I tried searching all over the internet and all the history papers tell me is some british military decided to add a net to make it more competitive.
That's a tough one... don't know if you'll be able to find a definitive answer. Apparently there have been several badminton-type games around for several centuries & as far back as 2 thousand years. These early games include battledore and shuttlecock, jeu de volant, & poona. Originally, these games did not use a net at all. Sometime, in the mid-19th century (by the 1860s), the British miltary added a net to the game of Indian game of poona that they had adopted. By the late 1870s, formal rules were adopted (many of which are still in effect today). It is interesting to note that an hourglass-shaped court had been adopted in the latter part of the 19th century. It was not til 1901 that the rectangular court, as we know it, was adopted as the official court shape. The early predecessors to badminton were cooperative games rather than competitive in nature. I would imagine that most of the strokes were underhand rather than overhand strokes in those cooperation games. As the Bristish military made it more competitive in nature, I would think that players started using more aggressive overhand strokes. They felt that they needed some sort of barrier, a net, so that it was not too easy to hit winning shots. At some point, it was decided that 5 feet was an optimum height to make the game competitive, yet have decent rallies.
my badminton teacher wants to ask us rediculous questions like that for a test. He played around with us using that question and others. This one really doesnt have an answer (but he knows everything so of course it does have an answer). One class mate suggested the first player was 5 foot tall, but thats probably quite wrong. I did some internet searching and it seems lots of people are playing hacky sac with the badminton net. Well I cant hack worth a dime but I guess my badminton isnt too horrible (in a 3rd grade way). Probably my worst skill is that I can avoid flinching and closing my eyes when a shot is hit hard towards me. The kid I was practicing with, well I told him jokingly to hit it at my face cause I always close my eyes, and of course I do. Also I'd like some Irlen contacts (special contacts that are colored and help with visual disorders). anyways I always get yelled at for locking my knees and just standing there. Main goal in class is not to get yelled at, and it helps when the cute girl in class is there so he only helps her and non of the rest of us.
