speed significantly impacts the performance of the AirShuttle.
The BWF recommends that the string tension in your racket when playing AirBadminton is at around 18 – 20 lbs (9kg). This is much lower than what a normal badminton racket would be strung at due to the weight of the AirShuttle.
You should also use a thicker gauge string. The thicker the string, the less likely it is to break.
The main differences between AirBadminton and Badminton are:
If you want to read our full review on AirBadminton, check out this blog post.
You can find the official BWF rules here.