Grip
To play Badminton effectively it is important to learn the correct grips needed to hit the variety of different strokes.
There are two main grips, the ‘Basic’ or ‘V’ Grip and the ‘Thumb’ Grip.
The ‘Basic’ or ‘V’ grip is used to play strokes where the shuttle is level with the player, on both the forehand and backhand sides. The thumb and first finger of the hand creates a “v” shape on the racket handle. The position of the bottom of the “v” is important and is shown in the illustrations below.
The ‘Thumb’ grip is used to play basic backhand strokes in front of the body. Examples include net shots, net lifts, net kills, backhand serves and backhand drives (when struck in front of the body). The thumb is “committed” to the back of the racket handle, with a slight gap between the hand and the racket handle.
BWF resources such as Shuttle Time has easy to follow lesson plans and videos demonstrating the two main grips and activities to support the coaching of these. Shuttle Time module 5 lessons 1 + 2 take you through the development of these grips with accompanying videos
Badminton is a racket sport that, to play most effectively, requires the teaching and learning of different hitting skills and techniques (strokes). There are key elements to the hitting skills that are essential in the development of this aspect of the game. Prior to learning any of the strokes there are skills areas that should be developed.
Prior to learning how to strike a shuttle, athletes need to acquire catching, throwing and striking skills.
This allows them to develop:
Effective tracking skills (watching an approaching object);
Hand-eye-foot co-ordination, allowing them to catch successfully;
Throwing skills, which underpin the hitting skills that are developed later;
Hitting skills with the hand.
Once basic sending and receiving skills have been established, the introduction of a racket means that children athletes have to learn to grip the racket correctly in a number of different situations. (reference on Grip section)
This section will introduce a wide range of strokes used in badminton.
For each stroke (and shot), there will be guidance on:
Where the shot is played from and to;
When the shot is used;
Why the shot is used;
What the stroke looks like;
How to practice it.
For each stroke the aim should be to:
Make sure athletes appreciate that stroke’s tactical usage;
Promote technical correctness;
Provide different levels of practice so athletes can succeed whatever their current playing level;
Provide practices that are fun and motivational.
Where - To follow the laws of the game, the shuttle must travel from one service box to the diagonally opposite service box. Backhand low serves pass close to the top of the net and land at the front of the diagonally opposite service box.
When - Used in doubles and sometime in singles at the start of each point.
Why - To restrict your opponent’s opportunity to attack. To create attacking opportunities for yourself.
What:
Practice lesson: Backhand Short Serve
Where - To follow the laws of the game, the shuttle must travel from one service box to the diagonally opposite service box. High serves travel to the rear of your opponent’s service box, dropping vertically. High serves also tend to be towards the centre of the court, which restricts the angles of return that can be struck by the receiver.
When - The forehand high serve is used in singles at the start of each point.
Why - As a variation (creating a different challenge to low serves). Forces player to look up more, so they can be less aware of the server’s position.
Practice lesson: Golf Game
Where - Net shots travel from forecourt to forecourt as close to top of the net as possible.
When – When you are in the forecourt and the shuttle has dropped below tape height (defensive/neutral area).
Why – To bring the opponent forwards, creating possible opportunities in the rear court. Trying to force the opponent to lift, in doing so creating an attacking opportunity.
Practice lesson: Introduction Net Shots - Backhand & Forehand Side
Where – Net lifts travel from the forecourt to the rearcourt. Attacking lifts travel just high enough to beat your opponent’s racket. Defensive lifts go higher.
When - When you are in the forecourt and the shuttle has dropped just below tape height when you strike it (into the neutral area) – creates opportunity for attacking lift. When you are in the forecourt and the shuttle has dropped well below tape height (into your defensive area) – a defensive lift may be necessary.
Why - Attacking lifts aim to get the shuttle in behind your opponent to force a weaker return. Higher defensive lifts push your opponent back and allow more time for the player playing the stroke to recover their position and balance.
Practice lesson: Backhand Lift
Practice lesson: Forehand Lift
Where – Backhand drives are flat shots that tend to travel from midcourt to midcourt or the rearcourt of your opponent.
When - Backhand drives tend to be used in neutral situations when the shuttle is neither high enough to attack downwards, nor low enough to use upwards defensive strokes. As well as on the backhand side, backhand drives are also used when the shuttle is directly in front of the body.
Why - Restrict the opponent’s opportunity to attack. Create an attacking opportunity for the player striking the drive by hitting into clear space in the opposite court or into the body of the opponent.
Practice lesson: Introducing Racket Speed
Where - Forehand drives are flat shots that tend to travel from midcourt to midcourt or rearcourt of your opponent.
When - Forehand drives tend to be used in neutral situations when the shuttle is neither high enough to attack downwards, nor low enough to use upwards defensive strokes.
Why - Restrict the opponent’s opportunity to attack. Create an attacking opportunity for the player striking the drive by hitting to space or into the body of the opponent.
Practice lesson: Flat Play
Where - Clears go from your rearcourt to the rearcourt of your opponent. Attacking clears travel at a height just out of reach of your opponent’s racket. More defensive clears are slightly higher.
When - Clears are used when we are in our attacking zone.
Why - Clears push your opponent back, creating space in the forecourt. Attacking clears aim to place the shuttle behind the opponent, creating pressure and potentially weaker returns. Defensive clears allow the person playing the stroke more time to recover their balance and court position.
Practice Lesson: Forehand Clear
Where - Dropshots go from your rearcourt to the forecourt of your opponent. Longer drops tend to land just beyond the short service line. Shorter dropshots land between the short service line and the net.
When - Dropshots are used when we are in the attacking zone.
Why - Make space in the rearcourt. Make our opponent off balance. Encourage our opponent to lift.
Practice lesson: Overhead Drop Shot
Where – Smashes go from your rearcourt to the midcourt of your opponent. Smashes can be struck into space, or into the body of the opponent.
When - We use smashes when hitting down from our attacking zone.
Why - A forehand smash is a shot used in an attempt to win the rally, or to force a very weak return.
Practice lesson: The Smash
Where - Backhand blocks off the body travel from the midcourt to the forecourt / midcourt of your opponent.
When - Backhand blocks are used when you are in defensive situations, returning a smash to the body. They are used mainly in doubles and less frequently in singles.
Why - Restrict the opponent’s opportunity to attack. Create an attacking opportunity by striking the block into space and forcing the opponent to hit their next shot upwards.
Practice lesson: Block Defence
There are different movements that can be used to move around the badminton court, these movement are:
LUNGE
These movements can be used across different areas of the court and through learning the movement cycle athletes will be able to move more efficiently across the court.
The movement cycle consists of 4 key elements -
• START, which happens in response to your opponent’s hit and allows you to move off towards the shuttle;
• APPROACH, which includes the methods you would then use to travel across the court towards the shuttle;
• HIT, or more precisely the movements your body performs as you hit;
• RECOVER, involving methods you would use to travel in a direction that anticipates your opponent’s reply.
In isolation these movements can be taught though warmups and fun games before building to the full movement cycle. Some of the movements are more complicated than others and may need more time to learn and develop depending on the ability of the individual.
Athletes who use a wheelchair to play badminton have an additional element to the movement cycle to move quickly and efficiently round the court. In this instance athletes need to ‘Stop’ their wheels after the stoke has been ‘Hit’. This element of the movement cycle is covered in the video below:
In the beginning the most important element is that athletes are enjoying badminton and technical movement cycle skills for athletes who use a wheelchair to play can be introduced once the player has a grasp of badminton basics.
Once basic skills have been learned, and athletes are able to construct and play a full rally using a variation of shots the next stage is to get them into Match Play. Match play is essential in giving athletes the opportunity to put their new skills to the test. This can be set up in a variety of ways, using the full court and competition rules or using the half court, this will depend on the level of the player and the outcomes of the match play. Athletes should learn how to do basic scoring in line with the rules of badminton and understand the dimensions of the full and half court.
Half Or Full Court Singles With Tactics
Setting up small competitions within the club environment will encourage healthy competition with less pressure. These can take the form of league or ladders, with athletes split into their ability levels.
Badminton, whether it is skills, singles, doubles, or team, utilize the same basic training
