The last time you played Badminton was probably at a backyard barbecue, but there is a group of New Yorkers who play the fast-paced game year round. NY1's Roger Clark filed the following report.

It's like tennis, with a smaller racquet, a volleyball type net and no balls— just birdies. Those who love the game say badminton is addictive.

"I can't stop, I'm going to be playing till the day I die," says player Yassine Alias.

"I don't remember how I started. It's just so awesome that once I did, that was it," says player Hubert Kostro.

These are some of the members of the ten year old New York City Badminton Club. Around 200 Shuttlers — as they are known in the Badminton world — range in levels from novice to world class players.

Some play competitively and this game is no joke. Some of the fastest recorded smashes are upwards of 200 miles per hour, that's one fast birdie.

Badminton is the second most popular sport in the world next to soccer. The members of the New York Badminton Club play at a higher level than you would, say, at a family picnic, but they still have a heck of a lot of fun doing it.

"It's social, you meet a lot of great people, but it's also really active. You have to be in shape, yeah, it's a good sweat," says player Kokoe Tanaka.

Maybe too much sweat. Club coach Chibing Wu put me through one of his torture, uh, practice drills. Wu is a former member of China's National Team, coached Spain's Olympic Team, and he helped coach the US Olympic Team. Yeah, he's good.

Since the club is co-ed, it has had it's share of matches of the romantic kind, you might call them love birdies.

"We have probably six pairs of couples that met through badminton," says Veronica Gao of the NYC Badminton Club.

But not everyone is interested in getting set up, unless it's for a smash.

"From what I understand six couples have developed through this club, are you looking for a love connection?" I asked Chris Clarke, one of the players.

"Not really, but it is very social, very social," he said.

Whatever your motives, if you want to give it a try check out the club's website at
www.nycbadminton.com.

And if you tend to sweat a lot, you might want to bring an extra t-shirt.

- Roger Clark