Hey guys, so all my life I wanted to become a professional badminton player. I didn't start playing however till I was around 15, and then I only ever made it to an intermediate level. I am 19 now, and haven't played for a while. Is it too late to become a professional badminton player, I am willing to give whatever it takes.
As an international professional player, sorry to say but you missed the boat. All those pros have at least 5 or more years training before you. In Denmark, I was told they generally start taking it seriously around 15-16 years old. But that means they still have been playing for a number of years beforehand. As a good amateur player, that can still be achieved depending on your resources. I.e. how to pay for coaching or even finding a coach that can take you to that level (can you afford it?). A professional administrator, coach, sports physiologist are other possibilities.
Thanks for the answer. I wouldn't mind being a good amateur player either, money really isn't an issue, however I have no idea where to begin finding a good coach. My Great-uncle used to play for Malaysia back around 1970, however he resides in Penang, and I am in Melbourne.
Having a look through the Australia/NZ subforum gave me this: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php/122819-CCC-Badminton-CCC-Badminton-is-a-Coaching-Club Melbourne is regarded as the strongest badminton state in Australia. To be a pro, you need to search a bit harder for what you want. Here are some other helpful tips on being coached: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/bc/2014/02/18/do-i-need-badminton-coaching-is-it-effective-or-worthwhile/ But all in all, the biggest driver of improvement is one's own desire and perseverance when it seems that you hit a stagnant point.