Badminton Training Overview

Broadly speaking badminton training is similar to conditioning for the other racket sports such as tennis and squash.

A simple movement analysis however, reveals a few key differences that will affect the competitive badminton player’s training regimen…

Many shots in badminton are played overhead – more so than tennis or squash for example. Badminton players also rely much more on the wrist flexors for generating power compared to tennis players. While this may not lead to a vastly different training program, exercise selection and the percentage of time dedicated to some exercises over others will change.

The average rally length at an elite badminton level is 6-8 seconds and is interspersed with rest periods of about 15 seconds (1). Individual rallies would place a high demand on the anaerobic, alactic energy system with several back-to-back rallies relying on recovery of the creatine phosphate pool (2,3).

As a badminton match lasts at least 45 minutes (1), short, intense periods of activity are underpinned by aerobic endurance. Clearly, speed and agility play a crucial role, and lateral movements are called upon to even greater extent than in tennis.

Finally, strength and explosive power conditioning should form a fundamental part of a badminton training program – necessary to maximize speed about the court and powerful overhead smashes.