BADMINTON SEASON

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1934, Page 10

BADMINTON SEASON

OPENING TO-MORROW NIGHT

THE PLAYING OF THE GAME.

SOME NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By

“Shuttle.”)

With the opening at the Coronation Hall to-morrow night of the New Plymouth Badminton Club, the game really becomes established in the town. Previously two church clubs, St. Mary’s and St. Andrew’s, had carried on enthusiastically but without broadcasting in any loud manner the attraction of the game. Both the church clubs as well as the New Plymouth club will be carrying on this year, and the combined membership will be near 200. The enthusiastic way in which the game is being taken up by a number of new players is sufficient evidence that the game will in two or three years’ time be played in every town in Taranaki, a popularity that its fascinations fully deserve. In the country halls, which, equipped with serviceable lighting, are ideal for the game,- Taranaki is possibly richer than any other province in New Zealand, and it only needs the formation of a live association to disseminate the influence throughout the province. Growth of the Game.

Considering its great popularity in other parts of New Zealand the growth of the* game in Taranaki has been remarkably slow, especially as it was at Wanganui that Archdeacon Creed Meredith first really established the game in New Zealand. That was about 1925 or 1926. From Wanganui the game spread to Napier, but it was due to the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Dart at Auckland that it really became widely known. Both had played the game overseas and both were among the most finished exponents of the game ever seen in New Zealand. Their enthusiasm has resulted in more than 30 clubs at Auckland, 25 at Wellington, 8 or 9 at Christchurch and about 10 at Dunedin being founded within six years after they took it up at Auckland. Besides the cities the game is played in many towns of New Zealand, and it is only the difficulties encountered in obtaining good halls for the purpose of playing that has prevented- further progress. The Play.

Badminton is played on a court 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, which is divided into service courts something after the style of tennis. There is this difference, that whereas in tennis the service lines run from the net to midcourt, in badminton they do exactly the opposite, and run from the baseline to the midcourt. Points are scored only by the side serving. That is, the opposing side may win the rallies but the only apparent advantage is that by doing so it secures the service more quickly. Points are counted singly, games being up to 11, 15, or 21 as desired.

Singles or doubles, of course, may be played just as in tennis. In doubles, the side opening the service has only one hand—that is only one player may serve until he breaks down, the partners crossing to opposite courts for the service. On his failing the serve goes to the opponents, who have two hands and who may each score as many points as possible as long as they are winning the rallies in the orthodox tennis manner. When both fail with the service, “side out” is called and the serve goes back to the first pair, who now have two hands. And so on until the game is finished. The scoring is a little difficult at first, but once mastered is simple. The confined space of the court, and the height—five feet —of the net, as well as the fundamental rule that the shuttlecock must always be played on the volley, results in play being extremely fast. The game is faster than tennis. The Shots. Three shots only are really required to make a good badminton player. They are the clear, the smash and the drop. It is only in championship class that the fourth shot, the drive, is regularly seen. The clear is the high shot to the back of the court, a defensive shot primarily which well controlled becomes one of the most potent methods of attack in the game. The smash is used far more often than in tennis, for the reason that the shuttle drops almost perpendicularly and owing to the height of the net is generally at a fair height. The shot is the best point winner of the game, but a great deal of wrist work is required, both to give angle and to add the necessary speed to permit of a clean winner. Most learners make the mistake of giving the shuttle, or “bird” as it is called, a tremendous bang, with the i-esult that it sails out of court regularly. In no game is the wrist required to give control to a shot so much as in badminton. The drop shot is when well played the prettiest of the lot. It can be played from anywhere in the court though generally it is played from close to the net, the shuttle just clearing the net and falling on the other side. Here again wrist-work is required, the shuttle being given a last minute flick to take it over the net. By flick “Shuttle” does not mean a cut. Tennis players who gain results by chopping will never have the same advantage on the badminton court, where, except on necessary occasions, a fiat hit is always given.

Opening Night. The New Plymouth club; is more fortunate than any other club in New Zealand in securing the Coronation Hall for play. The designer of the hall may not have known when he built it that badminton would be played in it, but it is certainly an ideal hall for the game. The opening to-morrow night will consist of about three exhibition matches of short duration, and then the public as well as the members will be allowed to play, providing, of course, that the proper tennis equipment is used. The hall has capacity for six doubles and two singles courts, a number greater than in any building in New Zealand. The membership has been fixed at 140 and the limit is already nearly reached. The opening, should be an auspicious occasion, marking the foundation of a game which will in time extend throughout the province.