Online courses have really taken off in the last years, with people being able to learn very different skills through the Internet. Badminton courses have always lagged behind, until now.
In this post, we are going to explain everything you need to know about Badminton Famly+ and have a good look at whether you can improve your badminton level with it.
What is Badminton Famly+?
Badminton Famly+ is an online platform that aims to inspire and develop players and coaches from all around the world with its online badminton e-learning platform.
Their online platform contains training programs, tactical lessons, video tutorials, and even a podcast. The lessons are divided up by experience level as well to help you progress through the programs. The site is also formatted for mobile devices so you can use your smart device on the court to access the lessons.
Who is behind Badminton Famly+?
Badminton Family+ is brought to you by Thomas Laybourn, a badminton world champion and professional coach, and Philip Orbaek, also a professional coach. They have both lived and loved badminton for their entire lives and take the badminton online learning to new heights. They are joined by Bjarne Nielsen, a mental coach, and Mike Rasmussen, a physical trainer.
With all four dedicated badminton enthusiasts working together to bring you the best of the sport, they have made a great effort to break down the game so it is easy and fun to learn.
They are sponsored by Yonex, which also demonstrates how outstanding this group is.
How does Badminton Famly+ work?
The site works by breaking down the game into easy to learn programs and lessons for everyone from beginners to advanced players. They go through all aspects of the sport and how you can improve mentally, physically, and through technique.
Each lesson has videos explaining the technique that is being explained as well as examples and videos of the technique in play.
What are the different pricing options?
For individuals, there are two pricing options: Annually and by month. The annual membership is better priced, but you can always start for one month and then see if you like it.
To sign up for a monthly membership, click this link.
To sign up for a yearly membership, click this link.
If you are looking to enroll an entire club, the prices are broken up into three sections:
- Club light membership or up to 5 coaches and/or players
- Club basic membership for up to 10 coaches and/or players
- Club premium membership for up to 25 coaches and/or players
The club memberships are great for those clubs that do not have an experienced coach and would like some help in getting their players to a higher level.
Can I cancel any time I want?
Yes, canceling is easy if you decide to do so, you only need to go to your account settings where you can change your plan or cancel your subscription.
How can I access Badminton Famly+?
You can access the site on any computer or mobile device with internet. When you sign up with the site you will add your email and password so you can log in wherever you have an internet connection.
One of the major benefits is that the site is tailored for mobile devices so you can access it while on the court if you have a wi-fi connection or data plan that lets you access the internet.
This is extremely beneficial because you will want to use it when you are on the court. Therefore, it is important that the platform is optimized for mobile because, most likely, you will not bring your computer to the court.
The video lessons are in HD and the sound quality is great. You will be able to put your phone on a chair while you practiced the lesson and start and stop the lesson as you need.
How is the course structured?
The course is divided in the following parts:
- Training programs
- Tactical lessons
- Physical
- Mental courses
- Video tutorials
- TV podcasts
Within each part, there is usually a division between beginner, intermediate, and advanced players. This way, you can easily know if that video is right for you.
Training programs
The training programs cover specific areas of the games that you can practice and improve. There are training programs in areas as varied as footwork, specific shots, overall consistency, and much more.
Apart from the division between beginner, intermediate or advanced players, there is also a ‘Train at Home’ section which helps if you don’t have access to a court.
We like that the videos play within the web page. Lots of times you will see the video pop up in a new tab or on your computer’s video player but this way you can play it right from the page or go full screen if you want.
Each video has a button that lets you add it to your favorites or to your specific training plan which is very convenient. All of the programs start you off with a warmup routine before the actual training, which is then follow up with a stretch routine at the end, so all the bases are covered.
This is different from many instructional videos that only give you the meat and potatoes of the content with no additional segments.
The video lessons are very detailed as well. Everything from body position to different camera angles makes sure you can get the full effect of the lesson. This is something you don’t see a lot of in tutorial videos.
The first video goes through a summary of what you will be working on and the reasons for each technique, followed by demonstrations and positions for each as well. They are broken up into categories: shots, deception shots, footwork, singles, doubles mini-games, biomechanics, warm-up, stretching, trick shots, and gear.
Tactical lessons
This section gets more in-depth and goes further into badminton tactics to help you win. Again, I like that this page is divided up into beginner, intermediate and advanced which quickly helps with navigating through the site.
These are all a little more advanced than the regular lessons and gives you good tips for improving your game.
In these lessons, you have several videos where the coaches explain the topics and give suggestions and ways to maximize your skill level.
Physical
The physical section gives you easy exercises that you can do at home that will help strengthen the muscles that you need to play badminton. This is a great addition to the other videos and not something every site will have.
This part follows a similar structure like the training programs, with warm up, main exercises and stretching.
Mental courses
There are also mental courses that show you how to take control, focus, and prepare for a competitive game. This part of the course is divided into six main categories, preparation, focus, visualize, control, motivation, and confidence. I think this is a great addition to the site since it is not all about physical technique, it shows that there is a mental aspect to the game and helps you strengthen it.
Each course within the mental courses will help you improve something specific and in the description the coaches let you know which of the six main categories the specific course will help you most with.
While there are not yet too many of these lessons, they are continuously adding new content so you are sure that you will keep having things to learn in the future.
Video tutorials
In this section, you can select a specific item you would like to improve (such as shots, footwork or trick shots) and you will be shown all the videos related to that specific skill. Very useful if you are feeling like focusing on a specific skill for you or your club.
Video podcasts
The last main part of the course is the video podcasts. In there, the coaches take you through user Q&As along with the two coaches discussing a wide variety of badminton topics. The two have a good rapport and the podcasts are entertaining as well as educational.
There is also a section of articles which is home to a number of different topics from how to eat healthy to finding the right size grip. Many of the articles are quick reads and full of good content and don’t take a lot of time to go through.
Is it customizable?
The programs are customizable by the ability to favorite the videos and lessons that you want as well as being able to add lessons to your own training plan.
You can pick and choose what topics you want to learn or get better at and make them into a training plan of your own which is very convenient. You can make each plan specific to what you are trying to achieve and name and save that program within your site profile.
For example, you could add several beginner videos and lessons into one program. Once you are in the badminton court, you will be able to access those lessons very easily and practice it from your phone.
What will it help me with?
Badminton Famly+ will help you with all aspects of improving your badminton game no matter your currently level of expertise. There are courses on everything from exercising muscle groups used for badminton to the advanced techniques used in mixed doubles.
The way the site is structured it is easy to find exactly what you are looking to improve on or learn. It will educate you in multiple facets of the game like footwork and swing arc and will do it in a way that makes it fun.
Does it work?
Yes. You need to put your own part, but the lessons are of high quality and they come from very knowledgeable coaches. No matter if you are a beginner or an advanced player, you will find something for you there.
There is so much more to the sport than most people think, and they show you in these programs. For beginners, just the portion on different hand and body positions will be enlightening as you can see the game is much more than just standing and hitting the shuttlecock over the net.
After trying several of the lessons and following the video tutorials, a beginner will be able to put more power into the swing just by technique alone.
For advanced players, the tactical lessons will be of great benefit, but you will also find something useful in the training programs. No matter what your level is, you will benefit from joining this platform.
Who is Badminton Famly+ best for?
Badminton Famly+ works for everyone from individual players to advanced clubs. Everyone can benefit from the courses and instruction the site brings you.
If you are just beginning your journey into the world of badminton or have been at it for years, this site will benefit you no matter what. It is also great for families looking to take up the sport as a group past time and aren’t even sure about the basics.
What’s included in Badminton Famly+?
The site includes the lessons and programs, which are the heart of the operation as well as video tutorials, video podcasts and mental and physical lessons. The technique programs and video tutorials are the most effective and probably what most people are looking for in a site like this.
They offer great content and the extras like the video podcasts are fantastic as well. The content is updated at least once per week so there is a constant flow of new material and tips. You get access to all of the articles and content history as well.
Pros
Inexpensive
The site is relatively inexpensive whether paying the monthly fee or annually for the content that you get from it. There are so many lessons on the site that make it worthwhile and definitely worth the small fee.
If you compare the price to the cost of renting a court or to the price of the shuttles or a racket, getting a world champion advice to improve your game at this price is a bargain.
Great lessons
The lessons are extremely user friendly and give multiple camera angles to make it the next best thing to having a personal coach. The amount of content the site has is fantastic and the lessons and programs are very easily customizable to each individual.
Good mobile device format
The site looks good on mobile devices and is easy to navigate, which is not always the case with desktop sites. Sometimes you will get distorted images or text on the mobile version of a site but Badminton Famly+ gets it right.
Favorites/ program buttons
The site makes it easy to add lessons to your favorites or to a self-managed program which is very convenient, especially when using the service out on the court. Being able to go back and practice what I had learned earlier by going to the saved videos was quick and easy.
New content
Content is uploaded regularly- usually once or twice a week, so there is a steady flow of badminton information to keep users occupied whether it is new articles or updated lessons or videos.
Cons
Lessons cannot be downloaded to play offline
You aren’t able to download the lessons to your smart device and take with you, so if you are using it outside of a wi-fi connection you will get data charges from your wireless company.
With much of the content being videos in high quality, this could eat up a lot of your data plan. This could be an issue for some.
Is it worth it?
Definitely yes. The price is extremely cheap for what you are actually getting. There is a ton of resources that have been created from a Badminton World Champion, so you have a big amount of content and of high quality.
No matter if you are a individual just starting or a club that plays local competitions, you will find this course extremely valuable. Just looking at the breakdown of pros and cons you can see that the site has great value and is well worth the price of admission.
Conclusion
Overall impression of the site is that it is definitely worth the content you get from it and would be extremely beneficial for coaches and students in amateur or professional leagues.
The lessons are far superior to other type of instructional videos we have seen on the internet and use easy to understand language.
Making the programs customizable is also a great feature that makes this site worth it as you don’t have follow their exact program if you don’t want to.
If you are looking to learn badminton from the start or are a seasoned vet that wants to up your game this site is a great investment to help get you there. They supply the knowledge and tactics, you supply the work.