Why are badminton smashes so fast?

The light shuttle leaves the racket at huge speed

Tai Tzu-ying Quiz: Deceptive Wrist Shots and Badminton Magic

This tai tzu-ying quiz flicks a shuttle in an unexpected direction. Play 10 interactive questions on the star from Taiwan who competes for Chinese Taipei, deceptive wrist shots, long spells as world No. 1, All England titles, Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020 against Chen Yufei, the speed of a smash and how badminton rallies are scored.

Start Tai Tzu-ying Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Team
Under which name does Tai compete internationally?
Style
What is Tai's playing style famous for?
Rank
Which ranking has Tai held for long spells?
Silver
Which Olympic medal did she win at Tokyo 2020?
Chen
Who beat Tai in the Tokyo final?
AllEng
Which famous tournament has Tai won multiple times?
Event
Which event does Tai play?
Smash
Why are badminton smashes so fast?
Rally
How are points scored in badminton?
Net
Where must the serve be hit from in badminton?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Under which name does Tai compete internationally?
Answer: Chinese Taipei
She is from Taiwan.
Q2: What is Tai's playing style famous for?
Answer: Deceptive wrist shots
She disguises direction.
Q3: Which ranking has Tai held for long spells?
Answer: World No. 1
One of the most consistent.
Q4: Which Olympic medal did she win at Tokyo 2020?
Answer: Silver
Her first Olympic medal.
Q5: Who beat Tai in the Tokyo final?
Answer: Chen Yufei
From China.
Q6: Which famous tournament has Tai won multiple times?
Answer: All England Open
A historic event in Birmingham.
Q7: Which event does Tai play?
Answer: Women's singles
A singles specialist.
Q8: Why are badminton smashes so fast?
Answer: The light shuttle leaves the racket at huge speed
Shuttles also slow quickly.
Q9: How are points scored in badminton?
Answer: Every rally wins a point
Rally scoring.
Q10: Where must the serve be hit from in badminton?
Answer: Below the waist
Under service rules.

Magic From the Wrist

Tai Tzu-ying, from Taiwan, competes internationally for Chinese Taipei and is admired for some of the most creative shots in badminton. Using deceptive wrist flicks, she disguises the direction of her shots until the last moment, wrong-footing opponents.

A women's singles specialist, Tai held the world No. 1 ranking for long spells and won the famous All England Open multiple times. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics she won silver, losing the final to China's Chen Yufei.

In badminton, every rally wins a point, and serves must be hit below the waist. Smashes leave the racket at astonishing speeds because the shuttle is so light, though it also slows quickly in the air, making touch shots like Tai's so effective.

What This Quiz Teaches

Sports fans will enjoy these questions.

Who Tai is
What makes her style unique
What she has won
Who beat her in Tokyo
How badminton works

Did You Know?

Fans study her shots on video.
Her net play is delicate.
She makes the game look effortless.
She is hugely popular in Taiwan.
Badminton is an Olympic sport since 1992.