Tournament warm-up before a match – this is how the pros do it

When you think of a badminton warm-up, many people think of a ten-minute easy run and a few stretches right before hitting the court. For the professionals, the reality is completely different. Here, preparations start several hours before the match and are not just about warming up the body, but about getting the mind, technique and physique ready to perform at the highest level.

Priming before battle

Up to six hours before a match, many players are already doing what is called priming in the weight room. It is a form of preparatory strength training, where the body is awakened through explosive movements with moderate weight and few repetitions. The goal is not to get tired, but to activate the muscles, get the blood circulation going and prepare the nervous system for the fast reactions that the game demands. This early effort gives the players a physical advantage later in the day, because the body is already tuned to perform. For players who have to take the field early in the morning, it simply means that they have to start the day even earlier to make room for both priming and the subsequent warm-up. It is part of the professional approach, where everything is planned in detail to ensure that they are ready in top shape from the first ball.

The start of the real warm-up 1 hour before

When there is about an hour until the match starts, the actual warm-up begins. Players typically start with mobility exercises and dynamic stretches, where the movements are fluid and the body is gradually made more flexible. Many use elastic bands to activate the shoulders and back, because it gives a stronger and more controlled feeling in the shots and at the same time prevents injuries. After that, most players go on the court and hit quietly to get precision and timing in place. Drop, clear and smash are performed at a calm pace, so that the shots land precisely, before the intensity gradually increases.

Intensifying the warm-up so you're fully prepared

After the technical part, the pace increases. There is more running, lunges and small jumps, and on the field they play with higher intensity, so that the body gets used to the explosive rhythm that awaits in the duels of the match. Five minutes before they are called in, they are fully warmed up and focused. At this point, it is no longer about building up the body, but about finding calm and maintaining concentration before the match starts.

It is not necessary for recreational players to follow the same extensive routine as the professionals, and certainly not for a regular training session. But you can still take something important from their approach. Many amateur players go straight onto the court and warm up, but this is far from optimal. If you instead spend about fifteen minutes warming up with some light running and dynamic stretching before you start playing, you will be much better prepared. This gives both a better start to the game and a much greater likelihood of avoiding injuries.