If you are looking to set up your own badminton court, or even if you want to hire a contractor to do that for your backyard, it would be advisable to check out the following guide. The piece below gives in-depth information on how one can set up a badminton court in one’s own backyard.
Let’s start with the basics first.
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Why Build a Badminton Court in Your Backyard?
Watching pro players may intrigue you to play badminton as well and to try it out to see if you like the sport, you can try at home first.
Yes, the easier option is to book a badminton court and practice your badminton skills with a partner but there are times you are unable to do that.
Well, the reasons for that are more or less obvious.
For starters, you are a badminton fan obviously and you have enough space in your backyard to be able to do that.
Secondly, there are times you would like to practice badminton on your own, alone, and do not need a sparring partner per se, but just some open space.
You can practice at home too but what better than to have a ready-made court in your backyard to put in those hours of work on your game?
At times clubs nearby are closed and you do not want to travel too far. Then again there are extreme times like with what happened during the coronavirus pandemic when getting out was improbable and even tougher to do that socially with others.
Whatever your reason, if you can afford to set up your own badminton court, there’s nothing like the convenience it could bring to you.
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How to Build a Badminton Court in the Backyard?
Here’s a step by step guide on how to set up a badminton court right in your backyard.
Zero Down on Your Location
A badminton court’s dimensions are standardized to be 20ft by 44ft, thus you need to determine if your backyard is able to constitute this area. The total area required by the court would be 81.801 square meter.
Once you have decided where to set up the badminton court, you will have to make sure the ground is plain and not uneven to facilitate moving around easily during matches.
If the ground has grass, you should mow it neatly however, not too short. Remove any jagged areas on the ground e.g. rocks, stones and pebbles.
Keeping extra area around the actual dimensions of the badminton court is also very important as to not cause any discomfort for the people around you.
This is especially true if you wish to set up the court in your backyard where you will want to set up a high fence around the court so the birdie does not go to other’s property.
Create Boundaries/Lines
Mark the boundaries on the ground with some duct tape, paint or chalk (whatever fits the surface best). The boundaries can be made in the following order:
- Start with the outermost lines which are 20 ft by 44 ft wide.
- Make “Sidelines” within the outer lines, along the length of the court. These are drawn for singles play. If the birdie lands outside these sidelines, it becomes an invalid move.
- Make the “Front Service Lines” which are lines drawn horizontal to the net (should be done on both sides of the court)
- Now comes the “Back Service Lines” which are horizontal to the net as well.
- Divide both sides of the court in the middle from the outermost line till the front service line; this will act as a divider for players who are in doubles play matches.
After doing all these steps mentioned, your court measurements should look something like this:
For a little clarification, the Doubles Side lines i.e. the outermost line, is if you intend to play with 2 players on each side (a two-on-two match) while the singles lines are for one-on-one matches.
Set up the Badminton Net
One of the most crucial aspects of setting up a badminton court is setting up its net. That is where you will spend the most effort and money.
The equipment needed to set up a badminton net is as follows:
- Two Poles (Part of the Badminton Court Set)
- Net
To set up a badminton net you will need to set up poles on either side of the net first. Laying down the net on the ground first and then hooking the net to the poles on each side would be the simplest way to do it (check the latest badminton net price on Amazon here).
After the net and poles are attached, you will need to place the poles up straight and push them into the ground firmly.
Use the guy wire to add tension and stability to the pole by placing the guy wire’s stake from the pole’s hooks to the ground. Make sure to tighten the guy wires till the net is stretched completely and the poles are completely straight.
The net is supposed to be about 5 feet high from the center and 5.1 feet high from the edges i.e. the poles.
The poles are placed on the Doubles sidelines regardless of whether the match will be for a single play or doubles, which means you are looking at a minimum length of 20 feet of the net.
Mind the Light
One of the biggest advantages of having a badminton court in your backyard is you can practice any time of the day. This can easily be extended to practicing at night as well if you can afford to set up floodlights in your court.
For starters, ensure the court lights are natural and of the correct brightness. Knowing and using the right intensity of light is important so as to not cause strain for players trying to spot the shuttlecock.
According to LedLucky.net, the two kinds of light which can be used in a badminton court include led flood lights (check the prices on Amazon here) and linear high bay lights (check the prices on Amazon here).
The total light intensity spread evenly across the entire court should be around 450 lux.
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Costs Associated with Setting up Badminton Court
How much does it cost to set up a badminton court? Assuming you were already equipped with a plain and clear ground to set up the court with, the factors that would take up most costs are the badminton court mats, the badminton net along with its other complimentary items (poles and guy wires) and whatever you use as a means of creating the boundaries.
These badminton court mats that come ready with all the boundaries so you don’t have to measure and mark all the lines, which cost about $5000-$10,000 depending on the brand.
If you choose a branded net like Yonex, it would cost around $170; however, badminton nets are also available at much cheaper prices of about $60.
However, if you are looking to level your backyard for starters, then the cost would go up and you might have to get a contractor involved as well.