Badminton is one of the UK's favourite sports.

Badminton is a fast, dynamic Olympic sport played on an indoor court using rackets and shuttlecocks (feather or synthetic). It is played as singles, doubles and mixed doubles and caters for all ages and ability levels from beginner through to world class performance.

There are almost 24,000 courts and nearly 500,000 people playing once per week in England with many more enjoying a game throughout the year. Whatever your reason for playing, be it fitness, health, to compete or just for fun...it’s easy to book a court and get playing at your local leisure centre.

 Why is it good for me?

• It’s great aerobic exercise to help stay fit
• The tactics make it a good all round work out for your brain as well
• Your flexibility, balance and reaction speed is enhanced by all the twisting, turning, jumping and stretching
• Hand to eye co-ordination is tested, as are your reflexes
• You can play at your own pace and to your own limits

How much does it cost?

The going rate for court hire is anywhere from £6 – £12 per hour and in some cases badminton court hire comes as part of a wider membership offer with Leisure Centre’s membership benefits.

If you need a bit more structure, you can just turn up and play at any of the No Strings sessions for just £3-£5 per session, with sessions lasting from one to three hours, it offers fantastic value.

What equipment do I need?

The better you get, the better your equipment can be, but if you’re only starting:

It’s a court, not a catwalk! Normal sportswear or comfortable leisure clothing with a bit of stretch is usually fine, but generally anything goes.

Some sports centres may require you to wear non-marking soled footwear. White kit is a thing of the past, so wear what you are comfortable in – the more colour the better!

Most sports centres will hire you rackets and shoes and charge you a small fee or deposit for shuttles.

Getting started

The Badminton England website has all the information and details you need to play. Links to the different initiatives and their activity finder can be found below.

Badminton England

Badminton England activity finder

No Strings Badminton

Cumbria Badminton Association

Smash Up!

The Racket Pack