Footwork in Badminton

Assignment Week 1 by Marriannelle G. Baccay STEM11 Y1-6

SO, WHAT IS FOOTWORK IN BADMINTON?

- Footwork is a method of moving on the court.

- It consists of stepping, crossover, stride, dogtrot, and jumping.
- Each set of footwork is generally started from the center of the court. Badminton footwork is a
critical basic technology for playing the game.

FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN BADMINTON FOOTWORK

• The Basics of Footwork

-Base point

-Waiting position and split-step

-Body balance

• To be able to perform your footwork well, you must have the knowledge of the basics.

• The base point - is the position in the court where you always return after every shot. It
is where you have to wait before the opponent hits the shuttle back.

• Once you have learned about always returning to the base point, the next principle to
master is the waiting position and the split-step. The waiting position and the split-step
are the position and movement you do just before your opponent hits the shuttle.

• Body balance - is important because it allows you to reach the shuttle in a position
where you can still hit it comfortably. It also allows you to recover much faster to the
base point

• There are several tactics you can use in order to improve your footwork. These are the
ones I personally recommend:

-Practice, practice, practice

-Focus on the technique and not on the speed.

-Ask your coach or another player to check your movements.

-Record yourself while practicing.

-Do exercises that help you improve specific parts of the footwork.

IT IS ALL FUN AND LEARNING.

TYPES OF FOOTWORK IN BADMINTON

- just like any other sports, Badminton's footwork has a lot of types. In order to perform it all well,
we should have the knowledge about it first.

5 Types of Footwork in Badminton:

1.Basic Stance

in the basic position, you’ll be standing with your feet apart and parallel to each other. The distance
between your feet should be approximately the same as your shoulder width. Your feet should point
toward the net, and your body should be lowered with your knees slightly bent to increase stability. This
is the basic stance (a.k.a. as ready position), which will keep you prepared for all subsequent movements
and shots.

2. Split Step

This is a step that allows you to get in position and in balance to react for the next shot. It is a slight
hop, done with both feet, which, simultaneously, gets you into the basic stance.

3. Shuffle

A quick and efficient way to move around the court is by shuffling. It can be described as moving your
feet parallel to each other, side by side. This is great for quickly moving short distances while keeping
your body in balance.

4. Lunges

Lunges are quite useful when playing badminton, especially when trying to reach for shuttles that are
far and low. To make a lunge, you, basically, have to take a big step forward while bending your knee and
keeping you back somewhat straight. Remember that the front leg is held bent and the back leg has to
be kept straight while you hit the shuttle.

5. Recovering Back to the Center

The base is the center of the court from which you move frontward, backward or sideways. It is quite
important to come back to the base while playing badminton. Recovering back to the center of the court
can shorten the distances, as well as your reaction time for the next shot. This is particularly useful
because you don’t know where your opponent will place the next shot; it allows you to cover most of
the court.