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In this post, we’ll guide you through how to set up an AirBadminton Court to get you ready to play as fast as possible.
If you’re interested in more in-depth AirBadminton material, we have other posts you would definitely want to check out.
- AirBadminton – What is it and How Do You Play?
- What are the Dimensions of an AirBadminton Court?
- What is an AirShuttle?
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Equipment
Before we go over the set up instructions, here is what you will need first:
- 2 lines of 52.5 ft (16m)
- 4 lines of 16.4 ft (5m) (for singles)
- 4 lines of 19.7 ft (6m) (for doubles/triples)
- 4 cones
- 4 anchors for sand court
- 4 spikes for sand court, 8 spikes for grass court
- 1 net system
- 1 hammer
The lines will be used to make the court boundaries – 2 for the sidelines, 2 for the baselines, and 2 for the dead zone. The cones are used to indicate the service line. The anchors and spikes are to secure the lines so they don’t move around. The net system is to hold the net up at the appropriate height. And the hammer is used to help secure the spikes into the ground or sand.
Set Up
Now, let’s move on to how to actually set up the court. To set up an AirBadminton Court, you will need to set up 3 main things: the lines, the net system, and the service markers.
Step 1: Lines
First, set up the sidelines, which are 2 lines that are 52.5 ft (16 m) long. They will be placed parallel with each other and set 16.4 ft (5 m) apart from each other for singles and 19.7 ft (6 m) apart for doubles/triples. Then, connect the 2 baselines to the ends of the sidelines, which should create a symmetric rectangle. Lastly, add 2 more lines that are 6.6 ft (2 m) away from the center of the court that will indicate where the dead zone is.
That’s all of the lines needed to play AirBadminton! However, you’ll need to secure them in place so they don’t move around during gameplay. First, secure the corners of the court. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) recommends to use anchors on sand courts and spikes on grass courts. Next, secure the dead zone lines, which BWF recommends to use spikes for both sand and grass courts. That’s it for the lines!
Step 2: Net System
The net should be placed directly in the center of the court, giving both ends of the court the same amount of area. The net should be 4.8 ft (1.45 m) high at the center and 4.9 ft (1.5 m) high at the sidelines for a sand court. On a grass court, the net should be 5 ft (1.52 m) at the center and 5.1 ft (1.55 m) at the sidelines. The reason why the net is lower for sand courts is because people will sink a bit in the sand and make them effectively “shorter”. BWF has also done some studies that have shown that rallies last a bit longer at these heights due to fewer errors.
While BWF does have its own AirBadminton net available, any net that is suitable for outdoor use and is height adjustable would work as well. Amazon has plenty of great options available for you to choose from.
Step 3: Service Markers
The last step to set up an AirBadminton court is to set up the service markers. BWF recommends using cones as service markers but anything that is easily visible and stable can be used. The service markers are placed on both sides and ends of the court, exactly in the middle of the inbounds area – in other words, 9.8 ft (3 m) away from the ends of the court. As its name suggests, service markers indicate where players will have to stand behind when they are serving.
If you learn a bit better with videos, take a look at BWF’s video that that explains the above steps with additional visuals.
And that’s it for the set up! Not too bad right? There are, however, other considerations you should think about when setting up the court, which we will go over below!
Where Can I Set Up an AirBadminton Court?
AirBadminton can be set up on grass areas, beaches, parks, playgrounds, streets, and almost anywhere else that has enough space and is level. AirBadminton was designed to be playable almost anywhere to make it accessible to as many people as possible. However, make sure you have permission to play wherever you’re planning to set up at and that you’re not blocking traffic or interfering with others. Also, check that the ground is free of obstacles and tripping hazards so that it is safe to play.
How Should I Position the AirBadminton Court?
There are 2 main considerations when setting up the position of the AirBadminton Court – the wind direction and the sun positioning. Both of these can affect the gameplay so it’s important to weigh both of the factors.
The ideal position for an AirBadminton court is to have wind come from the side of the court, rather than from one of the ends of the court. In other words, it’s better to have a side drift rather than a forward/backward drift. This is because forward/backward drifts can give one side considerably more power and makes the game less fair. At least for a sideways drift both players/teams are affected equally.
In terms of the sun, you would want the AirBadminton court to be positioned so that neither end would be facing the sun. Facing the sun makes it much more difficult so it would be better to face the sun from the side. Since the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, this essentially means that the ideal positioning would have the court be positioned from North to South.
That’s pretty much all you have to worry about regarding how to position your AirBadminton court. However, positioning your court to work well with the wind may make it worse for the sun and vice versa, so you’ll have to be the judge as to which positioning is the best.
What Other Factors Should I Consider When Setting Up an AirBadminton Court?
Try to find a place with little to no wind, flat and even ground, and not near any place where the AirShuttle would be unretrievable if hit there. Moreover, we recommend to not play in rain, snow, or other bad weather as they make for unsafe playing conditions.
While the AirShuttle is more wind resistant than synthetic or feathered shuttlecocks, it can still be affected by the wind. So we still recommend trying to find a place with the least amount of wind to set up your court. As a guide, BWF recommends playing with wind speeds no more than 7.5 mph (12 kph). This is because the AirShuttle will be heavily affected by wind after this threshold according to BWF’s extensive testing, which will make the playing experience unfair and unenjoyable.
Flat and even ground is also very important when finding a place to set up your court. Not only would uneven ground be unfair, it can also be dangerous since it would make it easy to trip and injure oneself. Scan the area for potholes and other obstacles before setting your court up there.
Lastly, make sure you have enough room around the court as well so that you don’t intrude on others or lose your AirShuttle when a player hits out. It won’t be fun if the AirShuttle lands in someone’s food, in the middle of traffic, or into a lake.
Where Can I Buy AirBadminton Setup Equipment?
AirBadminton setup equipment can be bought at BWF’s official distributor, AirShuttle.one. You can also see other official BWF AirBadminton distributors over here.
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