Racquet sport - Squash

Squash is a popular global racquet sport played by two (singles) or four players (doubles) in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball. For its fast pace and requirement of mental agility, it has been described as "jet-propelled chess". In 2003, Forbes rated squash as the number one healthiest sport to play. The game was formerly called squash racquets, a reference to the "squashable" soft ball used in the game.


More Popular Racket sport, like: Badminton, Tennis, Table-tennis (Ping-pong)



Source from: wikipedia

History and Development of Badminton

The beginnings of badminton can be traced to mid-18th century British India, where it was created by British military officers stationed there.  Early photographs show Englishmen adding a net to the traditional English game of battledore and shuttlecock. The sport is related to ball badminton, which originated in Tamil Nadu, and is similar to Hanetsuki which originated in Japan. Being particularly popular in the British garrison town Poona (now Pune), the game also came to be known as Poona. Initially, balls of wool referred as ball badminton were preferred by the upper classes in windy or wet conditions, but ultimately the shuttlecock stuck. This game was taken by retired officers back to England where it developed and rules were set out.

Although it appears clear that Badminton House, Gloucestershire, owned by the Duke of Beaufort, has given its name to the sports, it is unclear when and why the name was adopted.

As early as 1860, Isaac Spratt, a London toy dealer, published a booklet, Badminton Battledore – a new game, but unfortunately no copy has survived. An 1863 article in The Cornhill Magazine describes badminton as "battledore and shuttlecock played with sides, across a string suspended some five feet from the ground". This early use has cast doubt on the origin through expatriates in India, though it is known that it was popular there in the 1870s and that the first rules were drawn up in Poonah in 1873. Another source cites that it was in 1877 at Karachi in (British) India, where the first attempt was made to form a set of rules.  As early as 1875, veterans returning from India started a club in Folkestone. Until 1887, the sport was played in England under the rules that prevailed in British India. The Bath Badminton Club standardized the rules and made the game applicable to English ideas. J.H.E. Hart drew up revised basic regulations in 1887 and, with Bagnel Wild, again in 1890.  In 1893, the Badminton Association of England published the first set of rules according to these regulations, similar to today's rules, and officially launched badminton in a house called "Dunbar" at 6 Waverley Grove, Portsmouth, England on September 13 of that year. They also started the All England Open Badminton Championships, the first badminton competition in the world, in 1899.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) (now known as Badminton World Federation) was established in 1934 with Canada, Denmark, England, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales as its founding members. India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs international badminton and develops the sport globally.

While initiated in England, competitive men's badminton in Europe has traditionally been dominated by Denmark. Asian nations, however, have been the most dominant ones worldwide. Indonesia, South Korea, China, and Malaysia along with Denmark are among the nations that have consistently produced world-class players in the past few decades, with China being the greatest force in both men's and women's competition in recent years.

Source: wikipedia

IRON MAN x VICTOR -- Thruster K 8000 Special Limited Edition

VICTOR x IRON MAN 3

Victor Special Limited Edition x Iron Man Gift Set

A very special limited edition of Victor Thruster K Iron Man 3, which will be launched very soon!!  850 sets for worldwide ONLY !
 

Badminton Equipments - Grip

The choice of  Badminton Grip  allows a player to increase the thickness of his racquet handle and choose a comfortable surface to hold. A player may build up the handle with one or several grips before applying the final layer.

Players may choose between a variety of grip materials. The most common choices are PU synthetic grips or towelling grips. Grip choice is a matter of personal preference. Players often find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent may be applied to the grip or hands, sweatbands may be used, the player may choose another grip material or change his grip more frequently.

Victor Grip GR 251

There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and overgrips. Replacement grips are thicker, and are often used to increase the size of the handle.

Overgrips are thinner (less than 1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many players, however, prefer to use replacement grips as the final layer. Towelling grips are always replacement grips.

Replacement grips have an adhesive backing, whereas overgrips have only a small patch of adhesive at the start of the tape and must be applied under tension; overgrips are more convenient for players who change grips frequently, because they may be removed more rapidly without damaging the underlying material.

 Source from: wikipedia 

Badminton Equipments - Shoes

Badminton Shoes are lightweight with soles of rubber or similar high-grip, non-marking materials.

Yonex SHB-SC4LX

Compared to running shoes, badminton shoes have little lateral support. High levels of lateral support are useful for activities where lateral motion is undesirable and unexpected.

Badminton, however, requires powerful lateral movements. A highly built-up lateral support will not be able to protect the foot in badminton; instead, it will encourage catastrophic collapse at the point where the shoe's support fails, and the player's ankles are not ready for the sudden loading, which can cause sprains. For this reason, players should choose badminton shoes rather than general trainers or running shoes, because proper badminton shoes will have a very thin sole, lower a person's centre of gravity, and therefore result in fewer injuries. Players should also ensure that they learn safe and proper footwork, with the knee and foot in alignment on all lunges. This is more than just a safety concern: proper footwork is also critical in order to move effectively around the court.

Badminton Equipments - Shuttlecock

Shuttlecock is a high-drag projectile, with an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather or synthetic material.

Yonex Mavis 2000

Synthetic shuttles are often used by recreational players to reduce their costs as feathered shuttles break easily. These nylon shuttles may be constructed with either natural cork or synthetic foam base, and a plastic skirt.






Source from: wikipedia 

Badminton Equipments - Strings

Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings in the range of about 0.62 to 0.73 mm thickness. Thicker strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel of thinner strings. String tension is normally in the range of 80 to 160 N (18 to 36 lbf). Recreational players generally string at lower tensions than professionals, typically between 80 and 110 N (18 and 25 lbf). Professionals string between about 110 and 160 N (25 and 36 lbf). Some string manufacturers measure the thickness of their strings under tension so they are actually thicker then than specified when slack. Ashaway Micropower is actually 0.7mm but Yonex BG-66 is about 0.72mm.

Yonex NBG-99

It is often argued that high string tensions improve control, whereas low string tensions increase power. The arguments for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning, such as claiming that a lower tension string bed is more bouncy and therefore provides more power. This is in fact incorrect, for a higher string tension can cause the shuttle to slide off the racquet and hence make it harder to hit a shot accurately. An alternative view suggests that the optimum tension for power depends on the player: the faster and more accurately a player can swing their racquet, the higher the tension for maximum power. Neither view has been subjected to a rigorous mechanical analysis, nor is there clear evidence in favour of one or the other. The most effective way for a player to find a good string tension is to experiment.

Source from: wikipedia 

Badminton Equipments - Racquets

Badminton Racquets are lightweight. The badminton racquets with best quality should be weighing between 70 and 95 grams (not including grip or strings). They are composed of many different materials ranging from carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid steel, which may be augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fibre has an excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the adoption of carbon fibre composite, racquets were made of light metals such as aluminium. Earlier still, racquets were made of wood.

Victor Thruster K TK-8000

Victor Brave Sword BRS-LYD N

There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the laws limit the racquet size and shape. Different racquets have playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The traditional oval head shape is still available, but an isometrichead shape is increasingly common in new racquets.

Source From: wikipedia

Racquet Sport - Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the floor, or if a fault has been called by either the umpire or service judge or, in their absence, the offending player, at any time during the rally.  The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a feathered (or plastic, mainly in uncompetitive games) projectile whose unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently than the balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed, when compared to other racquet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is affected by wind, competitive badminton is played indoors. Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or beach game.

  

Source from: WIKIPEDIA

London 2012 Olympic Games: Tennis Men's Doubles Finals - USA vs FRA

TENNIS has a long Olympic history but withdrew from the programme after 1924. It did not return as a medal sport until 1988. Professionals are now welcome to compete, and the Olympic competition includes men's and women's singles and men's and women's doubles.

London 2012 Olympic Games:

USA VS FRA (Full Replay)

 

 

Source from: www.olympic.org/tennis

Lin Dan wants to be China’s Peter Gade Christensen

QINGDAO: Lin Dan wants to be China’s Peter Gade Christensen.

The Olympic and three-time world champion hopes to emulate the Dane to continue playing even at the age of 34.

“My next goal is to become China’s Peter Gade because I really hope to play until I am 35-years-old. I hope that more young players from China can learn from Peter and stay active for a long time in the sport,” Lin Dan said after his win over the Dane in the final tie of the Sudirman Cup here last Sunday.

The 27-year-old shuttler had said that he was learning to enjoy playing badminton after his success in 2008 Beijing Olympics and was looking forward to defending the title in the London Games next year.

When he was told that Lin Dan was inspired to follow his path, Gade Christensen laughed and offered some advice.

“I am proud that I can still be at the top today,” he said.

“Lin Dan and (Lee) Chong Wei are really tough players to compete against and I have to do my utmost best in my everyday’s practice. I hope that Lin Dan will still be around for a few years more.”

The Dane added that he respected Lin Dan very much as the Chinese shuttler was a complete player and perhaps the best player who ever played the game.

“He has the kind of character that I like. He is not truly confident.

“You can see he’s got the mental feeling, which is good for him. But sometimes it makes him a bit vulnerable and I like that about him,” he said.

During the Sudirman Cup, Gade Christensen revealed that this would be his final series after having represented Denmark for more than 15 years.

Chong Wei and Lin Dan also hinted that they may not feature in the next edition in 2013.

Source from:  Chinese Badminton Association (news on 5th JUNE 2011)

Denmark's Camilla Martin interviewing Lee Chong Wei Malaysia Legend

Source from: youtube.com/AllEnglandBadminton

Squash equipment - Squash balls

Squash balls are between 39.5 and 40.5 mm in diameter, and have a mass of 23 to 25 grams.They are made with two pieces of rubber compound, glued together to form a hollow sphere and buffed to a matte finish. Different balls are provided for varying temperature and atmospheric conditions and standards of play: more experienced players use slow balls that have less bounce than those used by less experienced players (slower balls tend to 'die' in court corners, rather than 'standing up' to allow easier shots). Depending on its specific rubber composition, a squash ball has the property that it bounces more at higher temperatures. Squash balls must be hit dozens of times to warm them up at the beginning of a session; cold squash balls have very little bounce. Small coloured dots on the ball indicate its dynamic level (bounciness), and thus the standard of play for which it is suited. The recognized speed colours indicating the degree of dynamism are:




Colour: Double yellow
Speed (of Play): Extra Super Slow
Bounce: Very low
Player Level: Experienced

Colour: Yellow
Speed (of Play): Super Slow
Bounce: Low
Player Level: Advanced


Colour: White
Speed (of Play): Slow
Bounce: Low
Player Level: Advanced / Intermediate

Colour: Green
Speed (of Play): Slow / Extra Super Slow
Bounce: Low
Player Level: Intermediate / High Altitude

Colour: Orange
Speed (of Play): Extra Super Slow
Bounce: Very Low
Player Level: High Altitude

Colour: No dots or Red
Speed (of Play): Medium
Bounce: Average
Player Level: Recreational

Colour: Blue
Speed (of Play): Fast
Bounce: Very high
Player Level: Beginner / Junior

# The "double-yellow dot" ball, introduced in 2000, is currently the competition standard, replacing the earlier "yellow-dot" ball. There is also an "orange dot" ball.


Source from: wikipedia

image source:squashscore

How To Play Squash

The basics of "How to Play Squash"

London 2012 Olympic Games:Badminton Men's Singles Medal Matches - Malaysia VS China

 

London 2012 Olympic Games: 

 

 Badminton Men's Singles Medal Matches - Malaysia VS China

 

Source from: http://www.youtube.com/olympic