Noise at Badminton Matches

[Don]

I was watching some of the finals for the Sydney 2000 games and noticed that the noise level is quite loud (fans cheering, hooting, yelling etc..). I get really thrown off if there is outside noise as oppose to "badminton noise". I wonder if there is some sort of mental preparation these players go through to block out this noise.

[Cheung]

I feel it adds greatly to the overall atmosphere having been part of such an audience!

Peter Gade feels positive about it as well - he states this on his website.

I guess that players play so much and concentrate on the shuttle better so that they are able to block out extraneous noises.

[Yogi]

What do i say! Welocme to the party PAL! I think This is what Pumps u Up. I work better With a support cheering. That is why i perform better In a tournament than The so called Practise games!

[Mag]

It's actually common practise amongst top players to do "concentration matches", playing badminton with very loud music on, or having other players walking around the court etc etc.

[me]

There are players who do not like it too. Sigit Budiarto is one. He will always request by signalling to the crowd to quieten down especially before the serves are made, even if the fans are cheering for him.

[AS]

Before I comment on the noise can you tell me how you got to watch the Olympic Games video? The IBF are not releasing a video for it, so how can I get my hands on one.

Thanks

[AS]

Before I comment on the noise can you tell me how you got to watch the Olympic Games video? The IBF are not releasing a video for it, so how can I get my hands on one.

Thanks

[AS]

Just to comment on the noise level I just watched Emgland play India in Birmingham and the people were so quiet I could hear my heart beating, it was absolutely boring and the same goes for the All England aswell. People need to lighten up. When I used to play competitively in the past it worked as a massive boost for me and would make me push myself to places I didn't think I was capable of. So that's my opinion anyway.

[Cheung]

Totally agree with you...it makes the game boring not having the audience involved.
Music is one way of lightening things up. Having some vendors sell whistles, horns, flags at the venue is another potential.

Compare UK to some of the Asian matches when the crowd go "ooh', "ahh" with every impact. Sigh.

Maybe WC in 2003 will loosen people's inhibitions.

[Pecheur]

Don't you play at a club where:

1. There's heaps of people talking, yelling, swearing, and making funny noises on the next few courts?

2. Quite a few people on the sidelines doing as 1, but also occasionally ooing and ahhing (I once totally fluked a jumping, spinning, twisting backhand smash that hit my opponent on the chest and got applause from the entire gallery, problem was I pulled off a full 360 spin at the time and by the time I landed and got fully around, I missed seeing the shot, oh well).

3. Have other people waiting to use the court such as basketballers bouncing their balls really, really loudly, trying to annoy you.

4. Have inconsiderate people walk onto your court in transit to other places, even some friggin unthoughtful "fellow" badminton players :P

If you've gone through you career putting up with 1-4 then you shouldn't have much problem dealing with a crowd, if you haven't had 1-4, then I want to know where you play :P

[Cheung]

Sorry, I have never experienced no.2. - the 360 bit

[Mag]

Well, I both agree and I don't. I wouldn't like to see that badminton was like a soccer/icehockey/baseball (make your pick) match, with the crowd cheering all the time. As opposed to many other sports, badminton is a heavy concentration game, and the players have few breaks and "sit on the bench" to refocus. So, it may be fun for the audience, but I think it is disrespectful to cheer and make noise during the rallies. I advocate the behaviour of the tennis audience: cheer wildly, but silence when the ball is in play.

On the other hand, an audience who doesn't cheer even between the rallies sounds a bit too, er, well, ... too English perhaps?

[Yogi]

LOL! Neither Have i but then It is pretty Funny to hear someone Do it!

Man Did u ever play a Lot of basketball! I think u got into the Habit of Ni LOOk passes! I guess that is influencing ur shuttle Too much!

[Don]

I'll post the site up on Firiday where you can download full length and uncommentated videos of Sydney 2000. I have quarters, semis, and finals of ms,ws,md, and wd.

[marshall]

So if badminton players can concentrate with a crowd screaming, blowing horns, and beating drums, why can't tennis players? Is it perhaps because of the Chinese/Indonesian/Malaysian influence on one sport versus the English influence on the other?

If I were very wealthy I'd take a group of international tennis stars to a big badminton tournament just to see their reactions.

[Mag]

You're posting the URL here, I hope?

[cooler]

great ! It give me a reason and go out and buy a 160 GB HD. Bring them (mpeg) on.