How Long Does It Take To Get Good At Badminton?

Are you wondering how long it takes to get good at badminton?

• You might have started playing badminton a few weeks ago.
• Or maybe you’re already a decently proficient player – and wondering how good you really are.

Regardless of your current experience level, you know that mastering badminton does not happen overnight. Right?

But, how long does it really take to get good?

I’ve played badminton for the last 18 years and professionally for the last 8 years. I’ve also won 7x US Junior National Badminton titles in the process, and competed at the Badminton World Championships in 2023.

Additionally, I’m helping 100s of people with online badminton coaching to become good badminton players – quickly.

In this post, you’ll discover the 7 phases (including exact time stamps) – that will show you how long it takes to get good at badminton (intermediate player level).

As a quick overview:

Let’s dive right in:

Phase 1: Mastering the Badminton Grip

How do you pass this phase? Hold the racket correctly (sounds simple, but isn’t).

The foundation of your badminton journey starts with mastering the grip. How you hold your racket influences your control, power, and consistency.

And most people, unfortunately, skip this step.

As a result, they cultivate bad habits which they have to painfully unlearn at later stages of their badminton journey. Don’t be most people.

The effort you invest in the early stages to practice the right grip over and over again will pay dividends in the long term.

Yes, I get it: It’s boring. However, do it anyway.

There are primarily 4 grips to master:

1. The forehand grip
2. The panhandle grip
3. The bevel grip (or corner grip)
4. The backhand grip

These 4 grips should become second nature to you.

If you get shaken awake in the middle of the night and a BootCamp instructor deafenly screams “panhandle grip” in your ear – you should know how to do this grip immediately.

Practice, practice, practice.

Timeline: 1-2 Weeks

With daily practice and guidance from a coach, you can master the basic grips within a couple of weeks. Regular feedback from a coach or experienced player can accelerate your progress.

Phase 2: Perfecting Badminton Shot Form

How do you pass this phase? Consistent and efficient shots.

Once you have a solid grip, the next phase is perfecting your shots.

This involves learning the correct technique for various shots, including:

• Clears
• Smashes
• Drops

Proper form ensures that you use your energy efficiently and minimize the risk of injury while helping you perform clear and consistent shots.

Proper form also makes your shots fast and difficult to catch for your opponents.

To test your form, record yourself during practice and compare your technique to that of professional players.

If you have a chance, have a coach analyze your shots. Focus on smooth, controlled movements that are consistent between each stroke.

Timeline: 3-4 Weeks

Achieving good form can take about a month of regular practice focused on improving your form. Consistent drills and feedback are crucial during this phase.

Phase 3: Developing Badminton Footwork

How do you pass this phase? Smooth footwork.

Footwork is the backbone of effective play in badminton. Without good and proper footwork, you will not be able to reach the shot.

And… if you can’t reach the shot, well, you won’t be able to hit the shot.

To test your footwork, you’ll have to have a coach monitor your movement and make sure all the steps are correct and efficient.

Agility drills and shadow badminton are excellent ways to enhance your footwork.

Footwork is something you should always be practicing as well. Professional players, such as myself, still spend up to 30 minutes working on footwork each day.

Timeline: 4-6 Weeks

Developing a solid footwork baseline can take around 4-6 weeks of focused practice.

Phase 4: Understanding Badminton Strategy

How do you pass this phase? Being able to read your opponents.

What I love about badminton is that it’s not just physical. It’s also cerebral.

You can be a physical specimen, with fantastic cardio and perfect technique. But if your brain is not focused on the match, you’ll be outwitted by your opponents.

• You’ll be running from corner to corner, as your opponent switches up the pace.
• You’ll be deceived by your opponent’s shot selection.
• And your opponent will be reading you like a magazine, smilingly collecting points from you like it’s going out of fashion.

So… you have to understand strategy.

Understanding strategy involves knowing when to play certain shots, how to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, and managing the tempo of the game and each rally.

To test your strategic understanding, play practice matches and analyze your decision-making through video recordings. Work with a professional player or coach to make sure that you are hitting the right shots at the right time.

Timeline: 2-3 Months

Building strategic awareness is an ongoing process that lasts forever – several months can get you a solid baseline where you are thinking like a real badminton player.

Regular matches and studying professional games will enhance your tactical understanding.

Phase 5: Enhancing Speed To Play Badminton Faster

How do you pass this phase? Quick reflexes and rapid movements.

Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world. Reaching speeds of up to 201 mph, a badminton shuttlecock can travel faster than a Eurostar train at its maximum in-service speed of 186.4 mph.

This is almost twice as fast as tennis (142.9 mph), and almost thrice as fast as table tennis (70 mph).

So your speed on the court is crucial in badminton.

• If you’re not fast, you’re toast against opponents that are.
• A smash? You’ll swing your racket after the bird has already landed on the floor…

… not cool.

So, enhancing your speed involves:

• Improving your reaction time (reflexes)
• Improving your ability to move around the court (footwork)
• And increasing the speed of your shots (power)

To test your speed, engage in drills that focus on quick movements and rapid shot exchanges.

Plyometric exercises and interval training can significantly improve your speed and reflexes. Ladders and other online agility drills can help you improve this very quickly.

Timeline: 2-3 Months

Improving speed takes consistent effort over a few months. Incorporating speed drills into your regular training routine is essential for progress and speed maintenance.

Phase 6: Building Strength For Badminton

How do you pass this phase? Your smashes are devastating.

While badminton is a cerebral sport, it’s also physical. Very, very physical.

There will come a time in your badminton journey when having great technique is not enough. Your opponents might simply have better physical fitness.

As a result, you’ll be slower and exhausted quicker than them, which will cause you to lose the rally and the match.

On the flip side, if you’re physically fitter than your opponent (through hard exercise; no one of us is gifted with this) – you’ll be laughing all the way as you stack up your badminton points in a match.

It’s almost like child’s play.

So, do not neglect your strength and stamina. This phase cannot be overlooked.

Once your technique, strategy and reflexes are good enough – you have to focus on building both muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness.

To test your strength, perform strength training exercises regularly off the court and incorporate endurance workouts into your routine. Track your max weight lifted in the gym and measure improvements through increased shot power and longer-lasting stamina.

Timeline: 3-4 Months

Building significant strength and endurance can take 3-4 months. A combination of weight training, resistance exercises, and cardio workouts will help you achieve this.

Phase 7: Cultivating the Right Mindset (Enjoy It, it’s A Fun Sport)

How do you pass this phase? You can take losses on the chin and bounce back from them quickly.

The final phase sounds the easiest – but it is the hardest.

At this stage of your journey to becoming an intermediate player, you’ll likely be one of the best players of your friends – and at your local badminton club.

• Your friends will marvel at your badminton skills.
• And a lot of the people at the badminton club will ask you what your ‘secret sauce’ is.

It’s at this stage that a lot of badminton players will slack.

• They’ll stop challenging themselves and only play against players they know they can win against.
• They’ll stop going to other badminton clubs with more advanced players.
• And they’ll never go to tournaments that push them outside of their comfort zone.

This here I call the graveyard of ‘good enough’. You’re an ‘okay’ player, but you haven’t maxxed out your potential, haven’t you?

So you have to cultivate the right mindset, and get comfortable with pressure, and maintain a positive attitude even (and especially) when you’re losing.

And trust me, losing when you’re a better player stings even more than when you’re a beginner because it’ll happen more rarely to you.

And because it happens more rarely to you and it’s painful, your natural inclination will be to avoid it. Right?

So at this stage, it’s about building up your mental resilience and continue to challenge yourself. While you’ve come a long way (and you should be proud of yourself!), you should also realize that there are still next levels you can achieve and unlock.

So do not yet rest on your laurels.

Instead, visualize where you could be – and continue to set new and bigger goals to master badminton – and be the best player you can be.

Timeline: Ongoing

Developing a strong mindset is an ongoing process that continues throughout your badminton journey – even professionals work on this daily. Regular practice and mental conditioning exercises will help you build the necessary mental strength to be a strong badminton player.

Conclusion: How Long Does It Take Get Good At Playing Badminton?

In total, about one year. With a great coach, you can cut this time in half (6 months).

Based on the 7 phases, you’ll spend a disproportionate amount of time improving your physical fitness:

So if you already have a good physical fitness level (or even are a former athlete) – then this process will be much faster for you.

Please keep in mind that becoming a good player in badminton is a journey that requires dedication, practice, and a willingness to learn – there are no shortcuts if you want to improve.

Each of the seven phases—grip, form, footwork, strategy, speed, strength, and mindset—presents unique challenges and tests. By progressing through these phases and focusing on continuous improvement, you can significantly enhance your badminton skills and enjoy the game at a higher level.

Once you are at a higher level, you can keep repeating the process to become an advanced player or even a professional player. Just keep on adapting and leveling up each part of your already good game.

Remember, the timeline for each phase can vary based on individual factors such as natural ability, training intensity, and access to coaching. The key is to stay committed, seek feedback, and enjoy the process of becoming a better badminton player.

To your success,
Justin