Improvers’ sessions
Our Improvers’ club nights and courses are perfect for you if you’re over the age of 16 and:
- Have played badminton socially and want to get into playing more regularly,
- Want to work on your technique, shots, positioning, movement and stamina, or
- Want to improve your game before joining a competitive club.
We expect all players to abide by the Badminton England player Code of Conduct, and our safety rules.
Jump to: Improvers’ Club Nights | Improvers’ Course | Location – Ravelin Sports Centre
Improvers’ club nights
Generally we run weekly club nights for improvers, on Fridays, 7-9pm, at Ravelin Sports Centre.
These are designed to give a flavour of how club nights work, at a more accessible level for newer or less experienced club players.
Club nights consist of back-to-back doubles games, overseen by a trained Southsea Badminton Club volunteer.
Places for these go live on our Eventbrite page 2 weeks before the date.
Club Night FAQs
How do I book?
You can either:
- Buy 10x sessions for £60 by purchasing Club Event Vouchers, or
- Book individual sessions for £7 each on Eventbrite
If it’s your first time joining these improver sessions, you’ll need to fill out an online registration form. The link to register will be sent to you after booking – please check your confirmation email carefully.
What do I need to bring with me?
Bring yourself, a racket, sports clothes (including indoor sports shoes) and a bottle of water. We do not rent or lend rackets to players.
We provide feather shuttles, so you don’t need to bring any.
What if I can’t make a session I’ve booked?
Refunds are available up until one day before the club session, minus Eventbrite’s booking fees. We can’t issue refunds after this point.
To request an automatic refund on your order, please open your booking confirmation email. Under ‘Order Summary’, select ‘View and manage your order online’. From there you’ll be able to request a refund on your ticket.
What if the club night is fully booked?
If club night is fully booked, you can be added to a waitlist which will automatically release places if others cancel and they become available.
Click to book tickets as usual, and if no more are available, you’ll have the option of joining the waitlist.
You’ll receive an email if a place becomes available for the club night you requested, and you’re next in the queue. You’ll have 6 hours to claim it before it passes to the next person in the list.
We strongly recommend that you keep a close eye on your email inbox – for example by setting up notifications on your phone – to avoid disappointment.
Improvers’ Course
Our structured course gives you the chance to learn the badminton basics with an expert coach.
Each week includes one hour of coaching on developing shots, mastering movement around the court, or honing your tactics. You’ll then have the chance to put what you’ve learnt into practice with an hour of games led by the coach.
Our Improver Course for Autumn/Winter 2023 is currently sold out – sign up below to be notified of future courses and club nights.
Improvers’ Course FAQs
What do I need to bring with me?
Bring yourself, a racket, sports clothes (including indoor sports shoes) and a bottle of water. We do not rent or lend rackets to players.
We provide feather shuttles, so you don’t need to bring any.
What will the course involve?
One hour of expert coaching
A Badminton England Level 2 coach will lead demonstrations and drills of badminton basics, shots and movement.
One hour of social badminton games
Directed by the coach, this is an opportunity to practise what you’ve learned, and play against other players.
How do I book?
Booking a place on the 6-week course costs £48 per person, and payment will be taken in advance via SumUp.
If it’s your first time joining these improver sessions, you’ll need to fill out an online registration form. The link to register will be sent to you after booking – please check your confirmation email carefully.
Do I need to book for the whole course?
Ideally, yes. Ours is a 6-week course of improver sessions, and you will be buying your attendance for these 6 weeks as a whole. Each week will cover a different technique or topic so its beneficial to attend the course in its entirety to improve your overall game.
However, any sessions with available spaces will be publicised 1 week before the session on Eventbrite, where individual tickets can be bought.
What if I can’t make a session on the course?
Refunds are available up until one day before the club session, minus Eventbrite’s booking fees. We can’t issue refunds after this point.
To request an automatic refund on your order, please open your booking confirmation email. Under ‘Order Summary’, select ‘View and manage your order online’. From there you’ll be able to request a refund on your ticket.
What if the course is fully booked?
If the course sells out and there continues to be demand, we may consider running further courses in the future – please sign up to our mailing list, or keep an eye out on our Facebook page and website for information about these.
Improver sessions location
Improvers’ sessions and home matches | Ravelin Sports Centre
Our improvers’ sessions and league home matches are on Fridays, 7.00pm – 9.00pm
Ravelin Sports Centre (University of Portsmouth), Cambridge Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2SE.
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Finding the hall at Ravelin Sports Centre
Enter Ravelin Sports Centre through the revolving door and walk ahead past the Starbucks coffee shop.
Go up the staircase next to the climbing wall, and turn right. Head into the left door and walk along the sports hall to courts 1-4.
Our events may be running alongside other SBC events (such as club nights, coaching and matches) or other public bookings, so please check your booking information to ensure that you are on the correct courts.
There’s plenty of bike parking outside, and parking is free on surrounding streets after 6pm.