What To Wear For Badminton – A Complete Guideline

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To strike the shuttlecock in badminton, you must move around a lot. It implies you will need comfortable clothing that allows you to move about quickly. Before purchasing a badminton outfit, there are some factors to consider. In this post, we’ll go over what to wear for badminton as well as the required badminton equipment.

Contents

What To Wear For Badminton

It is worth noting that playing in loose-fitting clothing allows you to move freely. Badminton is a sport requiring a lot of turning, reaching, twisting, and jumping up, so putting on clothes and accessories that can flex or are elastic allows you to move around comfortably.

So, here is the most basic badminton attire you will require:

  • Cotton socks
  • A pair of badminton shoes
  • Men’s or women’s badminton attire
  • Other optional accessories (such as wristbands, headbands, hair bands, etc.)

Now, let’s take a closer look at those badminton outfits and equipment!

Breathable and Gentle Cotton Socks

The first thing to wear in badminton is breathable cotton socks. Hundreds of high socks are available on the market. However, only a handful of them can bring complete comfort when it comes to having fun while playing.

Cotton Socks For Badminton
Cotton Socks For Badminton

There are several badminton-specific socks marketed, although they are not essential. It’s great if you get an excellent brand of thick but breathable sports cotton socks.

Shoes Suitable For Badminton

What if you are just getting started with badminton and do not have any badminton shoes? Don’t worry; basketball, squash, or other indoor sports shoes can be excellent alternatives.

Trainers and running shoes will not provide you with the necessary support and safety when playing. In other words, they are not supportive enough to protect the ankles, feet, knees, and legs from the shock of leaping and jumping throughout badminton. These shoes do not have quite enough traction to protect you from sliding about, nor ankle support to keep you from twisting and rolling.

Read more “Best badminton racket for beginner” here

Badminton Dress For Male Players

You can wear whatever you like if you play informally at your community sports facility just for enjoyment. But if you join a badminton club in a state league or participate in tournaments, then you must adhere to a strict dress code.

The dress code would undoubtedly require men to wear shorts and a T-shirt. On top of that, you cannot wear soccer, rugby, or other sport-specific clothing. This is to avoid detracting from the sport of badminton, as wearing a football jersey advertises a different sport.

Shirt and Shorts Are A Common Badminton Outfit For Men.
Shirt and Shorts Are A Common Badminton Outfit For Men.

Printed shirts may also be subject to restrictions. Shirts featuring graphics, photography, or textual material are very probably prohibited. There are also regulations forbidding advertisements and any inappropriate content in the outfit, such as nudity and offensive language.

Colors and styles for shirts and shorts are subject to very few laws and regulations. Almost all sports apparel will adhere to any restrictions that may be in place.

Remember that the higher tier the badminton tournament is, the more regulations there will be for badminton wear. They could be related to the sponsorship, printing titles on shirts, and maybe fitting your teammates’ clothing color if you’re playing in a team or mixed doubles.

Overall, it’s nothing to put your pressure on when you’re first starting badminton, but it is something to be aware of.

Badminton Wear for Female Players

We have just mentioned the badminton dress code for men. How about female players? Do they have to follow the same regulations as men do?

Interestingly, the BWF contemplated making it necessary for women to wear skort while playing badminton at one time.

Thankfully, they realized their error and terminated the plan. Women’s dress codes are now the same as men’s. They can dress the same tops, shorts, and skirts with the same limitations.

Not so much a clothing rule as a matter of modesty, but if you’re going to put on a badminton skirt, it would be best to wear a pair of shorts beneath. Some sportswear companies now offer skirts, which are skirts plus shorts connected below, similar to men’s swim trunks. These outfits are lovely since they eliminate the need for separate shorts and skirts when layering.

See also  How to hold the badminton racket

Optional Badminton Equipment – Accessories

We can not go without listing down some badminton accessories that may assist you in your play. Let’s check them out.

Read more “Are Badminton And Tennis The Same? Time To Clear Your Mind

Sweat Headbands, Wristbands

Sweat wristbands and headbands are not as popular as they once were, yet they may be pretty beneficial whilst playing badminton. Badminton is a great way to get your heart racing, making your body sweat. Usually, sweating does not cause any problems, but it can take a toll sometimes.

Badminton grounds are hard, stretchy, and water-proof surfaces, so any sweat or drink poured on them will just stay on the surface of the courts. The pace at which badminton players move leaves the court incredibly slippery and unsafe.

Rather than allowing your perspiration to run all over the ground and maybe creating an accident, wearing a sweating headband and wristbands to wipe down your arms and other body parts can help a lot.

A Badminton Player Using Wristband
A Badminton Player Using Wristband

Warm-up Jacket And Pants

It is critical to get properly warmed up before playing badminton. A lack of a suitable warm-up routine might result in injury, and you will not be able to perform at your best.

Badminton and sports manufacturers designed Warm-up jackets and leggings to disperse your body heat equally over your body. They differ from most other tracksuits because they do not constrain your mobility as much as traditional tracksuits do.

Hairbands

It’s easy to imagine how unpleasant and inconvenient it would be when playing with long, flowing hair continually flapping in your face. That is why a hairband is necessary for everyone with long hair, male or female.

Towels

As you improve, you will be able to play for more extended periods, run farther, and move around much more. This will, of course, make you sweat more. You probably have to dry off a little because you’re sweating so much. Or perhaps you only need to wipe yourself down among rounds; a few towels would be helpful for you!

Once you dry off, you can prevent your garments from becoming overly moist or letting perspiration make its way into your shoes and socks. Towels from badminton brands are available; otherwise, absorbent towels can be a good choice.

Court Mop/Sweeper

It sounds slightly ludicrous when thinking about bringing a mop and sweeper to the badminton courts. But let’s listen to our explanation.

These are two different pieces of equipment with two distinct functions. Court mops are used to clean the court of any sweat or moisture. On a badminton playground, any liquid poses a severe threat to the players.

You could use badminton-specific court mops or any other absorbent mop. As the badminton court size is big, badminton mops are often much larger than the usual mop.

The purpose of a court sweeper is to remove dirt from the court’s surface. These scissor-like sweepers pick up anything from dust to feathers to grime. Due to their form, they’re generally referred to as V-sweepers.

People also use these for security purposes. Keeping the badminton court free of trash is critical to provide a safe playing condition for all players.

As you can see, these items of gear are essential for elite players. These are available for use on all grounds at any domestic or international competition. Refs and officials are under control by international bodies, while linesmen officials are in charge of regularly cleaning and cleaning the courts to keep participants safe.

Read more “Are Badminton And Tennis Courts The Same? Useful Info You Need To Know

What Equipment Do Badminton Officials Need

This part will be mentioning the three pieces of equipment that you must have to play badminton.

See also  How to practice badminton alone?

A Badminton Net And Two Posts

The badminton net is a 20-foot-long, 2.5-foot-tall mesh net. A white PVC finished headband with a strong cable running through it completes the look.

The badminton net has not altered much since the game’s inception. They are now often coming to the market in nylon material and do not need to be replaced frequently.

 A Portable Badminton Net and Posts
A Portable Badminton Net and Posts

Two posts must be there to support the net. You can buy weighted stand-alone net poles or more recreational setups with the posts linked to the net. These net sets do not often follow BWF regulations, so they’re usually not coming with the appropriate dimensions; anyway, they’re fun to play within the yard or on the shore.

It’s important to note that you do not need to purchase these. If you go to your local sports center, you’ll find that most of them have facilities for playing badminton. They probably have nets, posts, some racquets and shuttles, space, court markers, and proper matting in an indoor setting where badminton matches happen.

Two Badminton Racquets At Least

Badminton racquets are available in a wide range of styles. It’s the most talked-about piece of badminton equipment. You don’t need anything extravagant to start, although it is wise to invest in a well-known badminton brand.

On the market, badminton sets often come with cheaply made racquets that are never worth the money, regardless of how cheap they are. They are just unsuitable for serious badminton play.

Players Should Invest In High-Quality Racquets.
Players Should Invest In High-Quality Racquets.

A badminton match involves at least two people to play, so you’ll need at least two of them, one for each player. Singles is a game in which two players compete against each other alone. Doubles as a game in which two individuals on each side are all of the same sex (all men/boys or all ladies/girls).

You may also want to play mixed doubles, in which one man or boy teams up with one woman or girl for a maximum of 2 men or boys and two women or girls. So in total, you need four racquets for this, one for each player.

Some Shuttlecocks

So now that you’ve got a racquet to play and a teammate to talk to, what are we going to do next? Shuttlecocks, of course. Plastics and feathers shuttlecocks are the two types of shuttlecocks available.

When you are new to badminton, it would be best to utilize plastic shuttlecocks. They generally come in simple badminton racquet sets and are inexpensive and easy to buy at any sporting store or online.

Feather Shuttlecocks
Feather Shuttlecocks

However, if you want to take the game seriously and want to improve your badminton skill sets, feather shuttlecocks are a good choice to go for. Admittedly, plastic shuttlecocks are there for recreational players who simply want to have some fun.

After you’ve progressed above the novice level and started playing in clubs, you will recognize that nearly every club currently uses feather shuttlecocks, not plastic ones.

Can You Play Badminton Wearing Anything Else?

Yes, you can join badminton wearing whatever you are comfortable with when playing with your family and friends. If you’re heading to a leisure badminton club, you can also dress casually.

However, when it comes to playing badminton professionally or for a particular organization, you must adhere to the BWF-approved clothing code (BWF Badminton).

Male players can wear a shirt and shorts, while female players can pick up a t-shirt and skirt or shorts. They can also wear other sports shoes which allow them to move freely while playing.

See also  Does Height Matter in Badminton?

What To Wear In Badminton – FAQs

Now, it is time to answer the most frequently asked questions about badminton outfits.

What Kind Of Shoes Should I Wear For Badminton?

It would be best to wear shoes designed for badminton. However, it is not necessarily the case if you do not have one.

Volleyball shoes can be a good substitute for badminton shoes. Due to their similarity in the shoe soles, players sometimes switch badminton shoes with volleyball ones and vice versa. The sports also share the same type of court surface, a synthetic one. So, any non-marking shoe is suitable for any artificial surface, including badminton.

In addition, the way you move in a volleyball match is pretty much similar to what you do in badminton. It means you have to run backward, forwards, and laterally.

However, it would be best to note that only when there are no badminton shoes available do you substitute them with volleyball shoes. In a professional badminton match, it is wise to pick up the suitable types of shoes for the right kinds of sports.

Do I Have To Pay Attention To The Color of Clothing?

Well, it would be best to watch out for the color of the outfits you choose to wear while playing. Specifically, in hot weather, you need to avoid wearing dark-colored costumes since they will make you absorb more heat, leading to sweat. Otherwise, lighter-colored badminton attire is a nice choice.

However, in the cold season, dark-colored badminton uniforms are preferable because they will make your body warmer.

Is Compression Wear Necessary for Badminton?

Genuinely, it is not a must, but a should for you to wear compression in badminton. In the process of playing badminton, your ankle probably twists. As a result, it will be better to have compression in this case.

Can You Wear Tennis Shoes For Badminton?

Yes and No, depending on where you play and whom you play badminton with. It is OK to put on a pair of tennis shoes in a recreational badminton match with friends. But here is the reason why you should not wear tennis shoes for pro badminton matches.

For Professionals, Tennis Shoes Can Not Replace Badminton Shoes.
For Professionals, Tennis Shoes Can Not Replace Badminton Shoes.

Firstly, almost all tennis shoes will leave marks on the badminton ground, against many stadium regulations.

Next, tennis shoes are suitable for lateral motions (side to side). In comparison, badminton shoes, with their lighter weight, have to deal with lots of dynamic movements, such as deep lunges, quick jumps, and stretches.

Finally, people play tennis outdoors mostly, so the tennis shoes are compatible with the various outdoor conditions. On the other hand, badminton matches occur indoors, usually on wooden or synthetic courts. So, players can not use badminton shoes and tennis shoes interchangeably.

What To Do To Keep The Shoe Grip In Better Condition?

To maintain your shoe grip in good condition, it is essential to play badminton in clean playgrounds. In addition, you should not put on your badminton shoes when it is not necessary.

The Final Verdict

If you have read this far, we do hope that you can now have an idea of what to wear for badminton. Please keep in mind that your badminton outfits should match the setting in which you play. You can wear anything that makes you feel comfortable for casual and entertaining matches. But if you participate in tournaments, you must follow BWF regulations on what to put on in badminton.

Thanks for reading! See you in our next posts!

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Hi there, my name is John Duong, and I'm a 10-year experienced badminton player. Badminton is my passion, and I've been playing the sport competitively since I was a teenager. Over the years, I've honed my skills, developed my technique, and gained valuable insights into the game.

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