Since I am just beginning the “journey” of badminton I decided I should keep a tally of how much it is costing me.
I’ll start in the month of October because that’s when things got serious. Before October the only thing I’ve really paid for was some sports clothes, a few shirts and leggings. But actually I bought them originally for Ultimate Frisbee and all the hiking and other activities I do. Not specifically or exclusively for badminton. Also, my racket was a gift, so that was free too.
OCTOBER
Equipment:
I went a bit crazy, buying some new bags, pants, shirts and shoes for badminton. I do almost all my sports shopping at Decathalon, a French company. They have giant stores, good quality and cheap prices. Also, my friend works for them so I get a discount.
My swag
I got my first pair of badminton shoes (149rmb or $23), 1 pair of leggings, one pair or track-style pants, one long sleeve sport shirt, one short sleeve one, three pairs of socks, 1 pair of shorts, 3 wrist sweat bands and 2 racket bags.
Total cost: 670rmb ($105)
Class:
I also had 2.5 badminton classes. One week we only had 30 minutes because the court we normally use was closed and the other one was booked. I actually ended up paying for the entire hour though because my teacher gives me a lot of extra time so I don’t want to be stingy.
Total cost: 450rmb ($70)
Court Time:
Playing with my group costs money, usually between 18 and 22rmb per night. I’ll average 20 per time, and I played twice a week the entire month.
Total cost: 160rmb ($25)
Total for October: 1280rmb ($200)
Grand Total: 1280rmb ($200)
I guess I’m a bit surprised. Maybe it seems cheap to you guys from other countries but I only make abut $1000 a month, so that’s a sizable chunk. Although this is a lot cheaper than some of my other hobbies, so it’s worth it.
Badminton is not a cheap sports, unfortunately. It looks like court time is even more expensive here in Shanghai, and mostly, there’s all the shuttles (they get used so quickly and good shuttles are soooo expensive) and the strings that needs to be changed regularly…
And of course, there’s the shoes, racket, all type of gear, etc. Fortunately, I have a generous family, and my racket was a gift too (a pretty expensive one too).
Yeah, my group and I play at the “cheap” courts which is located on the 4th floor of an old warehouse and our birdies sometimes go through the holes in the net. But only 50 kuai per court per hour. Luckily I work at a university and every week they have free and open time to the badminton courts for teachers only. That’s where me and my teacher practice. so while he is expensive, at least court time is free!
It is true that Badminton isn’t cheap. But it’s definitely cheaper than other sports, i.e. golf.
On regular basis, you will need to pay for the court rentals, drop-in fees and/or membership fees (if any). Other sports such as squash and tennis also have somewhat similar cost structures. Judging by your location, it is reasonably cheaper to play Badminton in China (Asia) than other continents.
That said, the investment you put in, such as Badminton racket, bag, shoes & clothing; those are like one time thing. So it is not like you are going to buy or replace them again, at least not in the short to mid term. Of all the equipment needed for Badminton, perhaps the most important item would be a good pair of indoor shoes. Contrary to popular beliefs, they always go for super fancy rackets (“hey, look at my new racket, it is X brand which is used by X in recent X competition”). But in reality, serious injury could happen if they have poor indoor shoes but not rackets.
I agree. I actually try to buy new shoes on a regular schedule (every 8 months or so) not because I love wasting money but because I am worried about slipping or turning my ankle. So whenever I see a bit of wear on my shoes I buy new ones. I’m also very careful to never wear them outside so they don’t get worn down easier.