Physical Education RACKET SPORTS 3 ESO

BADMINTON

1.- INTRODUCTION TO BADMINTON

1.1.- THE CONCEPT

1.2.- BRIEF HISTORY OF BADMINTON
1.3.- EQUIPMENT & COURT

2.- BADMINTON RULES

2.1.- THE SERVICE

2.2.- PLAYING RULES
2.3.- SCORING and WINNING A GAME

3.- THE TECNIQUE AND TACTICS IN BADMINTON

3.1.- THE GRIP, BASIC POSITION & DISPLACEMENTS

3.2.- THE SERVICE
3.3.- BASIC SHOTS

REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY

 DOMINGO, J. (2005). Bádminton. Conocer el deporte. Madrid: Tutor.

 HERNÁNDEZ, M. (1989). Iniciación al bádminton. Madrid: Gymnos.

 TEE, D. (2016). Be best in the game. Master the techniques. England: Masterbadminton.com. Retrieved from:
https://www.masterbadminton.com

 YANG CHEN XIANG (1994). Bádminton. Técnica asiática. Huesca: Gráficas Alos.

 YAP, C. (2012). Badminton Drop Shots. Malaysia: BadmintonLife.com. Retrieved from:

http://www.badminton-information.com/badminton_drop_shots.html
Physical Education RACKET SPORTS 3 ESO

BADMINTON

1.- INTRODUCTION TO BADMINTON

1.1.- THE CONCEPT

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who
take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court divided by a net. Players score points by striking a
shuttlecock (or birdie) with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the
court. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. A rally ends once the shuttlecock
has struck the floor.

1.2.- BRIEF HISTORY OF BADMINTON

There are two different versions of this sport origins: One

of them says that it could be a modern version of the
primitive Chinese game called Ti Jian Zi.
The other suitable origin, states that it comes from an
Indian game called Poona originated in Greece, and that
officers of the British Army (since India was a British
colony) brought it to Europe in the 19th Century known as
Battledore.
This sport was definitely launched in 1873 by the Duke of
Beaufort, in his property called Badminton House, in
Gloucestershire (England). For this reason it was finally
named Badminton.
In 1893, the Badminton Association of England published
the first collection of laws. The first badminton
competition was held in 1899. The International
Badminton Federation (IBF) was stablished in 1934.
It arrived in Spain through Galicia in the 1960s, and in
1977 the first association of Badminton was created. Then
it expanded throughout Spain thanks to Hernández
Vázquez, (brothers and teachers of INEF in Madrid).
After appearing on several occasions as a sport of exhibition, Badminton was
accepted as an Olympic sport in 1992, Barcelona Olympic Games.
Some Asian countries and Denmark have been dominating International
Badminton Ranking, China being the most dominating in recent times.
Nevertheless, in the last years the maximum feminine representation is
Carolina Marín from Spain, since she has been twice consecutive World
Champion and has been Nº1 of the World-wide Ranking, being also the
current Olympic Champion.
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1.- INTRODUCTION TO BADMINTON

1.3.- EQUIPMENT & COURT

The Racket: stringed racket (similar to a tennis racket but with a smaller head).
Modern badminton rackets are light in weight (80-90gr.). The frame of the racket
can be made of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber or a combination of some of these.

The shuttlecock is made up of a feather-like material surrounding the top, creating

a cone shape and is held together by a half round ball at the bottom, of cork or
rubber.

The Court: The court is rectangular and

divided into halves by a net (1,55m high).
Courts are usually marked for both singles
and doubles play.
 Singles court measurements = 5,18m Wide x 13,40m Long.
 Doubles court measurements = 6,10m Wide x 13,40m Long.

2.- BADMINTON RULES

2.1.- THE SERVICE

Service rules:
 The racket head must be below your waist when serving.
 The path of the racket must swing upwards.
 The path of the shuttle must be going upwards until it reaches the net.
 There’s only one serve per player each time.
 In the service, the shuttlecock should land farther from the short
service line.
Singles’ service position: Players serve from the appropriate service
court: left if their score is odd, and right if it is even. They must serve
diagonally, if the serve is made from the left service court, the birdie
should go to the left receiver’s court.
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2.- BADMINTON RULES

Doubles’ service position:

 The service passes consecutively to the players as shown in the
figures on the right.
 When the server score is even, the service is made from the right
service court. When it is odd, the server serves from the left court.
 If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and
the same server serves again from the alternate service court.
 If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point.
The receiving side becomes the new serving side.
 Players do not change their respective service courts until they win
a point when their side is serving. In all other cases, at the moment
of the service, the players continue to stay in their respective service
court from where they played the previous rally. This guarantees an DOUBLES’ ORDER OF SERVING
According the letters assigned
alternate server.
above, the order of serving will
always be: ADBC-ADBC-ADBC…
2.2.- PLAYING RULES
The individual who is serving will
also stand in (or move to) the
 Objective: As mentioned at the beginning of the present notes, the appropriate court (odd or even)
objective of the game is to hit the shuttlecock over a net without depending on their own score.
permitting it to land on the floor in bounds on your side of the court.
The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce on the floor. Whoever wins
a rally, earns a point and serves to start the next point.
 In and out: The lines belong to the playing court, therefore if the
birdie lands on a line, it will be considered inside of bounds.
 If the shuttlecock touches anyone or anything out of bounds, it will
be considered out, including the ceiling.
 Contact: There’s only one chance to get it over the net. If a player or
team hit it twice, it is a foul. It is a foul if the shuttlecock is coming
your direction and is hits you on your head, arm, leg, shirt,… only
your racket can touch it. A shuttle may not come to rest or be carried
on the racket.
 Net fouls: You and your racket are not allowed to go over or touch
the net when the shuttle is in play.

2.3.- SCORING and WINNING A MATCH

 Scoring in badminton: A point is scored when you successfully hit the

shuttlecock over the net and land it in your opponent’s court before they
hit it. A point can also be gained when your opponent hits the shuttlecock
into either the net or outside the parameters.
 Scoring system: Badminton is played under a 3x21 rally-point scoring
system. In other words, a match consists of the best of 3 games of 21
points, therefore winning the overall match will require you to win 2 out
of the 3 games played.
• Every time there is a serve – there is a point scored.
• The side winning a rally adds a point to its score.
• At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead first, wins that game
• The side winning a game serves first in the next game.
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BADMINTON

3.- THE TECNIQUE AND TACTICS IN BADMINTON

3.1.- THE GRIP, BASIC STANCE & MOVEMENTS

3.1.1.- The grip.
We can find different ways to hold the badminton racket, but we will explain
just two of them.
 Basic or forehand grip: Use this grip to hit shuttles that are on the
forehand side of your body and around your head.
 Place your hand on the handle as if you are shaking hands with it.
 Your racket face must be perpendicular to the floor.
 There must be a V shape in between your thumb and your index finger.
 Backhand grip: Use this grip to hit shots that are on the backhand side of
your body.
 Hold the racket as in the forehand grip.
 Turn the racket to one side and place your thumb against the back part
of the handle for greater control and power. So you should now press
your thumb on the wider surface of the badminton grip.
 Relax your index finger and move it closer to your middle finger.
 The backhand grip will look like you’re doing a ‘thumbs up’.
3.1.2.- The basic stance.
It’s usually called the ready position because it helps you get ready for the next
shot, so you should adopt before your opponent hits the shuttlecock. This
position is effective for covering all four corners of the court.
 You should acquire a wide stance: your feet a little more than shoulder-
width apart.
 Your center of gravity should be lowered a little, with your knees
slightly bent. Your weight should be shifted forwards a little, so that you
are on the balls of your toes.
 Your non-dominant foot should be slightly ahead of your dominant foot.
 Your racket should be held up in front of your body, leaning slightly
forward.
 Don’t forget that you have two arms! Although your non-dominant arm
does not hit the shuttlecock, it affects your balance a great deal. Your
non-dominant arm should be used to balance your dominant side. In the
ready position, this generally means holding it in front of your body.

3.1.3.- Movements in Badminton.

Badminton is a fast game; you have little time to respond after each shot. A
second’s delay often turns a winning situation into a losing one. Then you
should pay attention to the following issues:
 Center of the court: Always remember your base (starting point) will be at
the red dot in the middle. The arrows indicates the possible movements
around the court. Every time you move away from your base to hit the
shuttle, you must quickly return to your base to prepare yourself for your
opponent’s shot.
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3.- THE TECNIQUE AND TACTICS IN BADMINTON

 Badminton footwork: It is the most fundamental skill that you need to possess in order to successfully play this
sport. Playing badminton is all about speed. The shuttlecock can move extremely fast and you have little time to
respond after each shot, so you must move faster than the shuttlecock to be able to hit it. A second’s delay often
turns a winning situation into a losing one.
• Footwork requirements: In badminton, you need efficient moving in all directions: forwards, backwards,
sideways, and diagonally. Speed and agility enable you to move around the badminton court swiftly and
return every shuttlecock. Body balance is equally important. If you do not have good body balance, you won’t
be able to develop a good shot and you’ll lose time trying to stabilize yourself or return to your base.
• Footwork and placement: you should assume the ready position in the center of the mid-court area. In
addition, with a good footwork, you always will reach and hit the shuttle. After all hitting, you have to come
back to the center of the mid-court area.
 For frontcourt shots take ONLY 2-3 steps to the front of the court. take a small step first followed by a bigger
step, extending your racket leg to reach the shuttle. The bigger step performed is known as a lunge. The
timing of the shot will be improved if the landing of your racket leg is simultaneous with the shot.
 For midcourt shots stretch ONLY 1 step towards the sides of the court. Extend your racket leg to reach the
shuttle.
 For backcourt shots take ONLY 2-3 steps when moving to the back of the court. Rotate your hips and
shoulder and move back far enough so that your body is behind the falling shuttle.
3.2.- THE SERVICE
The serve is the technical move with which the shuttlecock is put in play. Depending on the position of the racquet,
the serve is taken as a forehand shot (with the palm of the hand facing the same direction the shuttlecock will
travel) or as a backhand stroke.
Depending on the trajectory of the shuttlecock, they may be long service
or short service. In singles, high serves are often used to make the
opponent move away from the net and make their returns less powerful. In
doubles, on the other hand, there is a predominance of short serves. In the
short serve, the trajectory of the shuttlecock has to be as flat as possible.
 Forehand service technique:
 Hold the head of the shuttlecock with its head facing
downwards so that the shuttlecock will drop straight down.
 Stand sideways (the side of your body facing the net) and
relax your racquet arm (arm that is holding the racquet).
 Let go of the shuttlecock and swing your racquet arm
upwards. As you do this, twist your waist to the extent that
your body faces the net. Flick your wrist upwards, towards
the direction you want the shuttle to land.
 Your back leg should lift up naturally (toes touching the
ground).
 Backhand or “flick” service technique:
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3.- THE TECNIQUE AND TACTICS IN BADMINTON

3.3.- BASIC SHOTS

When the shuttle flies towards a particular area around your body, you’ll need to use different strokes to hit the
shuttle. Almost every shot can be performed developing two techniques depending on the side of the hit relating to
your body: Forehand and backhand. The strokes in badminton can be classified into four different types according to
the areas around your body where you’re required to hit the shuttle, as shown in the picture.
 Main shots by trajectory:
1.- Lob
2.- (Hairpin) Net drop
3.- Drive
4.- Clear
5.- Drop
6.- Smash

3.3.1.- Lob.
The Lob is a defensive shot performed to get you out of trouble. In many instances, you’ll be under tremendous
pressure by your opponent. This happens when your opponent plays at a faster pace and is firing continuous attacks
on you and helps you to work yourself back into the rally.

Forehand Lob Shot Backhand Lob Shot

You should be placed behind the shuttle falling trajectory. Do not

grip your racket too tightly. This enables better wrist action. Lunge
forward with your Racket Leg. Take the shuttle when it’s in front of
you. A Common Mistake is to take it at the side of your body. As you
take the shuttle, Bend your knees, Bend your body, and Contract
your Abs. This will help add some explosive power into your shot.
Follow Through with your swing for a high quality shot.
-1- -2- -3-
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3.- THE TECNIQUE AND TACTICS IN BADMINTON

3.3.2.- Net drop shot.

Badminton shots along the net (known as “net shots”) are used to create opportunities and dominate the front of the court. It is a
very important skill to help you win badminton rallies. A good net shot can force your opponent to perform a high lift/clear, so
that you can play a winning smash. With an extremely good net shot, shuttle lands on the top of the net and then drops to the other
side.
Forehand Net Drop Shot Backhand Net Drop Shot

 Lunge forward to the net with your racket foot. As you’re

moving forward, raise your racket arm to around shoulder
height. Ideally, this is the height where you’re going to make
contact with the shuttle (1).
 Avoid holding your racket too tightly. Tilt your head slightly
towards the shoulder of your racket arm. This enables better
control of the racket (2).
 Make contact with the shuttle. Slice the shuttle to achieve the
tumbling effect (3). 1 2 3

Gentle Contact: Use minimum amount of strength, enough to send the shuttle to the other side of the court.
Gripping your Racket: Use the Forehand Grip when you’re playing the net shot on your forehand side. Use the Backhand Grip for
your backhand side. Hold your racket loosely. Use only the tips of your thumb, index, and middle finger to control the racket. The
last 2 fingers should rest gently on the racket grip to support the weight of the racket.
Slicing: To achieve the tumbling effect, you’ll need to slice the shuttle. The net shot is not a stroke, it’s a delicate skill, and all about
control, instead of power. Slicing is different from hitting. There are NO swinging motion or wrist action involved.
3.3.3.- Drive shot.
This is a shoot that crosses the net flatly in a horizontal trajectory. It can be played both on the forehand and backhand sides. The
drive is an attacking shot that is usually played from the sides of the court when the shuttle has fallen too low for it to be returned
with a smash. The shuttle shall be near your shoulder height to hit it. Badminton drive shot can be played diagonally crosscourt or
straight down the line. Your stroking motion is similar to a sidearm throwing motion. Footwork is important as you need to shuffle
or glide to your sides to make the shot. Lets know how to perform a Forehand Drive shot:
 Lead with your racket leg and side step towards the shuttle on your forehand.
 Lock your wrist and draw your racket arm back in a sidearm, backswing motion.
 Put your body weight on your racket leg as you swing your racket arm forward.
 Extend your racket arm, roll your forearm over, and contact the shuttle as your wrist
unlocks, to hit the shuttle in front of your racket foot at the highest point possible.
 Follow through naturally with your racket arm.

Forehand Drive Shot Stance position Backhand Drive Shot

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3.- THE TECNIQUE AND TACTICS IN BADMINTON

3.3.4.- Clear shot.

A high defensive clear prevents your opponent from smashing from a good angle. A good
defensive clear should send the shuttle right to your opponent’s baseline. Your opponent is
forced to take the shuttle at point X (image on the right side), near the baseline, and won’t
have a good angle for a smash from so far.
 Turn your body and stand sideways to the net with your non-racket shoulder facing the net.
Shift your weight on to your rear foot. Bend your elbow backwards and under your hand.
Lock your wrist preparing to swing forward. Raise your non-racket hand and point at the
shuttle to improve timing and balance (1). Clear Shot
 Contact the shuttle as high as possible (X image on the
right side) 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 (2-3).
 Straighten your elbow as you hit the shuttle. Let your
wrist unlock with a whip action as you hit the shuttle.
The shuttle is hit with your racket face leaning slightly
backwards (3-4).
 Follow through with your racket and shift your weight 1 2 3 4
from your rear foot to your front foot (4).
3.3.5.- (Overhead-drop) Drop shot. A
Use the badminton drop shot to move your opponent to the frontcourt. It will create space in the backcourt for you to
exploit, with an element of surprise due to the action of your wrist. It is usually performed from a midcourt positioning,
and the shuttle travels horizontally to fall down steeply to land on the opponent forecourt or mid court. It is commonly
used to variate the pace of the game: The key is to hit the Drop when your opponent expects a Clear or a Smash, given
that all of them are developed from the same starting position: Racket up high, elbow down and backwards (A).
 Turn your body and stand sideways to the net with your non-racket shoulder
facing the net. Shift your weight on to your rear foot. Bend your elbow
backwards and under your hand. Lock your wrist preparing to swing
forward. Raise your non-racket hand and point at the shuttle to improve
timing and balance (1). The point of impact is above the racket shoulder.
 Straighten your elbow and slice or tap the shuttle as you hit it,
reducing the speed of the racket head. The angle of the racket
face will determine the direction of your shot (2-3).
 Follow through with your racket and shift your weight from your
rear foot to your front foot (4).
 The Badminton Drop requires you to perform a gentle and
complete arm swing. It is known to be a ‘soft shot’. This is why
many people make a huge mistake by simple ‘touching’ the
shuttle. 1 2 3 4
3.3.6.- Smash.
It is an offensive shot executed from the rear court, which travels downwards to your
opponent’s ground.
 You should move quickly towards the shuttle. Your body should face the side of the court.
Both your feet should also point sideways. Stand on a firm position. If you’re not on good
balance, your smash won’t be strong (1).
 Raise your Racket Arm and make sure you stretch it back
to ensure you perform a full arm swing. At the same time,
raise your Non-Racket Arm to help you maintain body
balance (2).
 At the highest point possible, hit the shuttle with a Full
Arm Swing with the racket over it. Stretch out your chest
to the widest extend possible and stretch out your Non-
Racket Arm (3).
 Then swing your racket forward while you contract your
abs. Shuffle your Racket Foot to the front. Follow through
with your racket and shift your weight from your rear 1 2 3 4
foot to your front foot (4).