Badminton — Glossary

Every Badminton term explained in plain language: technique, equipment, rules and slang – with tips on avoiding the classic mistakes.

Feather vs. Nylon Shuttle (Equipment)

The two shuttle types. Nylon is tough, cheap and predictable; feather flies finer and more precisely but barely survives a beginner's hitting.

Head-Heaviness & Moment of Inertia (MOI) (Equipment)

How much mass sits in the racket head, measured as moment of inertia (MOI). Add 5 kg·cm² and the head runs about 0.7 m/s slower — yet shuttle speed comes out the same.

Lunge (Badminton) (Movement)

The big final step to the shuttle. It loads roughly 2.5 times your body weight — your knee stays over or behind your toes, never in front of them.

Panhandle Grip (Frying-Pan Grip) (Slang)

The beginner grip that holds the racket face flat in front of you like a frying pan. It feels safe, but it locks your wrist and your rotation — leaving you little more than a straight poke.

Pronation (Forearm Turn at Contact) (Movement)

The fast inward turn of shoulder and forearm at contact — the whip behind every overhead. Shoulder internal rotation delivers up to 66% of shuttle speed in the smash.

Shadow Footwork (Cheat code)

Movement patterns without a shuttle: from the middle to a corner, shadow the stroke, back to base. No partner, no hall, not a single shuttle needed.

Split Step (Movement)

A small two-footed hop timed to your opponent's strike — it makes you instantly ready to move in any direction.

General

Terms from training theory that apply in every sport.

1RM (One-Repetition Maximum) (Rule)

The maximum weight you can move for exactly one clean repetition. The reference value behind almost every training plan.

BMR & TDEE (Rule)

BMR is your basal metabolic rate at complete rest; TDEE is total daily expenditure including everyday movement and training. Nutrition targets always work off TDEE.

Cadence (Movement)

Steps per minute when running, or pedal revolutions when cycling. For most runners, 170–180 steps per minute sits in the sweet spot.

Core Tension (Movement)

Active stabilisation of abdomen, back and pelvis — the bridge that lets force travel between legs and arms at all.

Deload (Cheat code)

A deliberately lighter week with volume or intensity clearly reduced, so adaptation can catch up.

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) (Cheat code)

Delayed muscle soreness 12–72 hours after unfamiliar load. Not a measure of training quality.

Knee Valgus (Movement)

The knees collapsing inward during squats, jumps and landings. One of the key risk markers in technique analysis.

Progressive Overload (Cheat code)

The one principle no training works without long-term: the stimulus has to grow over time, otherwise adaptation stops.

RIR (Reps in Reserve) (Rule)

How many clean reps you had left at the end of a set. RIR 2 means two more were available.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) (Rule)

A scale for perceived effort. In strength training it usually runs 1–10, where RPE 8 means you had two more reps in the tank.

Zone 2 (Aerobic Base) (Cheat code)

The easy endurance zone where you can still hold a conversation in full sentences. The base of almost every endurance plan.