Birdie In Flight: The Science of Badminton

The badminton birdie many Americans hit around their backyards can fly faster than 200mph in professional games! The key to the birdie's speed is its unique aerodynamic shape and materials combined with a complicated kinetic chain of movements by players.
Credits
Produced by Emily V. Driscoll
Filmed By
Jon Foy
Emily V. Driscoll
Chris Colton
Narrated by Luke Groskin
Music by Audio Network
Stills by Shutterstock
Special Thanks
The Boston Open sponsored by MIT
Michele Cruz
Alex Liu
Kota Morikawa
Nilay Nanavanti
New York City Badminton
Victor Ng
Beth Sopka
Peter Teuben
Xun Wang
Chibing & Vernoica Wu

[@masteryoda6568]

This sport is so underrated Also badminton rakects these are way more complicated than the shuttle. Also badminton is an Olympic sport

[@truongcahanh8915]

Badminton puts the bad in badass > v

[@villainzami697]

Trường Ca Hành YES XD

[@orientbrit8]

That's make sense. In the latter 20% of the smash shuttle slowed down in full length court, so if I want an almost unreturnable smash a good angle(around 72 degree) will cut the 20% slower phase of the shuttle flight by hitting the floor before it start to slow down and easier to retrieve.

[@masteryoda6568]

Some top badminton players are Lin Dan (china) Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)[retired] Viktor Axelsen( Denmark) Kento Momota( Japan) Anthony Ginting (Indonesia)

[@rickdeckard9810]

2:45 Dr. Chu is a National Level Badminton... umpire. LOL

[@lungchan1729]

well it says that he is top player. Also seeing him smash, he is pretty good. normal recreational can jump smash it's really a very complicated movement. much more complicated than a golf swing to master.

[@mtube620]

LOL, yup. Being a national umpire has nothing to do with understanding the science of badminton and shuttlecock flight speed optimization. Just another mainland Chinese boasting himself.

[@ArthurYCLiu]

​@@mtube620 He didn't say it has anything to do with his research. Why so sour?

[@Happy-cm7uo]

@@lungchan1729 yea no shit

[@Happybro91]

LOL time has changed a lot ... Now we can go 333 mph ❤

[@Happy-cm7uo]

They should have shown the vid of professionals playing, not just some random recreation dude.

[@Gtm44]

They did

[@derrickng4017]

There are like a thousand factors to producing a fast smash.

[@kusukacolaylowlee1611]

Bruce lew snapping power!

[@Longtack55]

Thanks Doctor, and I'm drinking a "Mac's, Green Beret IPA" beer at an optimal 71 deg angle. Soooo good!

[@anonymous-de3mn]

Great sport !

[@marlenedembin585]

I always 💘 badminton and hockey!!!!!!

[@DipperDK]

You forgot: "For Science Friday, I'm: Luke Groskin"

[@junting605]

I was hoping for more information in this video.

[@Headset537]

@4:19 I'd rather make you Hold my beer

[@zebanijah]

nice vid :)

[@albinpeter2546]

Thank You.

[@Rizalreez]

Pretty sure not many americans play this game..

[@zwieeee]

FIFA Gamer it is very asian/european. I could say i am pretty sure there are barely any ice basketball players in the UK but in America it is quite a popular sport

[@user-yx8vp7oh4m]

America is too busy watching a ‘sport’ called ‘football’.

[@Longtack55]

If they can't drink or eat while playing then they're not interested.

[@DIGITALSWOON]

@@Longtack55 maybe thats why we win so many gold medals

[@SushiLeader]

No credits for Dr. Chu??

[@naserabdo8458]

This is my assignment 🥲

[@rajaramr6959]

interesting !!

[@kylezhang4551]

1:40 voltric 80 :)

[@niclai3779]

temperature will affect the bad mittens

[@jn5534]

This doctor is the Iron Man of badminton lol

[@lindsaycheng8042]

no he's not.

[@ryanwu6879]

I am inside this video! :)

[@BOTNeil]

+Ryan Wu r u the one who made the jump smash ? XD

[@fathimtiaz]

+Ryan Wu i didn't see anyone posting a youtube comment in any possible way i could imagine in the video

[@AquaMarino]

Ryan Wu good for you

[@tiqosc1809]

ba bum bum bum!!!

[@kiran8656]

0:50

[@jtorres1764]

This game dope af

[@kylezhang4551]

2:19 voltric z force :)

[@somewhereoverit711]

Don't forget to Smash that like button

[@nickryan7370]

Slowest sport is probably bowling bowlers speed averages between 18-21 mph

[@rydersimpson115]

Nick Ryan probably curling

[@jeremiejessandis7237]

Probably chess.

[@carlrennie1141]

SCIENCE¬! :D:D

[@y2kenh]

all this time i thought jai alai was the fastest, but just found out it's only 188mph. Golf broke that record at 204mph. so how fast is badminton?

[@DaViD93Bay]

recorded at 206mph in an official match in a smashing test recorded at 262mph

[@jordaniumjordanicus]

Badminton is 493 kmh which translates to 308 mph

[@emersonlee9968]

+y2kenh sometimes is really hard to understand this kind of people like you, shit brain

[@PlayJoy_90]

+y2kenh badminton smash record held by taufik hidayat by 305 mph

[@anthonynguyen8958]

+y2kenh Today the fastest smash record is 493km/h (306mph). You can check it up, the smasher was Tan Boon Hoeng.

[@mtube620]

I don't believe the claim made in this video. Ability to generate fast racquet speed also play a major role in generating maximum shuttlecock speed. It is wrong to say optimum hitting angle 71.6 degree is all to maximizing shuttlecock speed and it can be achieve by doing jumpsmash. One can hit shuttlecock at 71.6 degree without jumping. Look at women player, they rarely do jumpsmashing, are professional woman player hitting the shuttlecock wrong?? Making contact point at the racquet sweet spot also add to the optimum shuttlecock speed.

[@franzkuntschnig1320]

+jack schitt they didnt say only the angle..they say,that you can obtain the same raquet speed as professional players but what sets them apart,ist the angle when they hit the shuttle. and thats the information, technique and timing over physical power.

[@mtube620]

+Franz Kuntschnig you contradicted yourself: "they didnt say only the angle" "but what sets them apart,ist the angle when they hit the shuttle" come on, get your logic straight before discussing science

[@franzkuntschnig1320]

did you read your post, where you claim that raquet speed is important too and not only the angle? and i told you, that they say in this documentation, that you can obtain the same raquet speed as professionals but what sets them apart from hobby players is the angle. that means that they mentioned the raquet speed as a factor too.that is no contradiction. they mentioned speed and angle, but you can optain the speed, angle needs perfect timing,a lot af practice and technique and is very hard to achieve. are you able to read and understand the meaning?

[@JingHan-ci8ve]

Don't discuss with science shit play that sport yourself and try it nothing is impossible in the court

[@tonp2917]

What I am curious about is that the 71.6 degree is most likely the degree in the testlab. But that is from a shuttle hanging in a frozen position. A shuttle hit by an opponent is a) moving and b) never comes in the right angle.

[@karl5213]

🇩🇰

[@ooizhingyao8388]

What about curving?

[@Longtack55]

Yes, with feather birdies you can spin it as the feathers are overlaid - not with nylon/plastic etc. Same principle as any ball sport as the birdie tip is rounded also.

[@kusukacolaylowlee1611]

Badman likes to play badminton with bad bladder

[@03369556835]

😍😎😘🇵🇰👏👑💪😘

[@AbbeyOmisol]

4:00 I am no pro badminton player, but that is not the proper way to start a jump smash. You have to raise your racket before you jump not raise it while your ascending.

[@BestofBadminton]

I disagree. It depends on the player's form. If I'm not mistaken, Sonoda, the Japanese men's doubles player raises his racket as he jumps as well and he's hit a 390+km/hour smash...so...

[@jn5534]

This is false. Depends on your style. Some players prefer a raised racket for a speedy smash, others raise it from their waist for more stability when jumping.

[@tenparsecs914]

Abbey Omisol Technique preference ya muppet

[@mathieup.corbeil894]

Scientifically, you should raise your arms while you’re ascending, makes you jump a little longer.

[@plasticage2085]

it depends on the players form. the jump smash on the video known as The King Smash in badminton

[@jiajianhou426]

Of course the pro player who’s also a professor with a PhD is from China.

[@jakeepura3620]

Nc

[@Baannia]

No useful practice

[@leemilica]

TRY SPEEDMINTON! Beat by a longshot!

[@jebby8372]

Really? I thought table tennis has the fastest ball

[@MRBACKHAND]

this isnt even close to being right

[@bigmass4792]

Its not a real sport... Its just a casual backyard games

[@FreaackyFreaky]

my man search up badminton proffessional gameplay. look at the sponsors and audience. then go play against a good player in a club near you. Then come back to this very comment section and tell me it isn't a real sport. xD

[@casualcashews]

Lol you fucking imbecile. How stupid can you get.

[@PrimoPete]

Badminton is more of a "real" sport than golf or curling. I hate feeding the troll.

[@mctthw]

Big Mass why don you try playing badminton? Get off your lazy Arse and play a sport for once you dumbfuck

[@ZhuGeLiang6969]

so what is the real sport? american hand eggs(that people call football).. isnt that a backyard game also? played between father n daughter for fun and laugh