Badminton - the world's fastest raquet sport: a shuttle can leave the racket at a speed of almost 200 mph.

Competitive badminton is vastly different from the game played by many Americans with friends and relatives in the backyard. In fact, the differences clearly illustrate the difference in the meaning between "game" and "sport".

One look at badminton athletes in action will demonstrate that this form of badminton is truly a sport. Today's players compete in a lightning-fast sport which demands constant, highly concentrated actions: running, jumping, twisting, stretching, running backwards and striking. Besides explosiveness, quick reflexes and rapid hand-eye coordination, competitive badminton players must also possess superb aerobic endurance. In a typical two-game singles match, top players will cover nearly every inch of the court and travel more than a mile.

Badminton is distinguished from other raquet sports, all of which use a ball of some size, by two features: the use of a shuttlecock and the fact the shuttlecock cannot touch the ground during a rally. The flight characteristics of the shuttlecock and the pace created by constant volleying combine to make badminton one of the most exciting sports to play and watch.