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How To Play This Sport Perfectly?

In the beginning, many people play badminton to become physically fit or take it as an alternative course to dull cardio exercises. They don't realize that over time, they are becoming more and more obsessed with this sport, and as time goes by, it comes to light that the real fun begins only after learning a few key things. 

Here in this article, you will get to know the fundamental things that every badminton player must implement to play with his full potential on the court. Some of them are crisp footwork, good technique, a solid strategy, capitalizing on your opponent's weak spots, and many more.

I have discussed all the points in great detail. Please read the whole article to get a more in-depth look.

Build A Strong Foundation By Mastering The Basics Given Below:

1. Timing with the shuttle is crucial when it comes to hitting a powerful shot. It's not the easiest thing to do for beginners, but you can achieve it with a few 10-15 minutes of practice sessions. In these sessions, your main goal is to get a feel of that "Sweet Spot" after hitting the shuttlecock precisely. Just tell your playing partner to give the shuttle a reasonable lift so that you can reach underneath without much effort. Your entire purpose here is to contact the center of the shuttlecock while trying to hit an overhead shot.

2. This point is connected with point no. 1 and goes hand in hand. It means that to make a killer overhead shot, you must hit the shuttle at the highest point of its arc. Otherwise, if you allow the shuttle to come close, you will lose natural control over its position. Take advantage of the shuttle's height and momentum to hit powerful overhead shots with perfection.  

3. This point is more applicable to players who love to play singles more. It is the most essential thing, and many of you reading this article may already know it or heard from your local coaches. Still, to make sure you take this seriously and have it as a second nature, I am reemphasizing its importance. The importance of quickly returning to the middle of the court after playing any shot is vital. It might sound very rudimentary but make no mistake of neglecting its significance. It will prevent your opponent from running you around and from placing the shuttle in unreachable or weak areas of yours. So, always be conscious of where you are standing while waiting for the opponent's shots. You are advised to maintain your position in the center of the court for that.

4. Able to hit the shuttle to the court's baseline will give you an incredible advantage over other players. These shots may demand more precision and strength from your end, but the effort is worth the cost. It will force your opponent to go backward and make him apply even more strength just to return your shot. Whenever you are stuck or confused about where to play the next shot, aim for the backline. It will help you stabilize and prepare yourself for the next move because your opponent will have a tough time returning any attacking shots from the third-court area.

5. Mastering your footwork is not only applicable for Badminton players, but it is advised in any sport where specific movements are required. Each sport has its unique footwork that players must learn and master.  Shuttlers must have an explicit knowledge of how they should move and position themselves while playing certain shots. The first and foremost thing you need to do is to avoid laziness and playing as a flat-footed inside the court. Instead, it would help if you always are on your toes, actively preparing yourself for the opponent's return. There are some excellent activities to work on your footwork, that I would like to share with you. Do these, and your movements will improve significantly.

Shadow training: It is the most effective training you can do to improve your footwork and court coverage. There are various ways that you can do shadow training. If you are starting out, you should do it for one corner only. As you progress, you will develop more speed and stamina to cover multiple corners and, eventually, the whole court. So, pick any corner of the court and start doing shadow as if you are playing for real with appropriate footwork. While doing so, you must always remember to go back and forth only from the center of the court, not from a random point.  

Lunges: Lunges are great movements you can practice to help you develop reflexive actions that are needed for sudden front and side moves. It will make your legs and quad muscles stronger, which is crucial for a badminton player. If you consistently make big lunges with proper footwork and technique, your opponent can't beat you with any attacking drop volley, and half smashes. If you are a beginner, start with five sets where each set includes ten reps of side and front lunges. While doing so, your base point should always be the court's center area.  

Agility Ladder: Different sports use this equipment for their footwork training. You can implement various exercises with it to improve both your speed and endurance. I have attached a video below where you can watch some helpful ladder moves for badminton players to develop their footwork, explosiveness, agility, and strength.

6. Always try to do a minimum of 10-20 short-serving practices. The majority of shuttlers nowadays serve short, and you should master it, too. A perfectly angled short serve placed in corners can do a lot more for you than you realize. Firstly, you are minimizing the chance of any attacking from the opponent as it catches him off guard. Secondly, it can make the receiver out of position, which can open opportunities for you to attack in their weaker areas. Remember, every rally starts with a serve; without improving it, you cannot become a complete badminton player.

7.  Even though most badminton players prefer serving low, you cannot ignore practising the long serve. It will become a handy option when you want to buy more time by slowing down your opponent. A long serve all the way back to the baseline can really frustrate an opponent who likes to play fast-paced rallies. As it is not his natural tendency to play slow rallies, a perfectly executed long serve can do the trick.

8. Above all the factors, there is an underlying foundation that separates a player who rises to the top from those who stay at the same level. This quality also helps to win those close matches that demand mental calmness. So, I guess you know it by now. You must have the ability to focus and the attitude of a champion who never gives up in any circumstances.

Exploit Your Opponent Weaker Areas

1. Analyzing your opponent's game will always give you an edge over him. Always find ways to assess their playing style, even if you are participating in any friendly matches. In this process, see where they are lagging, what their most dominant areas are, whether they like to play defensive or aggressive, any weakness in footwork or returning certain shots, etc. Your primary goal here is to gather overall information about their natural tendency inside the court.

2. To see an overall picture of your opponent's gameplay, you must be able to move him in all directions. If you are playing in a competition, it should be done in the first 5 - 6 points. During this time, play a mix of shots and try to place the shuttle in every area of the court. It would help if you moved him in various patterns, from side to side, front to back, and diagonally as well.

3. Most of the players find difficulty returning any backhand shot. So, why don't you utilize it to your advantage? Try hitting various shots to the backhand corner and see how the reaction comes from your opponent's end. If he cannot return properly or makes him uncomfortable, keep a mental note and use it to your advantage when any opportunity arises.  

4. Another place where you can test your opponent is in the net areas. See whether he is good at playing short net shots or not. Surprisingly,  most players don't like playing close net shots because, more often than not, they don't practice it much. So, if you have sharp and precise net shots in your arsenal, you can do lots of damage to your opponent. It will frustrate him because you can focus your whole game just doing two things: somehow drag him to the front area of the court and elegantly place a precise short net shot. Your opponent has no other option than to lift the shuttle, which can be utilized to your advantage. So, always practice net shots, they will come in handy in tough times.

5. Never return any shot to your opponent that he is already expecting to receive. If you get more time before hitting the shuttle, quickly glance if he is anticipating your shot or not. In a split second,  you have to decide how you are going to place the shuttle away from him. I know it's easier to say than done, but to be a better shuttler, you must practice it because all pro-level players have this characteristic. They never return any shot where the opponent is making a move or anticipating.

6.  Sharp drop shots with the perfect angle and precision force the opponent to move more. Never just pound smash after smash if your opponent is easily defending the attack. Instead, play a little drop shot and immediately push him back to the baseline. This way, he will run all around the court and break the composure he had before. Also, it is a very tiring thing to go back and forth to the court. Players with poor conditioning can't take that and eventually will make an unforced error.

7. Shockingly, many players ignore to prepare their game plan. If you are seeking to improve your performance, please stop avoiding making this critical mistake. The point is you should never play according to what your opponent likes. Instead, structure the rallies in a way that fits and strengthens your natural game in court. For instance, if you like playing in the frontcourt, serve short, hit drop shots, whatever you do, but try to stay in your strong zones. Don't let your opponent dictate the rallies. It would help if you are alert and focused right from your first shot to build pressure on your opponent.

Some Advanced Things You Should Master:

1. The most straightforward advanced shot you can master is the dribbling or the slice net shot. It is straightforward to learn and master without much effort, unlike other sophisticated shots. By knowing how to implement it, you can quickly dribble the shuttle in the net area. It will help you to set up a mid-court lift from the opponent, which can be easily killed with a powerful smash.

2. When you slice your drop shots, it falls much steeper and sharper in the opponent's corner. By applying a reverse slice drop shot, the receiver gets deceived because the hand movement and the body position are similar to a clear and smash.

3. Badminton players love hitting smashes, but they need to execute it to their full potential. They need to remember to apply the most basic techniques while hitting a smash. A good smash with accuracy can come in handy in both singles and doubles games. It is an integral part of all professional shuttlers. Correct positioning, point of contact and arm swing are some few fundamentals involved in a badminton smash.

4. Jump smash is different from a standard smash. If executed properly, it is much more powerful and effective than regular smashes.  Because the jump creates that momentum and angle, which makes the shuttle fly more steeper, so, always include in your training some jumping smash.

5. Many shuttlers tend to smash from every angle without thinking about their quality and effectiveness. When you play an intensive game, every shot you play drains your energy and muscle power. So, during rallies, you must know when to spend your valuable energies in smashes because it requires lots of power and force. The best time to try a smash is when the shuttle gets enough lift, and you've got plenty of time to reach the correct position.

6. Remember the importance of having a perfect plan in place. Novice players tend to just hit the shuttle without adequately thinking of the next move. They never bother to realise their current position inside the court, shot selections during rallies, or implement a unique strategy for opponents. Remember, an opponent with a proper understanding of this sport knows all of this and may already start analysing your every move. So, if you want to survive and win the game, you must do the same.