Badminton gear talk

Can anyone point me toward some spots in Washington, D.C. where I can play some recreational badminton? I was browsing the Democratic Party website and it looks like most of the local clubs are strictly competitive, which pretty much means I'm out of luck since I'm 27 🙂. Honestly, I just want somewhere I can pay a fee and actually learn the ropes—rules, technique, all that stuff. My company offers us free court time, but let’s be real, we look like total amateurs compared to the people playing there 😛. I think the sport is awesome and I'm dying to learn how to play, just for fun, nothing serious
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Maria Palmer2 said:Can anyone point me toward a spot in Washington, D.C. where I can play some recreational badminton? I was checking the Democratic Party website and it looks like most of the local clubs are strictly competitive. Since I'm 27, I can probably forget about joining those types of squads 🙂. I just want somewhere I can pay a fee to learn the basics—rules, footwork, whatever—because my company provides free access to courts, but honestly, we look like total amateurs compared to the people playing there 😛. I think the sport is awesome and I really want to pick it up, just for fun.

Look, you don't need a coach if you're just doing this for recreation. Me and my buddies started playing about a month ago. You get better every single time you step on the court; you just need the drive to keep going. Besides, you can find all the basic fundamentals explained on YouTube.

Maria Palmer2 said:Can anyone point me toward some spots in Washington, D.C. where I can play badminton just for fun? I was checking the Democratic Party website and it looks like most clubs around here are strictly competitive—and since I'm 27, I'm definitely not looking to go pro 🙂. I'd just love to find somewhere where I can pay a fee and actually learn the basics... my company offers free court time, but honestly, we look like total amateurs compared to the people playing there 😛. Badminton seems awesome and I'd really love to pick it up, just casually.

A buddy of mine (used to be a pro) started running his own training sessions, which is where I've been going. You might even be able to convince him to do private lessons for just you guys whenever works best...
His site: www.filiploncaric.com

Anyone here ever played badminton or looking to get into it? I'm really itching to start training, though I'm mostly just coming from out of town, so if anyone's down to hit the court, let me know 🙂

If anyone is looking to pick up a badminton racket and learn the ropes...😉

Hi there! Now that school is about to kick off, I’m really looking forward to signing up for some badminton classes. I’m living over in Washington, D.C., and since I'd love to keep things convenient, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good sports center right in my neighborhood? That would definitely be the easiest option for me...😉

The Tuesday-Thursday group is totally full now—no more spots left! 🙂

Greetings everyone, I find myself wandering through a few questions today and am truly hoping some kind soul might be willing to steer me in the right direction...

I was wondering, is there a circuit here in the States or perhaps in nearby North America—specifically within the US—where recreational players can actually sign up for tournaments? How frequently do these types of events take place? And honestly, if one were to set their mind to it, how much time would it realistically take to climb the ladder toward a "pro" level? Is there an age limit, per se, where you can no longer compete at a high level under a professional coach? Also, if I wanted to join a league here in the US, would I be required to be a registered member of a specific club first?

I'm actually putting together a little report for my physical education class, so if anyone wouldn't mind giving me a bit of a rundown on what the professional badminton scene looks like here in America, I’d be incredibly grateful 😉

Jerry Peterson3 said:Hey everyone! I have a few questions and I'm hoping some kind soul might be able to help me out...

I was wondering if there are any tournaments in the US or nearby in North America where recreational players can participate? How often do those kinds of events happen? Also, how much time does it usually take to reach a "pro" level? Is there an age limit for training with a professional? And finally, do you need to be a member of a specific club to play in the American leagues?

I'm actually putting together a report for my PE class, so if anyone could give me a rundown of what the professional badminton scene looks like here in America, I’d really appreciate it! 😉

Ah, these younger generations—they want everything handed to them on a silver platter! 😉

My best advice would be to do a little digging online for local badminton centers and just drop by in person to ask some questions. I'm pretty sure someone there would be happy to point you in the right direction!

Here are just the first two results that pop up on Google:

http://www.badminton.org/

http://www.badminton-tennis-center-example.com/

I'm certain you'll find someone there who can give you more detailed info.

nimblegardener992 said:Kids these days, honestly, they want everything handed to them on a silver platter, don't they? 😉

If I were you, I’d just take a little stroll through the web, hunt down some local badminton clubs, and maybe even drop by in person to ask around. I’m quite certain someone there would be more than happy to point you in the right direction once you actually show up.

Just to give you a head start, here are the first two results Google tossed my way:

http://www.badminton.org/

http://www.usabadminton.com/

I have no doubt you'll find folks there who can give you the real scoop.

Look, Google is fine and all, and believe me, I’ve already done my due diligence browsing the sites... but what I'm really after is that firsthand insight from the people actually out there on the court—you know, the ones who live and breathe badminton training every single day.😍

Has anyone ordered shuttlecocks online or through eBay lately?
We usually go with those red plastic ones, but they seem way overpriced here—around $40 for a pack of six if I remember correctly, I think from Mavis.

Does anyone have some cheaper recommendations that actually hold up? We're just total amateurs, but we really don't want to play with those cheap, flimsy ones you get in those starter sets with the rackets $6.75 😬

swiftheron7 said:Has anyone tried ordering shuttlecocks online or through eBay?
We usually play with those red plastic ones, but they seem way overpriced here—around $40 for a pack of 6 (if I remember correctly from when I was looking), I think from Mavis.

Or if you have any cheaper recommendations that actually hold up. We’re just total amateurs, but we still don't want to deal with those crappy little shuttlecocks that come in the cheap starter sets with the rackets $6.75 😬

http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/y...vis-2000-2658/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/b...bolat-cup-194/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/y...0-yellow-2233/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/b...ournament-192/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/c...on-f1-ti-1057/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/h...ce-300-x6-587/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/c...ton-c100-2113/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/b...-practice-193/

I didn't bother scrolling through all the other retail sites; I'm assuming there's similar stuff at similar price points. There's really no point in ordering unverified junk from eBay when we have great options right here in the States. All of these shuttles are perfectly fine for casual play. Have you guys ever actually tried playing with feather ones?

dustypanther6 said:http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/y...vis-2000-2658/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/b...bolat-cup-194/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/y...0-yellow-2233/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/b...ournament-192/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/c...on-f1-ti-1057/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/h...ce-300-x6-587/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/c...ton-c100-2113/
http://www.sport4pro.net/badminton/b...-practice-193/

I didn't bother checking other shop sites! I bet they have similar stuff at similar prices. No point ordering unverified gear from eBay when we have such great options right here in the States. All these shuttles are perfect for casual play. Have you guys ever actually tried playing with feather ones?

Thanks for the reply! Most of those aren't even in stock right now, and they're only medium speed.

In the end, I went with these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130474053056...84.m1497.l2648

From what I've read on some American badminton forums, people compare them to the red Mavis 350s. So, it's definitely not true that you only find cheap Chinese junk on eBay!

We've kind of gotten hooked on the super fast plastic ones because we love a high-energy game.
We tried feathers once, but it just didn't feel the same after playing with the red plastics for two years! 🤷
I know everyone says they're better and that I should switch to them for the team...

swiftheron7 said:Thanks for the reply, but most of those aren't even available right now, and the mid-speed ones are just okay.

In the end, I went with these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130474053056...84.m1497.l2648

From what I've been reading on some international badminton forums, people compare them to the red Mavis 350s, so it’s definitely not true that you'll only find Chinese junk on eBay.

We've kind of gotten hooked on the fast plastic ones because they suit our more aggressive, fast-paced style of play.
We gave feathered shuttles a shot, but honestly, it didn't feel quite right after playing with the red plastics for two years. 🤷
I know everyone claims feathers are superior and that we really should be switching over...

Sorry, I didn't realize you meant the reds. Those red ones are really only good if you're playing in 57-degree weather. I'd recommend the blues—that's actual "real" badminton.

Is anyone in the San Francisco area interested in playing some badminton? I saw there's an ice rink nearby that might work.

Please shoot me a DM if you're down.

Anyone out there looking to hit some badminton at least once a week? I'm around Washington, D.C.

I'm trying to track down those specific shuttlecocks on eBay—the ones with the actual feathers sticking out of the base. They fly so much better, but I keep running into nothing but the basic plastic ones online...
I’m not looking to drop a ton of cash on them since I don't play badminton that often; it's mostly just for fun. I'd love to just grab a pack of the feathered ones from eBay because I remember how great they flew when I used them a few years back.
I checked out those links above, but I'd really prefer to just order through eBay so they can be shipped straight to my house.

Charles Thompson15 said:I'm trying to hunt down those shuttlecocks on eBay—the ones with the actual feathers sticking out of the base. They fly incredibly well, but all I can find online are those cheap plastic ones...
I don't want to drop a ton of cash on them since I'm not playing badminton constantly; it's more of a casual thing for me. That's why I'd prefer to just grab the feathered ones from eBay. I remember using them a few years back and they were way better in flight.
I checked out those links you posted above, but honestly, I'd rather just order through eBay and have them shipped straight to my front door.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12x-Premium-...-/221412556940

Just a heads up though, those feathered ones are going to wear out way faster than the plastic versions.

I was thinking of something like this
The one to the right of the yellow fuzzy ball—you know, the little sphere with the colorful feathers sticking out? I'm pretty sure I actually got one just like that from a racquet set I bought once.

Charles Thompson15 said:I was thinking of something like this
The one to the right of the yellow fuzzy ball—you know, that little sphere with all those colorful feathers sticking out? Pretty sure I got one just like it when I bought a racquet set like that.

That’s got absolutely nothing to do with badminton. Zero connection whatsoever.