9.1.8 the flight of the shuttle shall be upwards from the server's raclet... Okie, this probably sounds perfectly logical till... I thought about Yao Ming playing badminton. I know it's a funny thought, but what happens if the server's waist happens to be above the net (5ft). Would this mean that they have to server is lower then optimal so that the bird flies at a greater then 0 degrees to the parallel.
I think so. The rule is designed so that serve is a defensive shot (shuttle shall be going upwards). Being tall can be an advantage in badminton, but it should not be to the point that you can start serving by smashing. Imagine that badminton allows overhead serving like tennis. Every serve can be a smash. Would you want to receive serving like this instead of current rule? I wouldn't. It makes badminton less playable.
To have a waist at 5', the player must be around 10' tall. No one is that tall... This rule is redundant, IMO, when there is already a rule about serving below the waist.
I've heard from a reliable source that this is actually being considered as a possibility to make the game more 'exciting'. It's exciting enough, thank you very much.
Well, your waist is not exactly at the bodies half point since the naval (which is lower then the first rib) is 5/8 of a persons height. Now add in shoes, standing on toes and somebody who is 7 ft tall could essentially serve at 0 degrees, which is perfectly posible.
Think if Yao Ming plays badminton. When he stands at the service and line and extend his arms out to serve. The racquet and shuttle will be at the net. How in the hell are you going to attack that serve, but it's a gurantee that he'll get a perfect serve over every single time he serves.