The ultimate badminton thread

Li Ning Woods N90 II 26 lbs

Nice, how is it compared to a Yonex one?
I've been wanting to buy a Li Ning racket but I don't know anyone who has it so can't try it out. They're also pretty expensive so I don't want to spend that much on something I won't like.

To me it's a very heavy racket and after a few months using it, I am still finding it difficult to play but I will try and persevere. I think I might have made the wrong choice in a head heavy racket and should have opted for head light but what I wanted was a racket which I can throw heavier smashes with.

Indeed I can throw heavier smashes and the potential is there but I don't have the energy to carry it on throughout several games so you have to be really fit to be able to use it.

I say that you should invest in a racket which you are suited towards and stick to it and maybe try and find a shop where you can try out rackets. I live in Northampton and there's not many specialist badminton shops around.

Initially I was after the N90 I but it was discontinued so directbadminton offered me the N90II at a discounted price so I thought why not. I might have made the wrong choice but it's something I will learn from when I next choose a new racket in a few years time

I generally have really good hand-eye coordination but lately I miss nearly every single shot, even the easy ones. It's really weird. The more I try to focus, the worse I get! It has started happening since we started using these yellow Mavis shuttles, I think it's Mavis 350 but I thought those were supposed to be some of the best plastic shuttles s it's probably just me.

Does anyone have badminton shoes/inserts with good toe cushioning that they could recommend? You are all guys (so far) but a lot of them are unisex anyway so I guess that doesn't matter. I haven't played badminton in a while but I'm still getting toe pain (turf toe).

Why is badminton so easy?


The first time I joined a club when I was young I did fine against people that had been playing years and years more than me.

I tried again at university last year, having not played in literally years, and I could still hold my own against the ultra awesome azns.




IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. I AM NOT A CAT I DON'T HAVE SUPERHUMAN POWERS.

Hong Kong Open has been brilliant so far, especially with every existing big player around aside from Lin Dan. What a good way to end such as great year. I also just realised how dominant the Chinese woman have been over the years - in the past four years, they've had EIGHT players that have either been World or Olympic Champion, or ranked world number one at some stage - including of course Wang Yihan, Li Xuerui, Wang Xin, Wang Shixian, Wang Lin (who has faded but having won the World Champs at such a young age, she is slowly creeping back), Lu Lan, Xie Xingfang and of course Zhang Ning, the empress of women's badminton in terms of the Olympics.

The Hong Kong Open Semi-Finals and Finals will be so fascinating to watch - there's still the top top respective seeds across all categories, and some great surprises so far (not least Wang Lin). Mixed doubles especially will be a great watch - the four best in the world are all head to head.

Chen Long has improved a lot. I didn't like his playing style before but his shots are much more impressive and diverse now.

The Setiawan/ Ahsan pairing is odd though. Do you know why they split Kido and Setiawan?

Yeah Chen Long is quite impressive and is he continues his development, I can see him being in at least the Final of Rio 2016.

Not at all, they were still relatively young when they won the Beijing Olympic Gold. I'm not even sure where Kido's gone.

5. Followed by MD
Kien Keat KOO [1] Malaysia
Boon Heong TAN Malaysia
-
China Yun CAI [2]
China Haifeng FU

Can't wait for that one

Me too. What an eccentric line-up. I genuinely think that each clash is a meeting between the contemporary top two of their category, despite the rankings (Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng in FIFTH?!).

Anyhow, what are your predictions? I reckon winners will be Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli making a comeback, Lee Chong Wei, Li Xuerui, Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei and I just can't call it between the men's doubles!

I predict:
-Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli - they've been pretty strong in the tournament so far
-Chen Long - only because LCW might have become a bit fat after wedding celebrations
-Li Xuerui - She is on form so I'm pretty sure she's going to win.
-Ma Jin/ Xu Chen - Honestly, I'm not sure but they are my favourite pair so I'll pick them.
-Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng - I would love the MAS pair to win but I don't think they have it in them. I hope I am wrong though.

Looks like a China clean sweep that way! But yeah, just Malaysia standing in the way towards them doing so, just like the Olympics (to an extent, as Lee Chong Wei was the only one who forced his opponent to three games).