If you watch these people play badminton at the Olympics, that’s how I thought it was supposed to be played, years ago, when I was young, but nobody was as good as me. I would smash shit up and down on people like they are doing. People would say, about 20 years ago, “Booth, you are playing too hard.” “Booth, you are cheating.” This is a children’s sport, a gentle sport. Please gently underhand hit the birdie back over. Do not slam and smash it into our eyes.
Or:
“You are not supposed to play Badminton, that hard.”
Or:
“What do you think Badminton is, Booth, an Olympic Sport? Quit smashing it on top of us and making us bleed.”
I missed my window. I could be there right now, playing badminton, like a fiend.
Somebody on this board said that badminton should not be an Olympic Sport. Couldn’t disagree more. I love playing badminton, but only when played hard. It’s a great workout, and very hard to play competitively. And the only way to play is to smash the shit out of the bird.
I played badminton through junior school and went to several tournaments. Got my ass handed to me at several tournaments, too. While I was pretty good for my school, playing other “competetive” players was a revelation. In one of my last games, my opponent scored every point by either handcuffing me, or hitting me with the shuttlecock. I couldn’t so much as get out of the damn way, let alone try to return.
Badminton is some hard sh*t. The most deeply anaerobic I have ever been in my entire life was in an intramural badminton match in college.
I used to enter every single intramural sport there was (residence hall all-around competition was fierce). I figured badminton couldn’t be too tough of a gig. Wrong.
I drew a Pakistani expat in the first round. It was like this guy was shooting a cannon at my head. Who would have thought that running 8 feet at a time could put me so deep into oxygen debt that I literally fell to the floor like somebody punched me in the gut? I got my wind back, and he proceeded to run off a zillion unbroken points on me.
There’s a lesson I learned long ago: Never, ever, underestimate the extraordinary skills possessed by those who excel in their particular sport. It might look easy on TV, and you might think, “Heck, anybody could do that.” But, it’s not true. Whatever you might see somebody doing in the Olympics – it’s wicked hard to do it at their level.
Whatever you might see somebody doing in the Olympics – it’s wicked hard to do it at their level.
that’s what I love about the Olympics - dozens of sports, within each one the athletes are approaching perfection in what they do. It’s beautiful to watch, whatever the sport is. When you know a bit about the sport it’s even better. I’ve been watching the whitewater slalom - I’m a decent recreational-level racer, but there are moves on that course that I could not make, flatout could not do. The racers take one paddle stroke to get it done.
These badmiton guys are doing behind the back returns! WTF! I’ve seen the pro tennis players do between the leg returns, but nothing as tricky or amazing as the badmiton boys.
While I was pretty good for my school, playing other “competetive” players was a revelation. In one of my last games, my opponent scored every point by either handcuffing me, or hitting me with the shuttlecock. I couldn’t so much as get out of the damn way, let alone try to return.