The Badminton Skills That Every Badminton Player Should Master
Badminton is a dynamic and very difficult game. If you think you only need to swing and hit the shuttlecock to win the opponent, think again. 🙂
So in this post, we are talking about a list of badminton skills that you need to learn and master in order to play well in badminton court.
Think of it like a checklist to master before you plan to join or win a competition.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Stance – The basic yet essential skill to win
Players mostly make the critical mistake here. You must place your non-racquet leg forward to hit the shuttlecock properly, and don’t forget to step forwards and remain a shoulder-width away from your racquet leg.
You must bend your knees, balancing the weight between both legs. Remember, if your knees are straight, you won’t be able to react explosively.
It means–a tactical player will literally kill you on the court. So look at the video below carefully.
Backhand – The cool skill that many players got it wrong
Maybe this is the most critical hit for every badminton beginner because players usually focus on their forehand and neglect this shot. Unfortunately, when you opponent uses his brain, he will insist on the attacks to your weaker side.
If you are a real fan of this sport, then you know Taufik Hidayat destroys his rivals with this shot.
It is something that should be learned ahead of forehand, especially in younger age, cause coaches don’t believe a small child will be known for “strong backhand”. Here is your chance to defeat better rivals–surprise their coaches!
Forehand – Master this and don’t give your opponent a chance
The first thing many coaches will teach you after the stance is forehand. Make sure you press the thumb against the handle of your racquet, wrapping the four fingers and the rest of your hand around it.
Here is a detailed tutorial on how to perform a perfect badminton forehand. And don’t expect too many points because this is a rally technique!
Serve – Get off to a good start means 50% successful
This is the trickiest part for the beginners as badminton doesn’t allow super strong smash serve. But if you are successful at this, you’ll be able to make a great tactic against your rival, and potentially open one side of the court.
To perform the underarm backhand serve, assume a ready stance putting your weaker leg forward. The whole procedure is explained in the tutorial below.
As you progress, you might learn advanced serves. When you master it, you’ll be the player who dominates from the beginning to the end of the match!
Smash – This could be your secret weapon technique
This element brings the highest rate of points. Badminton is mostly based around strong smashes and brutally precise defensive shots.
Badminton smash is a bit different, compared to the other sports. For example, in tennis or crossminton, you need to raise your weaker arm in the air and follow the ball.
In badminton, you have no time for such things, because the game is unbelievably fast. Work on your whipping movement and make sure your reaction time gets better and better every day.
As well as you see, there are three types of powerful smashes. But remember, you can be the best attacker in the world, if you defensive skills are bad, the opponent will use it to his advantage.
Agility / Footwork – Essential skill to win but easy to master
If you don’t boost those skills, you’ll be in big trouble. Good movement and an excellent level of agility will not let your opponent lead the rally.
You can hit the shuttlecock as hard as possible but if you cannot return the shot which goes to the corner, you are in a big problem. The opponent will take control, and you can only hope he’ll make a mistake.
But imagine you meet a precise and an endurable opponent. It leads to a disaster–he will dominate all the time, and the footwork and movement will make a difference, despite your performance might be equal.
Look at the list of exercises below carefully. Yes, it is used for crossminton, but it has a positive transfer to badminton players, so your performances will rock on the court.
Follow these exercises to boost your agility. You need a drill where you change direction very often, so any sport is acceptable if the distance between the two cones IS NOT BIGGER THAN 7 METERS!
To make the exercises more badminton oriented, please touch the cone. Not that hard, right?
Patience – Take the courage to wait
When the rally starts, think in advance, but too fast decisions will cost you too much. Don’t smash until you create a perfect position or attack too early.
Badminton is a mental sport ahead of everything. The player who thinks during the rally has ten times better chances of winning the point compared to the one who constantly attacks.
Never play the same game two times. When the rally starts, look for a rival’s weak spots, force him to make a mistake.
When the point is long, usually a more patient guy wins. Don’t lose your nerves too early!
Anticipation – Be strategic
As you get more experience, you’ll be able to predict the opponent’s actions. It can help you a lot since you will gain an advantage.
For example, if the rival attempts to lob you, and you see what happens, it means your feet will be in position before the shuttlecock lands. It leads to three benefits–better control of the situation, an ability to target the free part of the court, and a world-class ability to use a rival’s weaknesses against him.
Drop Shots – Mix this with Smashing could take yourself to another level
This is the sour cream of badminton. The greatest players in the world don’t smash all the time, they mix up strikes.
When you hit hard over and over, the opponent can only go a few steps backward and defeat you easily. But if he doesn’t know what comes next, he’ll be in dangerous trouble.
Look at this wonderful tutorial below. Master this skill–anybody who even thinks of playing on an elite level will never reach far if he doesn’t combine the strikes well!
You will need a few years to master this but you’ll be one of the most dangerous players in the world!
Badminton Skills – Your Turn
Now I want to turn it over to you.
Which badminton skills do you want to improve on for now? Any other skills we left out?
Leave a comment below and let us know.
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