The Skills in Badminton

The Fundamental skills

I. BADMINTON GRIPPING TECHNIQUES

The Grip - Grips are different ways of holding the racket. You need to get
comfortable using a wide range of grips, because badminton has so many different
shots and rally situations. There are 6 types of grip in Badminton. (forehand grip,
panhandle grip, thumb grip, backhand grip, neutral grip and bevel grip).

• One grip is not enough

• Change the grip in your fingers to make the strings point in the correct
direction
• Be flexible with your grip. The grips we teach are only reference points

• Forehand Grip - The forehand grip is mainly used for forehand overhead
shots. It’s an easy grip to learn, and also provides a useful reference point for
learning the other grips.

Mechanics:
• The grip is used to hit shots that are
on the backhand side of your body.
• Hold the racket as you would on a
forehand grip.
• Turn the racket anti-clockwise so that
the
V shape moves leftwards.
• Place your thumb against the back
bevel of the handle for greater
leverage and power.
• The racket handle shall also rest
loosely in your fingers.
Can try shortening your grip and place it nearer to the shaft to increase control
and accuracy
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• Panhandle Grip - The panhandle grip is

mainly used for forehand shots in front
of your body. That means it’s useful for
many forehands in the midcourt or at
the net, but not in the rear court.

Mechanics:
• Mostly used for forehands in front
of your body
• About a 90 degree turn from
a forehand grip
• The thumb should not go straight up the side of the handle (when hitting
a forehand.

• Thumb Grip - The thumb grip is like the backhand version of a panhandle
grip. It’s mainly used for backhands where the shuttle is in front of you. That
means it’s useful for many backhands in the midcourt or at the net, but not in
the rear court.

Mechanics:
• Mostly used for backhands in
front of your body
• About a 90 degree turn from
a forehand grip
• Thumb placed behind, on the
widest racket bevel
• Index finger should go lower, for
better leverage with the thumb.

• Backhand Grip - Often we need a less

extreme version of a thumb grip. I call
it a backhand grip, because that’s the
most common name. You could also call
it a partial or moderate thumb grip.

Mechanics:
• Using a forehand grip, rotate the hand
slightly so the thumb is along and
parallel to the wide side of the handle.
• The thumb should be pressing
comfortably against one of the wider
surface of the racquet grip while the rest
of the hand holds the racquet as if you’re
shaking a person’s hand.
• Push your thumb forward for backhand stokes.

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Neutral Grip - The neutral grip is mainly

used in between shots, as it helps you
NEUTRAL GRIP
change quickly to other grips. It can also
be used for hitting certain shots.

Mechanics:
• Mostly used in between shots, to
help you change grip quickly
• Like a forehand grip, but turned
slightly towards backhand
• Consider holding the racket slightly
more out in the finger tips than usual

• Bevel Grip - The bevel grip is mainly used for backhands in the rear court,
such as clears or drop shots.

Mechanics:
BEVEL GRIP
• Mostly used for hitting backhands in
the rearcourt
• Same angle as the neutral grip, but
with the thumb placed along the
diagonal bevel.

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II. Serving
Lots of information about the backhand low and flick serves, mainly from a doubles
perspective. Also some advice about other serves. There are four main types of serve
in badminton: low, high, flick, and drive.
• The different types of serve, and comparing their trajectories
• How often these serves are used in singles or doubles
• Options for serve angles: straight, wide, or at the receiver

LOW SERVE
Use this badminton serve if you want your opponent to lift the shuttle. It is
commonly used during doubles, but you can use it during singles too if your
opponent’s attack is too strong. You can use either forehand or backhand to play this
serve.

FOREHAND

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Mechanics:
• Stand two to three feet behind the short service line.
• Relax your body and bent your knees slightly.
• Lead with your non-racket leg and place your racket leg behind.
• Hold your shuttle by the feathers and bring it closer to meet the racket instead
of dropping it in front.
• Contact the shuttle at a higher point but still below your waist line.
Push the shuttle with the racket face and try to make the shuttle skim the tape of
the net. If you normally use high serve during singles, mix the low serve in
occasionally. You might be able to catch your opponent off-guard if you can execute
it well

Backhand Low Serve

• This series on the backhand low serve takes you through the technique, how
to fix common problems, and how to practise the serve.
• It’s hugely important to develop a good serve, because it’s the first shot of the
rally. You’re more likely to win the rally if you start it well.

Mechanics:
• What makes a good low serve
• Tactical benefits of serving straight to the T area
• Basic technique
• Stand in comfortable and balanced position with your non-racket hand in front.

• Lead with your racket leg and place your non-racket leg behind your feet
positioning towards your opponent.

• Carry out a short back swing then bring the racket forward.

• Hold the shuttle on the tip of the feathers in front of your waist level.

• Push the shuttle with the racket face and try to make the shuttle skim the tape
of the net.

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• You can try to shorten the grip for a better control of the racket.

• Beware of breaking the Service Rules.

Flick Serve
• This series on the backhand flick serve takes you through the technique, how
to fix common problems, and how to practise the serve.
• Use this badminton serve when you are under pressure from a rushing
opponent. It is rather useful tool during doubles. However, you might be left
exposed if your opponent anticipated it. So, use it sparingly and keep your
opponent guessing.
• You can use either your forehand or backhand to perform this serve. Give the
impression that you are going to push the shuttle as in the low serve, but
instead use your wrist to flick the shuttle over. Wrist action is the key to
executing this serve well.

High Serve
• The high serve sends the shuttle very high, so that it falls almost straight down
and lands at the back of the service court. The purpose of this serve is to limit
your opponent’s ability to play an attacking shot
• Use this badminton serve during singles play to move your opponent as far
back in court as possible, thus opening up his court. Be more cautious if you
use this serve during doubles.

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• Opponents with strong attacking abilities will work this serve to your
disadvantage.

Mechanics:
• played with a forehand underarm action.
• Stand two to three feet behind the short service line.
• Relax your body and bent your knees slightly.
• Lead with your non-racket leg and place your racket leg behind.
• Bring your racket back to almost your shoulder level then swing it forward
following the rhythm of the stroke.
• Hold the shuttle by the feathers and let it drop slightly in front of you.
• Hit it with the flat face of your racket and follow through until your racket
reaches the non-racket side of your head.
1. High Single Serve
2. High Doubles Serve

Drive Serve
• The drive serve sends the shuttle fast and flat to the back of the service court.
The receiver has little time to react, so you are looking for surprise and a weak
response.

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Mechanics:
• What you’re trying to achieve: a surprise serve, and a weak response
• Basic technique
• Don’t break the service rules!
• Played with forehand underarm action.
• Stand in a comfortable and balanced position, a bit further from the service
line.
• Lead with your non-racket leg and place your racket leg behind.
• Place your racket a bit below the waist level and bring it back parallel to it.

• Swing the racket forward following through. Hold the shuttle by the feathers
and let it drop slightly sideways to your body.

• Hit the shuttle and let it pass the net at a flatter angle.

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III. Badminton Footwork

Footwork is a manner in which ones’ leg movements moves in various activities
in sports or dancing. Badminton footwork is one of the most important skills in
badminton. It is the easiest yet the hardest to master because it is unnatural for
people to move around the court using specific steps.

A. Base Point - The foundation of your footwork and where it all began.

The base point is what we call the

foundation or the anchor of our
play, because it is the position in
the court where we always
comeback after we made our
shots.

Most beginner’s mistakes while

playing is after they hit the shuttle
they stay in the place where they
hit the shuttle. As a result, they’ll
have a hard time to anticipate or move quickly to the next shots of their opponents.
This is one of the main mistakes that need to be corrected in order to perform good
footwork. As soon as you hit the shuttle, you should do your best to go all the way
back to the basepoint while the shuttle travels to the court of your opponent so that
when your opponent hits the shuttle, you are in the center of your court. As a result
of that, you are in the location where you can reach all the corners of the court with
the minimum travel required.

Therefore, the first principle of footwork is to always, always return to your

base point. In singles that will be the center of the court and in doubles the center
where you are covering.

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Waiting position and Split step - The 2nd principles and the key to a fast
reaction

The waiting position is the position where

you’re in the basepoint and you wait for the
next shot of your opponent. In this position
the player should keep their center of
gravity low by flexing their legs, meaning don’t wait
for the shuttle while standing but with your legs
slightly flexed.

One’s the opponent is about to hit the shuttle, the

player should do the Split Step. This is the critical
point because the split step will help the player to
react quickly. Split step is an action where you do a
little jump from your waiting position. Take note, that
don’t jump higher! The idea is to bring your center of
gravity a bit lower. Basically, you are jumping down.
In addition to that, your feet should not be flat on the
floor, but with the heels slightly raised, so that your
body weight is held by your toes. This is done in order
to allow for a faster movement reaction.

B. Body Position - Key to a good balance

Another important part of footwork is to keep a good

body balance so that you can hit the shuttle in a
consistent way and you can also recover to the base
point as fast as possible.

The key in having a good balance is the following:

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1. Keep your center of gravity low

2. Use your non-racket arm to balance your movements

3. Keep your trunk straight

C. Types of Badminton footwork

Footwork is subjective, what works for taller players might not work for the shorter
and what works for shorter players might won’t work for taller players.

Before we start getting into the details, it is important to clarify which positions we
will talk about. We will discuss the different options for the six main points of the
court. These are the four corners and the two sides, as below:

1. Forehand front corner

2. Backhand front corner

3. Forehand side

4. Backhand side

5. Forehand back-court corner

6. Backhand back-court corner

Now that all the points are listed it is time to talk about the different types of footwork

a. Running Steps

b. Chase Steps

c. Step - Leg jumps

RUNNING STEPS -

The running step is the most basic that’s been taught to the beginner because
of its natural movement of running. In order to do this the player starts in the 1.
ready position / waiting position, 2. Step the dominant foot to the direction of the
shuttle, 3. Then step the supporting foot, 4. Lastly, step the dominant foot and reach
the shuttle.

To go backward after getting the shuttle the player should 1. Step the dominant foot
backward to the position of basepoint, 2. Step the supporting foot backward, 3. Step
the dominant foot, 4. Waiting position.

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Chase Steps -

The chasse steps are slightly different and somehow feel a bit less natural to
a beginner. That is why sometimes they are taught later on. In order to move with
chasse steps, 1. you need to move both feet at the same time to the direction of the
shuttle, while bringing them closer in the air during the movement. 2. In your landing,
you will land with your non-racket leg back and your racket leg in front, 3. Reach the
shuttlecock. They need to be fairly apart, but with this type of movement, you will
not achieve the same extension that you do with the running steps.

To go backward the same movements shall be applied but the motion is backward.

Step - Leg Jumps

The step - leg jumps are used in certain situations, for example when wanting
to finish a point with a kill on the net. With this you could close your distance with
shuttle much easily. Although it is faster, it consumes a lot of stamina than chase
steps, and running steps. To do this the player must 1. Face the direction of the
shuttle, 2. Jump to the direction of shuttle, 3. Reach and hit the shuttle.

To go back the player must do the same thing by jumping back to the base point.

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IV. BADMINTON SHOTS

Like any sports, badminton also have a different types of shots to be used as
attack. By learning a lot of different shots could contribute for you to have more
options on your sleeves.

A. Clear Shots

This is sometimes called as Lob because of its upward / parabola motion.

Sometimes, you’ll be in tremendous pressure because you can’t keep up with pace,
or sometimes, your body is not in balance and you needed a shot to give you time to
regain it. Nevertheless, clear shot is used for the aforementioned above scenarios. It
can be used as offensive or defensive depends on how the player utilized it. A clear
keeps the shuttle in the air for quite a while. This gives you some extra time before
your opponent is able to hit it. Make use of this “extra” time to reorganize your
footwork and get back into position.

There are 3 types of clear shots

a. Overhead Clear

In this stroke, contact the shuttlecock around

the middle of your racket head. The aim of the
clear shot is to cause the shuttle to go up high
in the air and land at your opponent's
backcourt.

The clear shot is one of the easiest badminton

techniques; beginners should aim to master
the Defensive Clear Shot to play longer rallies
against your opponents..

Here are some pointers for playing overhead clear:

• Stand squarely to the net.
• Bend your upper body sideways to your non-racket side as your arms come
through.
• Shift your weight on to your rear foot.
• Bend your elbow and lock your wrist preparing to swing forward.
• Raise your non-racket hand and point at the shuttle to improve timing and
balance.
• Contact the shuttle as high as possible and in front of your body using a strong
throwing action as if you are going to throw your racket high and forward through
the air.
• Straighten your elbow as you hit the shuttle.
• Let your wrist unlock with a whip action as you hit the shuttle.

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• Follow through with your racket and shift your weight from your rear foot to your
front foot.
• Move back to your base position.

When doing an overhead clear you can use backhand and forehand as long as the
racket is in top of your head and create a parabolic motion to the shuttle.

b. Around the Head Clear

This is actually a forehand
overhead badminton clear played
at the non-racket side of your
body. Meaning instead of doing a
backhand overhead clear, you’re
actually using your forehand.
The techniques for hitting these
badminton clears are about the
same as the forehand overhead
clears with only some minor
adjustments.

Here are some pointers for playing

a forehand around the head clear.
• Stand squarely to the net.
• Bend your upper body sideways to your non-racket side as your arms come
through.
• Shift your weight to your non-racket leg.
• Bend your elbow and bring the racket behind your head.
• As you swing forward, your forearm will brush the top of your head before
straightening.
• Transfer your body weight rapidly as your non-racket leg pushes your body back
to your base position.

c. Underarm Clear
The underarm clear is usually played
from the front court area to your
opponent’s back court. Whether to play it
high and deep of a flatter, cross court
clear will depend on the situation at that
time and your opponent’s positioning on
court.

In any case, try to reach the shuttle as

early as possible so that you can have various shot options. The wrist action is crucial
element in creating a deception for your shots.

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Here are some pointers for the underarm clear:

• Adopt the forehand grip for a forehand underarm clear or the backhand grip for
a backhand underarm clear.
• Extend and put your racket up when you go for the shot.
• The point of impact shall be well out in front of you and as high as possible with
your racket leg leading in a lunge position.
• Swing your racket upwards as the shuttle drops in the hitting area.
• Unlock your wrist as you contact the shuttle producing a whip action.
• Follow through with your racket in the direction of the shuttle’s trajectory.
• Push with both legs and move back to your base position.

B. Drop Shot

The drop shot is best used when the

shuttle is heading towards you in
the first half of your court. To
perform this stroke, the player must
hit the shuttlecock downwards
towards the opponent's fore-court,
aiming for it to go just over the net.
There are two types of drop shots,
Fast Drop Shot: where the
shuttlecock travels down steeply
and lands further away from the net,
Slow Drop Shot: the shuttle does
not travel down steeply but lands nearer to the net.

When executing a drop shot, you

want to make it look like a drive, but
instead, you only use a little force to
push the shuttle over the net. This
shot is strategic to use when the
opponent is near to the backcourt,
anticipating your stroke to be a
clear or drive.

The closer the shuttle drops to the

net, the harder it is to return.
However, it also becomes riskier for
you as it may not cross the net and cost you the rally.

The main objective of the drop shot is to force your opponent out of his position or
the variate the pace of the game.

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C. Drive

The drive shot is a basic

flat shot, directly hit over the
net. It is a powerful, quick
counter-attacking shot that is
easy to execute. If the shot is
played correctly, it will force
your opponent to hit an upward
return, giving you opportunities
to counter-attack. It is widely
used in a Doubles Game as
players would like to keep the
shuttle low.

The Drive Shot can be played

both on the forehand or
backhand. To execute the shot,
your racket should be held with
the head facing straight ahead
locking your wrist as the shuttle
comes in contact with your
racket.

The aim is to deliver a flat and

fast drive to get the shuttle
behind your opponent causing them to make a weak return. Although sometimes it
can be strategic to aim the shot at your opponent who will be unable to react or shift
his body in time as their natural reaction will be to duck the shot.

D. Smash Shot

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The badminton smash

is considered the most
powerful shot in badminton
and is usually played on the
forehand. It is often difficult
to return because of the pace
and the downward angle of
the shot, think of it as a
downwards drive. It is best
used when the shuttle is high
in the air so that it can be angled downwards.

When the shuttle comes in from a high angle, it will allow you enough time to arch
and get in position to strike. At the highest point of contact, with a flick of the wrist
aim the shuttle downwards in a steep gradient.

You ideally want to aim for spots furthest from your opponent, but another tactic is
to aim it towards his upper torso, making it hard for him to defend.

To do the smash shot the

player should take note of the
following:

• Raise your non-racket

arm to aim for the shuttle
before you execute the
smash.

• When you extend your

arm to reach out for the
smash, make sure you fully utilise your thumb, wrist, forearm and shoulders.

• Hit the shuttlecock when it is at the highest point, this creates a steep angle
for your smash.

• Take a deep breath and exhale as you swing your racket forward. Remember
to follow through and complete the swing to give your smash more power.

Note: It is always important to disguise your shots so it will not become too easy for
your opponent to predict. For example, your offensive shots should look like either a
drive or a drop shot but the very last second you smash. This will make it hard for
your opponent to react.

Jump Smash

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This is a more powerful version of the badminton smash. It is also one of the hardest
badminton shots to perform.

To hit this shot, you will simply

need to jump and hit the smash
in mid air. This will:

• Create a steeper angle for

your smash
• Enable you to inject more
power into your smash

Make sure that your smash will

win you a rally point, or at least
force a very weak return from
your opponent.

In order to minimise your risks and ensure your smash works towards your
advantage, you should:
• Get behind the shuttle as early as possible so that you are able to hit the
shuttle when it is still high up. This allows you to smash the shuttle at a steep
angle.
• Maintain extremely good body balance before you smash.
• Make sure that your opponent is off-guard. This means that your opponent is
not ready to retrieve the smash.
If you do not satisfy the conditions above, hit the drop shot instead and wait for
another chance.
You’ll be taking unnecessary risks if you fire a smash without satisfying the conditions
above.
Without you knowing, you may be giving your opponent the chance to counter your
smash!

E. Net Shot

Net shots are any shots performed near the net it is used to create opportunities and
dominate the front of the court.

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Mechanics:
• Adopt the forehand grip for
forehand shots or the backhand grip
for backhand shots.
• Must keep the racket up in front
of your body.
• Lunge forward aggressively with
your racket leg.
• Extend the racket arm and keep
the racket high to ensure the shuttle is
hit as early as possible.
• The racket face shall be parallel to the floor and let the shuttle bounce off the
racket face.
• Your lunge movement and the parallel racket face will cause the shuttle to
tumble over the net.
• You can try to move the racket head slightly outwards to increase the tumbling
effect.
• Push back to your base position using both legs while ensuring your racket is
still up in front of your body.

There are times when you could

only reach the shuttle when it has
fallen close to the ground and near
the net. A successful net shot from
this difficult situation is called a
Hairpin Net Shot. It is so named
because the flight path of the
shuttle resembles and inverted
hairpin.

The techniques for hitting the

hairpin net shot are about the same
as a normal net shot. But because
it is hit the ground, you need to
slice or lift your racket a bit. Although it is a rather difficult shot to play, you will learn
it with practice.

2. Net Kill
Net kill is played when your opponent has
played a loose shot over the net,
providing an opening to strike the shuttle
down from the net area.

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The basic preparation and

movement for the net kill is the
same as the net shot. The only
difference is that you need to hold
the racket head high enough to take
the shuttle above the net level. The
key is to be quick to the net.

As this shot is played with a tap

action near the net. So make sure
when you play this shot, use your
wrist with little or no racket arm
movement. Once you make contact with the shuttle, let your racket rebound back to
ensure no follow through.

3. Net Lift
Net Lift is actually an underarm
clear played from around the net
area. Use this shot when you want to
move your opponent to the back
court or create more time for
yourself. It can be played straight
down the line or cross court. Hitting
it higher or flatter will depend on your
opponent’s positioning.

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A good way to deceive your opponent is to move forward and play a shot like the
net shot. Just before striking the shuttle, unlock your wrist and send the shuttle to
your opponent’s back court. Your
opponent will have a hard time if you
can disguise it well.

Here are some pointers for the Net

Lift/ Underarm Clear
• Adopt the forehand grip for
forehand net lift or the backhand grip
for backhand net lift.
• Extend and put your racket up
when you go for the shot.
• The point of impact shall be well
out in front of you and as high as
possible with your racket leg leading
in lunge position.
• Swing your racket upwards as
the shuttle drops in the hitting area.
• Unlock your wrist as you contact the shuttle, producing a whip action.
• Follow through with your racket in the direction of the shuttle’s trajectory,
• Push with both legs and move back to your base position.

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