Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some commonly asked questions and some good information to know.  

1.  Where can I get my racket restrung, or buy birdies? (Or get other badminton supplies)

    Thanks to the internet, you can now order stuff online and it will be delivered to your doorstep!  Unfortunately, you'll have to pay for shipping and wait for it to arrive.  However, a great site to order from is www.badmintonalley.com, it is a California (Sunnyvale/Milpitas) based badminton shop that sells pretty much everything you'd want for badminton.  :) 

    For a local (Baltimore/DC area) supplier, contact Ronny Choong, he is a part-time dealer in badminton supplies, including raackets, shuttles, shoes, clothes, etc.  Please let the club know if you are going because someone else might want to go/need something too.  You will need to call/contact him first to make an appointment:

Supreme Sports Supply, Inc.,

P.O. Box 855

Rockville, MD 20828

Tel: 301-924-4918

sssinc@compuserve.com

(Info from Ke Ruan, thx!)

 Also, there's Princeton Sport on Falls Road.  

6239 Falls Road - 410.828.1127 

www.princetonsports.com

Apparently, they will have only BG-65 string and will restring rackets for $35, or for $20 if you bring your own string.    

(Thanks Derek for the info)

2.  I don't have my own racket, can I borrow one?  

    You can borrow one from the rec center with your jcard.  They might not be super high uber master skillz quality, but they do the job ok.  :)

3.  What activities does JHU badminton hold?

    We are currently working on that aspect of our club.  We usually have A LOT of time to play/practice during the week, so there's very little excuses for not coming to play at all!  Last year we attended a tournament iwht UMCP and Howard University.  We hope to have more tournaments and/or socials, etc. next year!  Suggestions and help are welcome!

4.  Where does JHU Badminton Club Play?

    We play at JHU's Ralph S. O'Conner Recreation Center.  We post our schedule once it is finalized (check under pages), however sometiems teh gym is closed due to university events - please check http://www.jhu.edu/recreation under the Field/Facilities Schedule for details.  

5.  Can I still play if I'm not a JHU student/faculty/affiliated with JHU?  

    JHU Badminton is open to all Hopkins affiliated.  As far as we are concerned, anyone can come play with us.  However, if you are not affiliated with Hopkins, you may have difficulty attaining entry into the rec center.  You may need to buy a guest pass or membership.  Please see http://www.jhu.edu/recreation, you may need to contact the rec center for details.  

6.  How good at badminton do I have to be?

    We welcome players of all skill levels.  Our club does have quite a few highly skilled players, but if you are a beginner, feel free to come, play, and ask for pointers/tips.  

7.  Do I need to sign any papers or something?

    It used to be required that each participant sign a waiver, howeve,r now that we're a GRO group, apparently they're not worried about us suing them if we geat hurt.  

    In short: No.  

     However, PLEASE join our email list! (duh)

8.  Can someone explain how to play?

    If you come to practice, it's easy enough to just ask someone.  Most people there will be able to explain the rules to you.  Also, it should be easy enough to find the rules online if you want to know.  Maybe check out the links page. 

    Recently, (over summer 2006) the rules of badminton were changes (whatever international body that governs badminton all around the world did it), and currently new scoring rules are in place.  For directions on how the new rules work, please visit the page entitled "New Scoring Rules".  

    Note: People at practice tend to play by the old rules, but it'sgood to know both the old and new rules.