Badminton Insights

Yonex All England Championships 2011

Doreen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:49:12 +0000

Time is up, today is the long awaited first day of the Yonex All England Championships in 2011. Many of us badminton addicts are heading up to the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, where the tournament has been help for the last 16 years. Unfortunately, I cannot make it this year, but have been going there for the last two years. It was a great experience and there is a great vibe in the air. Although it is so far away from London, you get to see a lot of familiar faces from the London badminton community.

This lunchtime the qualifying begins and the players will do their best to reach the main draw. To view current player results, keep up to date with the official Yonex All England website.

Here is a bit of history about the All England. I was quite surprised to find out that the tournament was first held at the HQ of the London Scottish Rifles in 1899. Here is a photograph from 1899, where Ethel Thomson was runner up in ladies doubles.

Ha, ha, I am so glad we girls do not have to wear these long skirts anymore. I never really got those badminton skirts anyway. Here are some more interesting photographs of the original feather shuttlecock used in the All England Championships from 1899 to 1908.

If these pictures inspire you to visit the event in Birmingham, it seems that there are still tickets available. Have a look at www.theticketfactory.com. Enjoy!

Badminton at Canada Water

Doreen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:32:38 +0000

There have been many inquiries about badminton clubs at Canada Water – Bacon’s College. I went there last night at the Wednesday session and had a really good time. It started at 8pm and we continued playing until around 10:30. The standard was really good, excellent feather shuttles were being used, the venue was all right (although a little slippery) and there was a welcoming atmosphere. As there were not too many players, I got to play almost continuously. I was so exhausted!

I asked a few of the members about the other sessions at Bacon’s College. Apparently, there is another group playing on Tuesdays. Their standard might be a little lower. On Thursdays, there is another club too. However, they seem to be more of a private group and I believe you need to have an invitation to come along. If you know more about those clubs, please let me know, or write a comment on this article. A lot of readers would really appreciate it!

Guys and Dolls Tournament – 20th February 2011

Doreen — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:32:58 +0000

What a day, it’s been so lovely to have speny the day with so many talented badminton players. It’s been motivating and encouraging. By next year, hopefully, I’ll have picked up some more tricks in order to be more confident when playing against top players ;-P

The tournament was well organised with waiting times kept to be as short as possible and there was a very friendly atmosphere throughout. It’s funny to see so many familiar faces, despite the fact that I have not been playing so long. It seems as if everybody knows each other in the badminton community. In addition to enabling everybody to have a good time, the Guys & Dolls team offered racket stringing and sold great badminton products at a low price. I could not resist and had to buy myself a new racket to get me through my ladies games. Oi, what a difference to my 10 years old racket.

Oh well, I have said enough, it’s time for some PICTURES:

Red Nose Day – Charity Tournament

Doreen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:05:56 +0000

Looking for a good excuse to take part in a badminton tournament? The UCL team is organising a charity tournament in conjunction with Red Nose Day. All proceeds from the entry fees to the tournament will be going to Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day. You’ll be able to register for ladies’ and men’s doubles as well as singles and mixed. If you want to, you can even register for a maximum of 3 categories! One category costs £11, two £18 and three £28. The competition is going to take place in the UCL venue Somers Town Community Sports Centre (134 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1RX) on 20th March. It is very close to Euston and Mornington Crescent stations. Have a look at the map to find out exactly where it is located: View Map The tournament is going to start at 10am and supposed to finish by 8pm. Click on this link to open the registration form: Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day Badminton Tournament, where you find detailed information about payments. You will need to send it to: laskzz. The deadline for submission is 17th March. Hope to see you all there!

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147862171939846

World Badminton Championships London – 2011

Doreen — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 11:34:02 +0000

Hello you badminton freaks,

If you have not already heard, the YONEX BWF World Badminton Championships are taking place in London from 8th to 14th August this year! So, get your tickets quickly to get the best possible seats. The venue is Wembley Arena, so there is no excuse for London’s badders not to go. This is a great occasion for badminton fanatics to come and celebrate together. For more information and some general facts about badminton, visit: http://www.visitlondon.com/badminton. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.

Hope to see you all there!

Pimlico Badminton Club

Doreen — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:24:37 +0000

Looking for a social badminton club with a good standard? Pimlico Badminton club is a friendly welcoming badminton club. Martin, the guy running the club, is really passionate and committed about his club. One of the great things about this club is that in comparison to many other clubs, it has two training sessions. The session on Thursdays run for an amazing 4 hours! It starts at 6 pm and finishes at 10pm. On Sundays, the session runs from 11 till 2pm. The club pays with Yellow Yonex Mavis 300. As far as I heard, the venue is supposed to be really nice. Clean floors, high ceilings and good shower facilities. Pimlico Academy is located very close to Pimlico tube station at the Victoria Line in Lupus Street, London, SW1V 3AT. View Larger Map If you are interesting in joining, have a look at the club’s Meet Up site. I’ll try to go down soon and will keep you updated.

4th Guys and Dolls Tournament – Update

Doreen — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:30:36 +0000

Hello everyone, If you still have not registered for the Guys and Dolls badminton tournament, you need to hurry up. Apparently, there are only a few places in the lowest categories (B- and C) left. It will be fun. See … Continue reading →

Footwork Drill

Doreen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:39:52 +0000

Hey guys, I had a match yesterday and realised, not for the first time, that my footwork is rubbish or rather not existing. I have never had real footwork training, but it only seems logical that my game would improve by moving around the court more efficiently. The importance of correct footwork is undeniable crucial. Even professionals continue to practice their footwork regularly.

I searched for a good drill online and have found an exercise by Peter Rasmussen, who is the former world champion. When looking at the video, please be aware that Peter is left-handed, so his footwork is reversed to the footwork of a right-handed person. To be honest, it does not look to difficult. I guess, I have been too lazy to actually do a drill like this.

Finding a Badminton Club

Doreen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:48:13 +0000

I just moved and am trying to find a badminton club, which is close by. The best way of finding badminton clubs that are located close to where you live or work, is by using the Club Finder from the Badminton England website. All you need to do is to enter the postcode for the area you would like to play in. You’ll be surprised how many clubs will show up, especially in London. Clubs that are not registered with Badminton England do obviously not show up, so it is likely that there are even more clubs around. So, no excuses. Get ready to raise your racket.

4th Guys and Dolls Tournament

Doreen — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:08:41 +0000

I have got some great news for you in the new year. London’s Guys and Dolls Badminton Group organise their 4th badminton tournament. If you are looking for a fun tournament, this is the one to participate in! I took part last year and will be back this year. We had so much fun and due to the friendly atmosphere, it was lovely to meet badminton players from all over London. Just like last year, the tournament is going to take place at Little Venice Sports Centre, which is located at 10 Crompton Street, London W2 1ND. If you have not been there yet, you will love it. I believe it is one of the best venues in London. There are going to be 4 different categories you can play in. Categories B and C+ are going to play on Saturday, 19th February 2011 and categories A and B+ are going to play on Sunday, 20th February 2011. Men, women and mixed teams are welcome to play. The tournament starts at 9am and finishes at 5pm on both days. The closing day is the 12th February and fees are £10 if you like to take part in one category and £12 for two categories. So, hurry up, here is the link to the online registration form: and the link to the offline registration form.

As Guys and Dolls put it: “This tournament is organised as an excuse for a get together and meet new people. Let’s just enjoy ourselves and take this as seriously (or not) as we would like it to be.”