FIELDING BIRDIES AT BLINDING SPEEDS

In the wake of the Summer Olympics, badminton’s popularity gets a bump
By Adam Bloch

It’s been 20 minutes since I arrived, and already I’m embarrassing myself. No journalistic faux pas here-it’s just this nettlesome game of badminton that I can’t seem to figure out. I’m a racket sports veteran, but the rapid deceleration of the shuttlecock and unfamiliarity of the game have me swinging at air most of the time. And my ego isn’t being helped by the rubber-jointed, wildly leaping, well-seasoned players around me, hitting jump smashes at blinding speeds. Read more