I'm thinking about it

it looks so weird wearing goggle for badminton. just a thought.

I do, to cut down glare. Leader makes a good light pair and I think you can even change the lenses. It takes a little time to get use to it, but once you are, you can go with or without goggles.

most of the time, badminton is pretty "eye-safe", it does take a little bit of time for the birdie to get to you, and almost all of the time, you should be facing where the birdie is coming from.

with one exception. the lady in mixed doubles is usually dashing around in front while being very close to the net, she is more prone to getting hit.

in fact, just last night, my partner got hit, it was lucky coz she got hit on the eye-brow, any lower will be dangerous.

i have been a couple of girls wearing eye protection for mixed doubles, and i think if they are comfortable with it, it is a wise thing to do.

oh, one more thing, my coach told us this: when playing doubles, <b>never</b> turn around and look at what your partner is doing. you will never know if he would be hitting a erronous drive and hit your right in the face/eye. my coach was in some national team once and see one person got hit that way.

I've been playing 20 years and I haven't taken a hit
Thats why I'm starting to worry!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes. I actually wear glasses but decided to get a pair of sports googles with my prescription. It takes a bit of getting used to but sure have prevented a few shots to the face.

A player at our club got hit in the eye area once and the next day, he was sporting a real good shiner. Better be safe than sorry but Kwun is right in that it is not often that you will get hit in the face but then again, accidents do happen.

UKP, accidents do happen, that's why they are "accident". :)

it is really your personal judgement call, i think most people will take the (abeit really small) risk and not wear glasses. but it sounds like you are playing at a very competitive level, your opponent/partner are probably more lethal than us weekend warriors. :)

to get hit by an inexperienced player or while playing with an inexperienced player on my side.
Firstly there's an unspoken rule, even in tournaments amongst experienced players that you avoid the big hit at the net.
Ok some players may shake their opponents up with a dig, but I don't find that's the norm. And anyway, you know when that's coming so you can get the racket up in time or turn your face away.
However, I have seen inexperienced players with a hovering net shot pull their racket back and go for the full shot just because they think it's impressive.
I've got to say I get a bit more nervy about it when I play someone who doesn't seem to know that rule.
Secondly if you play with someone inexperienced on your side and you're at the net, sometimes an inexperienced partner will put in a drop that hovers just above the net for the opponent to kill, and that really does leave you open for a whack in the face.

The time I'm most likely to get hit, and this is the main reason why I'm thinking of getting them is when I'm training. Because the envelope is being pushed you can get caught off guard. There's a training drill that I do where I leave the shuttle hovering for my training partner to kill at the net and it gets pretty hairy sometimes.

Otherwise it's pretty incident free.
UKP :)

UKP,
If you want, I probably can get you a hocket helmet with face shield for those drills that you do with your partner... :D :D

I've learned throughout my years that it is better to be safe than sorry. When I was playing basketball, I got whacked and scratched by others on my arms and face! I didn't need glasses back then but boy, was I tempted to start wearing elbow pads. ;)

lol :D I like the idea of a hockey helmet. I could get right in the thick of the action.

I've always leant towards the cautious side after taking my BMX up a quarter pipe at 10 years and going over the top for a 20 ft drop without any pads/helmet! :D

UKP, statistically, your turn is coming up soon!

The only person I've seen wearing protective eye shield in badminton was somebody who came back from college in US.

Definately agree with that don't look back rule but looking back on your partner's backhand side is proably going to incur less risk than the forehand side.

Four week ago, I got hit by my partner’s racket on the eyebrow and ended with an inch cut and some blood down my face. I was very lucky. Now I am wearing goggles. After this episode, I am playing a much slower game now. Every time I get near the net, or close to anyone, I get very nervous.

The matter of fact, I got hit many years ago while playing racket ball on the same eyebrow. Who says lightning wouldn’t hit twice in the same spot.

Better be safe than sorry. Best luck.

I do occassionally turn my head to look back to see where is my partner. The angle of turn, duration, and timing of looking back is critical

Playing 20 years without a hit, that must be a record. Going back in time, when playing doubles against my coach, I got at least a hit in my forehead in every game. Coach's courtesy.

Playing here in Canada already saw few people getting hit in the face. Worst case was a lady, over 70 playing XD against MD. Both opponents apparently in their 30's. She got smacked just below the eye, when she was in the net. Don't know how to call that, but do you really to win so badly, above all if one of your opponents is a lady over 70 years old??

As for myself, I wear prescription glasses. I have the lenses in shatter proof plastic. It cost a little bit more but safety first.

i just wear my glasses ^^

I personally wear Oakley Pro M's with clear polycarbinate lens. Their a lot lighter and less bulkier than goggles. Couple of years ago I received a serious eye injury playing baseball requiring surgery. My ophthalmologists said I couldn't afford another close call. Several weeks ago I was cross-training playing squash and my partner hit me near the injured eye with his follow through. I got cut and a black eye. Lucky I was wearing my glasses, it could of been alot more serious. I would like to see more people wearing eye protection.

Ever had the lenses knocked out? I've knocked out quite a few opponents' lenses. Contacts and protection is the way to go, or prescription lenses on the safety goggles.

Something to think about but most of us most likely won't get wacked in the eyes. If you play regularily at a club and know the people you are playing, then there is no fear. Always keep your racquet up to protect yourself. If your partner has a mishit and the other team has an easy put away close to the net, then obviously one would move to his/her left/right, racquet up, or duck to avoid getting hit. I'm pretty chicken around the court. If I know there is a chance of getting plunked anywhere on my body, I run for my life. :)

my glasses

Originally posted by UkPlayer
I've been playing 20 years and I haven't taken a hit
Thats why I'm starting to worry!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoa, thats pretty good. So far this year i've hit the bird into two people's eye already, and i've had my glasses hit quite a few times. One shot even knocked my glasses half-off, while another pushed my glasses' frame down enough for the bird to get stuck between my face and the glasses!

I use quality plastic lenses in my eyeglasses and that is sufficient protection for me.

Being careful can reduce any eye injuries. As people have mentioned, never look back at your partner in doubles when the partner is about to hit the bird. You can look back after the shot or before the partner is hitting the bird to see where your partner is positioned so you can reposition yourself. Also, when my partner or I hit a floater, and the opponent (when I know that the opponent can smash) comes up to smash, I chicken out and either back off, so I can take the smash as well as avoid getting hit in the face (but concede the point to the drop shot), or I just look away and concede the point (unless the opponent smashes out and then I can see where the bird hits the floor:D). When I get a floater, I often smash hard but aim the bird at the open court and not the opponent. I try to smash at a steep angle so that it is very difficult to retrieve and so it won't hit a person. If the person up front is a weak player or begnner, I do not smash the bird (and sometimes end up loosing the point by missing or not killing the bird when the opportunity arises).

With beginners, they may not know how to avoid getting hit and position themselves to get hit. The other day, one of the novice players in the club looked back when her partner was playing the desparate forehand drive to a shot I placed in the corner. He hit her hard in the lip and it was bruised but did not bleed. Lack of court awareness can get people into trouble. Some beginners charge to the front after hitting a floater opening themselves to a smash in the face. In our club, we are kind to beginners and weaker players and do not smash at them (usually). The better players are intermediate, intermediate-advance, and a couple of advance players so we are not all that competitive.

Ron

Originally posted by bigredlemon
Whoa, thats pretty good. So far this year i've hit the bird into two people's eye already, and i've had my glasses hit quite a few times. One shot even knocked my glasses half-off, while another pushed my glasses' frame down enough for the bird to get stuck between my face and the glasses!

ROFL can't believe this thread got revived.

Guess what, I took my first hit in the eye 5 weeks ago, and from........ my partner. Thought the shuttle was dead, looked round and.. wham!

No damage though fortunately :cool:

One way to cut down the chances of an eye hit is to play more singles...................;)

Hmm, I've played badminton for a few years and I haven't gotten a hit in my eye....yet. lol. But I was playing doubles and I became the front person. Then my friend(standing behind me) hit the shuttle against my ear! Wow, it wasn't pain, but I got a terrible shock! Imagine you standing and waiting for your friend to hit the shuttle, next minute, YOW!!!!:D

Originally posted by UkPlayer
ROFL can't believe this thread got revived.

Guess what, I took my first hit in the eye 5 weeks ago, and from........ my partner. Thought the shuttle was dead, looked round and.. wham!

No damage though fortunately :cool:

Congrats on your luck. Getting hit in the eye almost seems like a rites of passage!

Easiest way of getting hit by your partner is when they're driving a crosscourt backhand (down the line backhands are more difficult to pull off) and you turn around to see where the bird is. OUCH. Forehands allow easier control for down the line drives, and assuming you are standing somewhere near the middle, you'll get a wide berth. Crosscourts are nasty........

Hi,

This incident happened to me yesterday. I was playing with a couple of my mates (all club standard, i go there to spar with them) when all of a suden, he missed the shuttle and thought they won the point. I have quick reflexes, so i managed to get to the shuttle to lift it. The thing was though, my partner thought the shuttle had landed and therefore turned to look at the shuttle. I managed to lift it, and because he looked round it went in his eye. He's not a small bloke, but i've never seen anyone hit the floor like he did. Thankfully, no damage, apart from a bloodshot eye, was done.

Matt

Originally posted by bigredlemon
Congrats on your luck. Getting hit in the eye almost seems like a rites of passage!

thanks :)

Well, getting hit in the eye might not happen too often but it only needs to happen once to lose an eye and then your badminton game will never be same assuming you're still playing after that. I wear glasses so I guess I'm somewhat protected provided that I'm always looking at the bird.

Yikes, bloodshot eyes?! Poor partner. :eek: :eek: :eek:

now i understand why we have another thread "badminton helmet" posted earlier. :D

I wear colored lens when playing at places with really bright lighting, otherwise, no real eye protection. there are people who wear the racquetball/squash googles and those seem to work fine. Not sure about how competitive people play out there but generally, we try not to hit people, especially at their face. Of course accident happens but situations where you get hit in the face are if you turn around to look at your partner, or you are up at net and your partner clear to mid-court or something. :D Good way to remedy that, play w/ your racquet in front of your face. :D or just don't get yourself into the above situations.

I can't imagine getting hit in the eye. Ouch! Anyway, my friend always get hit by the shutlle when I play with them cuz they can't hit the shuttle! That day a friend of mine got hit on the head when I gave her a high shuttle. You know, they swing their racquet and miss the shuttle completely. lol. :D

Joanne wrote: That day a friend of mine got hit on the head when I gave her a high shuttle. You know, they swing their racquet and miss the shuttle completely. lol.

And I thought Joanne was being a meanie by smashing very hard at the head of a beginner. Well, beginners will quicky learn how to hit the shuttlecork properly and advance to advance players.

Ron

lol, I'm not mean! Once Haw Yang smashed into a girl's mouth until it bleed. :eek:

In all the years I've played, I've never seen anyone injured from being hit in the eye with a bird.

There is a greater danger of being hit by your partner's racket in doubles. A friend of mine almost got a broken nose, I've been hit in the chin, and I've hit my partner's hand more than once. If I was able to attach the image, there is a memorable picture from several years ago of national player Dave Ogata showing off the stitches on his scalp after being hit in the head by his partner, no less than US Hall of Famer Jim Poole.

I once hit a friend in her stomach with my racquet though........I pity her. It was hard!

I decided to start using (neutral) glasses after a shuttle hit me very hard one centimeter below my eye. Does anyone else use glasses for this purpose?

By neutral glasses do you mean like normal spectacles? I wouldnt wear them for badminton in case they got hit and damaged.
I wouldnt worry about damaging your eyes because considering the speed the shuttle will be going by the time it gets to you in most places, there wont be a problem. And if you do get caught at the net, look away or cover your face with the head.

he means glasses with no correction, just for eye protection. I suppose if u wear them and they are actually strong enough, you can try to react to kills rather than just turning away. i wear correcting glasses, and i still turn away since we are just playing recreationally.

he means glasses with no correction, just for eye protection. I suppose if u wear them and they are actually strong enough, you can try to react to kills rather than just turning away. i wear correcting glasses, and i still turn away since we are just playing recreationally.

I see. Wouldnt they be like goggles or something? In any case, agreement goes to other. I find it humerous to dive onto the floor.....

hum well 1st of all the shuttle would slow down by the time it hit your eye if you were further back but that does not mean that it wont do damage, if your at the front well thats a different story it can do alot of damage and its not always that easy to look away. Personally i had this problem i was serving in doubles and right after i served the opponent rushed it and before i could do anything bam right into my left eye i was blinded for a couple of seconds and regained my vision i dont think there was any damage done. wearying glasses is ok but i would say wear plastic ones just to be on the safe side, or you could wear sport goggles.

personally, i've had my glasses broken on a smash before. luckily for me though it was only the frame and not the actual lens. there is some risk involved in wearing glasses but for the most part it should matter that much. my glasses broke because i was netting and it was way too high so my friend smashed in back but i hadnt recover yet from the net and the smash broke my glasses

i wear glasses as well. i personally dont really like wearing glasses while playing since mine tends to like falling off, especially when i have to run from the back to the front. contacts seem bad as well since i have seen some people have theirs fall off.

as for protection, their great. my old coach once did a drive and i reacted too slow. the bird hit my glasses and nothing much happened.

You can now get safety glasses that are extremely light, about 6.5 to 8.5g. Theses glasses are so light because they do not have any hinges or metal screws to tighten them. They cannot be folded. They don't fall off as easily.

Getting hit by a shot from the baseline? You need to keep your racquet up when you're expecting a return. And you should always expect a return with every shot you make, even if it's a net kill (BBQ duck:D ). Never let your guard down until the rally is dead.

Also, most of the glasses these days are made from durable light polycarbonate plastic. At most they pop out and could be re-fitted back in.

personally, i've had my glasses broken on a smash before. luckily for me though it was only the frame and not the actual lens. there is some risk involved in wearing glasses but for the most part it should matter that much. my glasses broke because i was netting and it was way too high so my friend smashed in back but i hadnt recover yet from the net and the smash broke my glasses

I had a funny incident a shuttle was headed toward my left ear and I had to switch from forehand to cover but somehow I cracked the racquet head onto my right eyebrow - hey presto a 1 1/2 cm split!

lesson 1# never play with a steel raquet again (I was letting my friend use my graphite).

Touch wood I've never caught a shuttle in the eye - I guess I normally have the racquet head near my face (or on it) when at the net :rolleyes:

Well..I use glasses...Is that consider as a eye protection...? Well googles aint bad..Look at professional soccer, edgar davids, he wears googles and he looks fine with it.

Well..I use glasses...Is that consider as a eye protection...? Well googles aint bad..Look at professional soccer, edgar davids, he wears googles and he looks fine with it.

but then, he only needs to kick the ball every few minutes right:p

hey swimmers use googles as well and they seem to go quite fast;)

squash uses googles/eye protection a lot, try it if you really feel u need the protection. If you're getting hit from the baseline (and not just a mid court lift) then maybe its time to spend more time with a coach:o

i've sure taken my hits..but never in my eyes.

mostly because a group around here try's to "headshot" you, for fun...never went bad(read:eyeshot) sinc ethey mostly miss, even form 1-2 meters...

and, if teh risk gets there: keep your rackethead before your face. i saved me many times..even scored a point or 5...

does anyone know where to get edgar david's googles from?

does anyone know where to get edgar david's googles from?

lol Togey.. You want the excat same one? Honestly... The googles for Edgar Davids' is pretty big and think..I think you should choose some better looking googles.. BUT. Davids still looks wicked / gangsta in those shades :D:D:D:D

This question remind me of one experience I had encounter, when I was playing in Toronto ( I think it was keele (sp?) community center ).

this guy show up out of nowhere, wearing a glove and googles, that was the goofiest thing I had seen in my life...

Please !!!!, DO NOT WEAR GOOGLES and GLOVEs,
It's been hard enoght to shake of the image of Badminton being backyard sport, adding some of goofiness to this game would make it almost an impossible task to introduce the game to mainstream America.

This question remind me of one experience I had encounter, when I was playing in Toronto ( I think it was keele (sp?) community center ).

this guy show up out of nowhere, wearing a glove and googles, that was the goofiest thing I had seen in my life...

Please !!!!, DO NOT WEAR GOOGLES and GLOVEs,
It's been hard enoght to shake of the image of Badminton being backyard sport, adding some of goofiness to this game would make it almost an impossible task to introduce the game to mainstream America.

i was at a tournament yesterday where a girl was wearing squash goggles to play. it was highly ammusing for us:p .

i was at a tournament yesterday where a was wearing squash goggles to play. it was highly ammusing for us:p .

you mean that in the pink shirt? it did look a bit ridiculous. But remember that Shon Seung Mo got hit in the eye as a junior and now only has 1/3 of his vision in his left eye.:eek: :eek: :eek:

you mean that in the pink shirt? it did look a bit ridiculous. But remember that Shon Seung Mo got hit in the eye as a junior and now only has 1/3 of his vision in his left eye.:eek: :eek: :eek:

I also got hit in the eye last summer. It was in a double, and I was standing at the net, so was my opponent, who smashed it right into my left eye. I was very very lucky. Nothing happened!
But from then on I decided never to play without eyeprotection. Some might find it funny or stupid even, but they will eventually learn one day :) not that I wish it to somebody.

Use eyewear that meets ASTM F803 impact resistance standards. Eye injury is no laughing matter. All it takes is one unlucky shot.

@shoebox,

Any particular make (like Oakley) you suggest?

@shoebox,

Any particular make (like Oakley) you suggest?

I use RecSpecs, fitted with my prescription. Their web site is at: http://www.libertyoptical.com/products_main.asp .

I wear a pair of Oakley M-Frames when i play. I use the the Sweep Clear style of lenses because it's the only style that can fit well with asians (due to our high and protruding cheekbones)

The lens are replaceable/detachable so I also use them out doors with dark lenses for bright days or orange lens for overcast or dark places.

they fit well and i never get the feeling that they will slip off.

Absolutely. I wear Black Knight Lynx. I've been hit before (complete accident at net) and was truly lucky. I've also hit other players, including men, who were fortunately already wearing glasses.

Quite honestly, the ruling for juniors is definitely sound, just like the implementation of face masks in hockey, helmets in baseball, jocks in soccer. I've played these other sports at competitive levels before the equipment requirements without any recourse (I still have all my teeth from hockey too!) but who in this day and age would even consider not wearing the equipment now? While it's less likely you'll be hit by the bird in the eye in singles play, you just never know. Stuff happens. As for doubles play, your time is coming.....

Regardless of your age or skill, can you honestly say that you can afford to sacrifice your eyesight?

I speak quite passionately about this because I do know a highly ranked Ontario player who was recently hit in the eye during a mixed doubles tournament. Fortunately she did not require corrective surgery, but imagine not being able to move, work or lift anything, including her 18 mo son, for 2 weeks. All this while wondering if your eyesight will ever return.

Eye injuries are so serious - not just with the inital blow/tear/bleeding but also with the inflammation and increased pressure on your eye that comes afterwards. You may have been able to shake it off quickly at that moment to finish the game, but when you wake up the next day not being able to see....Ask anyone who has had to have eye surgery (tear repairs) and had to lay still for days with your head on a "donut". Hopefully, you'll see.......always.

I remember one of my friends once got shot in the eye by his partner in a double match. He looked back to see what his mate was doing, and got a full shot into his eye!! Doctor gave him a needle in his eye ... fortunately it turned out well in the end.
Be careful!

I remember one of my friends once got shot in the eye by his partner in a double match. He looked back to see what his mate was doing, and got a full shot into his eye!! Doctor gave him a needle in his eye ... fortunately it turned out well in the end.
Be careful!

sounds nasty!! i don't think i would like a needle in my eye.

i once hit my EX-doubles partner in the eye (we were knocking up). i picked of a loose net shot and it was obvious it hit him above the eye (he even had a red mark there). he dived on the floor screaming complaining he couldn't see anything, i didn't know what to do so i just told him to go and wash it out with some water. this is what really annoyed me; he filled up a basin and sneakily put some soap in it. he submerged his face and opened his eyes under-water. this caused it to look as if he had been hit their beacuse his eyes went really bloodshot. our coach had to ring his mum up to come and pick him up, he even went to hospital:eek: (the doctor said there was nothing wrong :p )

NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL AN AMATEUR DRAMATIC!!

I've been reading this thread, because I'm now shopping for some form of eye protection ... for myself, and for my sons.

In December 2004, my left eye was struck by a badminton bird. I was playing doubles with a left-handed player. I turned left to take a backhand shot, and missed. My partner -- not someone I've played with more than once or twice -- was left-handed. He must have been standing almost right behind me. He hid the bird with an underhand stroke, and the bird flew directly into my left eye.

I was on the floor immediately in pain. I was given ice for the eye. I was wearing a hard contact lens, that I didn't remove, because I needed to be able to drive home.

The coach -- this is a community club -- said that he blames my partner's coach on training him improperly. (I'm in my late 40s, and he was probably late 30s, so this would be going back decades!) The first rule in badminton should be safety, and this player should have let the shot go. The coach later pointed out his playing style to me. This player is not only aggressive in picking up shots that his doubles partners miss, but also looks back when playing in the front court. This suggests a lack of trust in his partner, which is somewhat understandable because partners are picked up ad hoc in this club. It is not excusable, however, to be playing at such an aggressive level that it risks the health of others. (At my age, I'm an intermediate player with no hopes of ever making the Olympics!) By turning around and looking back, he is placing himself at risk of getting hit by an errant shot.

The initial eye exams didn't turn up much, but in the first half of 2005, I had five contact lens prescription changes, until my optometrist said to give up and wear glasses. This was okay until about November 2005 -- almost a year later -- when I figured out that I couldn't see well enough to drive or do customer faciitation work. (I'm a consultant).

From November 2005 to February 2006, it took time to get an optometrist appointment. (I've blogged about wait times in Ontario (http://daviding.com/blog/index.php/archive/wait-times-in-ontario/), but that's after you get an appointment!) Finally, in mid-May 2006, I had the cataract surgery (http://daviding.com/blog/index.php/archive/2020-vision-in-my-left-eye/). I'm still officially on recovery time, but hope to get back to badminton in the next few weeks.

So, when I'm back on the court, I'm not sure whether I'll be wearing glasses -- I'm 20/20 in my left eye, and about -6 in my right eye -- or donning an eye guard while wearing a hard contact lens in my right eye. With one injury already, it would be really stupid for me to get hit again. (It wasn't my fault, per se, it's part of the game).

Since my sons also play badminton, the coach has underlined to me that regulations in Ontario require junior to wear eye protection when playing doubles. This doesn't apply to singles players, just doubles.

oh, one more thing, my coach told us this: when playing doubles, <b>never</b> turn around and look at what your partner is doing. you will never know if he would be hitting a erronous drive and hit your right in the face/eye. my coach was in some national team once and see one person got hit that way.

Ahem, I can testify to that, I got an eyeful of shuttlecock a while back, smashed thru my glasses and the plastic shard cut my eyelid; I count myself lucky, it could have been much much worse..

Ahem, I can testify to that, I got an eyeful of shuttlecock a while back, smashed thru my glasses and the plastic shard cut my eyelid; I count myself lucky, it could have been much much worse..
ya, a friend of a friend of mine got the bird right in his eye. he looked back and his partner hit a drive and ithit him right in the eye. It ripped his iris (im preatty sure thats the part of the eye it ripped) and he couldnt do sports for a month.

hi there, i just got hit by a shuttle directly on my eyeball, and didn't have
time to closed my eyes. it's my left eye. i was slightly bleeding.this happen
to me on 26 april this year. my partner who hit me quickly rush me to hospital. as for now i m still recovering day by day but very slow. i m
just worried i may not get back my full vision. i bought a sports google, but
get irritated when you perspire and the sweat get into your eyes it's
painful. with the googles actually feel uncomfortable and the vision is not
so clear. i've decided to order one to my request, and also one for my son
too.every day i've to put eye drop to get the swelling internally to go down.
i've started playing, but when high shots i have problem hitting it most of
the time, my timing is out. this is real frustrating.3 weeks later at the club
i m playing another guy got hit by a racket and broke his lens, the splinsters
cut his eye lid and luckily didn't cut his corneas. he is one lucky fellow.
his vision is not affected.i will keep you guys inform when i have my vision back. this is to gauge how long we get back our vision after a serious injury.


cheers









I've been reading this thread, because I'm now shopping for some form of eye protection ... for myself, and for my sons.

In December 2004, my left eye was struck by a badminton bird. I was playing doubles with a left-handed player. I turned left to take a backhand shot, and missed. My partner -- not someone I've played with more than once or twice -- was left-handed. He must have been standing almost right behind me. He hid the bird with an underhand stroke, and the bird flew directly into my left eye.

I was on the floor immediately in pain. I was given ice for the eye. I was wearing a hard contact lens, that I didn't remove, because I needed to be able to drive home.

The coach -- this is a community club -- said that he blames my partner's coach on training him improperly. (I'm in my late 40s, and he was probably late 30s, so this would be going back decades!) The first rule in badminton should be safety, and this player should have let the shot go. The coach later pointed out his playing style to me. This player is not only aggressive in picking up shots that his doubles partners miss, but also looks back when playing in the front court. This suggests a lack of trust in his partner, which is somewhat understandable because partners are picked up ad hoc in this club. It is not excusable, however, to be playing at such an aggressive level that it risks the health of others. (At my age, I'm an intermediate player with no hopes of ever making the Olympics!) By turning around and looking back, he is placing himself at risk of getting hit by an errant shot.

The initial eye exams didn't turn up much, but in the first half of 2005, I had five contact lens prescription changes, until my optometrist said to give up and wear glasses. This was okay until about November 2005 -- almost a year later -- when I figured out that I couldn't see well enough to drive or do customer faciitation work. (I'm a consultant).

From November 2005 to February 2006, it took time to get an optometrist appointment. (I've blogged about wait times in Ontario (http://daviding.com/blog/index.php/archive/wait-times-in-ontario/), but that's after you get an appointment!) Finally, in mid-May 2006, I had the cataract surgery (http://daviding.com/blog/index.php/archive/2020-vision-in-my-left-eye/). I'm still officially on recovery time, but hope to get back to badminton in the next few weeks.

So, when I'm back on the court, I'm not sure whether I'll be wearing glasses -- I'm 20/20 in my left eye, and about -6 in my right eye -- or donning an eye guard while wearing a hard contact lens in my right eye. With one injury already, it would be really stupid for me to get hit again. (It wasn't my fault, per se, it's part of the game).

Since my sons also play badminton, the coach has underlined to me that regulations in Ontario require junior to wear eye protection when playing doubles. This doesn't apply to singles players, just doubles.

Hi! I'm an Ophthalmologist/Eye Surgeon who loves to play badminton. I play 4 to 5 times a week, about 2 to 3 hours per session.

Regarding the use of eye protection during play, it's all up to the player. It's right an accident may happen and you will never like the consequences as these would mean you stop playing while under rehabilitation. Many things can happen to the eye like internal bleeding which we call hyphema, traumatic cataract, and the worst of all is retinal detachment. The last condition can give you permanent partial vision lost depending on which area of the retina is detached. If ever you decided to wear an eye protection, any brand will do as long as the lens is made of polycarbonate and the frame has no sharp or protruding appendages especially at the nose bridge. If you don't want to wear one, trust your partner and don't look at him/her. And, always look at the shuttle if it's coming from your opponent. If ever your partner or you hit a loose shot to the midcourt of your opponent that is smashable, don't ever attempt to retrieve the shuttle. Let go and just get your point back in the next play.

Hope this information could be of help. Play safe and happy smashing.

OK, when I started wearing it at my badminton club people made comments, but I'm too old (and wise) to worry. I am an ex-squash player and we used these for that game.

I hit my partner in the eye with a squash ball and he was wearing goggles. Even though he had protection, his eye filled with blood and he was in great pain when taking him to the emergency room. Fortunately, he didn't lose his sight. There was a lot of anxiety around this event for all concerned.

When I started to play badminton I used goggles, but these steamed up. Also I got hit in the nose with the racket and that did some internal damage. But the I-Mask protects the nose too.

The first badminton player who came up to me wanting an I-Mask was a doctor. Several other people (mostly women because they are less stupid than us men) want one in my new club. You can get them on Amazon via squashgear.com.

$60 is much cheaper than losing an eye.

http://www.amazon.com/i-MASK-IMY-protective-eyewear/dp/B000JCA5PO

http://www.squashgear.com/ipreyewe.html

Squashtalk sells them cheaper but I cannot recommend that company. I may be wrong, but I think I ordered from them once and had bad service.

I actually enjoy wearing mine. It gives me confidence. But that is just icing on the cake.

as of now,im lucky enough that my eye is not yet hit by a bird hehe,,so i dont have plan to use protection for my face..just knee support for now.hehehe

Ive been hit a couple of times in or about the eyes, whilst it smarts at the time no lasting damage is done.

Worst is if your partner flat drives late and you just happen to be looking round (I know you shouldn't but perhaps your looking for a line call?) Ive seen one guy hit like that straight in the eye like this, took him a couple of weeks before he played again.

As of 2008, all Ontario tournaments basically require you to wear goggles. I believe last year someone got hurt severly when they got hit in the eye by a birdie. Pretty annoying rule, but now everyone has to use eye protection, ASTM F803 standards and above. Check OFSAA website for more information, I personally have a pair from Head, but havent found a way to wear them yet. I wear goggles, and despise contact lenses.

I use eye protection ONLY for school because it is required. I personally find it quite annoying and think the chances of getting hit in the eye are slim to none, and if u do get it, you have some slow reaction.

eye wear is only mandatory for OBA players under 19 and high school players.

does anyone know where to get badminton goggles for people with glasses? like the ones that u can have ur glasses inside and the goggles over them?

I personally hate the goggle rule, since its really annoying when they fog up during a rally

does anyone know where to get badminton goggles for people with glasses? like the ones that u can have ur glasses inside and the goggles over them?

I personally hate the goggle rule, since its really annoying when they fog up during a rally
I got these Z Leader brand goggles from sportchek. They were $25 i think, there really good, they've never fogged up before. Won't even fog if I breath right into the lens.

do they fit over glasses? I use the schools Z Leader goggles, we nicknamed them the PSP case goggles xD

They probably don't, they are like sun glasses with clear lense

get contacts! and these sports goggles are designed not to fog up. i have black knight ones and at the top of the lens there are breather holes for the moister to air out.

ugh, sometimes i hate having glasses, and i cant hit with contacts since my hand eye coordination gets screwed up