Developmental trends for badminton game play across skill levels: An exploratory study

The purpose of this study was to describe developmental trends for badminton game play across skill levels. Eighty students (40 boys and 40 girls) from 16 high schools in South Carolina were randomly selected to participate in the study. The performances of the students were part of the data base of the South Carolina Physical Education Assessment Program (SCPEAP). The teachers from the 16 high schools videotaped student performance in badminton, scored the performance of the students on a 0--3 scale with the rubric developed by SCPEAP, and submitted the videotapes to SCPEAP as evidence of student competence in badminton. An attempt was made to obtain ten boys and girls for each of the four skill levels. An observational instrument was designed to analyze skill performance across the four skill levels. Both content validity and objectivity of the instrument were examined. Developmental trends in both skill execution and tactics application were identified. Results revealed that students at Level 1 had difficulty making contact with the shuttle and placing a shuttle into the legal service area. Students at this level largely used less effective strokes. Tactically, students were able to place a shuttle two or three steps away from their opponents and rarely returned to homebase. Students at Level 2 started to use the short serve and increased the use of the clear. A return to homebase was most evident at this level. Students at Level 3 increased to use the long serve, clear, and drive. Students at Level 3 continued to increase the level at which they returned to homebase. Students at Level 4 increased the use of drive serve, but primarily used the developmental serve. Level 4 students continued their progress in the use of all types of effective strokes. Slow but steady progress toward a return to homebase, the use of forceful strokes, and placing the shuttle away from opponents occurred.