SHUTTLECOCKS!

Badminton was a super fun sport to play when I was young and full of optimism for humanity. The summer and spring days of playing with "birdies" which is the same meaning to what a Shuttlecock is. Back in the Dinosaur era they were made with a weighted cork type thingy that had feathers attached to give it a nice aerodynamic twist and spin!

Some rackets and cocks were expensive but through the advent of cheap plastic made in far away places, all of us Yanks could use our little paddles to smash the birdies back and forth. They have a nice light and airy feel that takes hold when you bonk one into the air. The concept of this is also seen in other cultures such as China and other Eastern regions which ironically made most of the Badminton sets that were not of actual cork and feathers.

(When not doing maths this is what I totally love to do! Smack Shuttlecock's! barsports.com)

Badminton is classified as a racket sport like tennis and uses a rectangular court and is apparently a rather big deal in Asia. In America there are leagues but it is still mostly seen as a backyard barbeque and beer game to play for leisure vs. competition.

Hilarity and Sportsmanship ensue with Spanking apparently being a fun part of messing with your opponents! (giphy)

The origins again get mired in how modern day Badminton and SHUTTLECOCKS became Westernized. The general consensus is that the most familiar version started in India in the 1800's and was imported into Great Britain by the Military over there who saw people batting around "Birdies" a.k.a. "Shuttlecocks". It's gone on to become a global favorite due to the ease of use and rules and the general fun of seeing twirly and spinny things get smacked around.