Basic Strokes A wide range of strokes are used in badminton.
The services are—
(i) High Serve
(ii) Backhand Low Serve
(iii) Backhand Flick Serve
(iv) Forehand Low Serve
(v) Forehand Flick Serve
Stance for backhand low and flick serve
Forecourt Strokes or Net Strokes
It is played from an area between the net and the short service line.
These are named as—
- Backhand Net Shot
- Forehand Net Shot
- Backhand Net Lift
- Forehand Net Lift
- Backhand Net Kill
- Forehand Net Kill
Midcourt Strokes
Played from the middle of the court, these are called—
- Block
- Backhand Drive
- Forehand Drive
Rear Court Strokes
These are played from the back of the court.
- Forehand Clear
- Forehand Smash
Position marked for various strokes
- Forehand Drop Shot
- Backhand Clear
- Backhand Smash
- Backhand Drop Shot
High Serve
- High serve travels to the rear of the opponent’s service court, dropping vertically.
- It is used in singles to begin the rally, from a neutral/ defensive position.
- High serve is used in women’s singles and sometimes in men’s singles.
- A sideways stance is used with the racket held in forehand grip.
- The racket and shuttle are held in elevated position with weight on the rear leg.
- Weight is continuously transferred forward towards the front foot and the shuttle is dropped to the side or in front.
- The racket is lowered with bent wrist and swung forward by accelerating the racket head to hit the shuttle in front and to the side of the body.
- The racket is carried through high and long in follow through.
Backhand Low Serve
- Backhand Low Serve is used in doubles and men’s singles to start the rally from a defensive or neutral situation.
- In backhand low serve, the shuttle skips the net and lands at the front of the opponent’s service court.
- It is used to restrict the opponent’s opportunity to attack and create attacking opportunities for the serving side.
- The server stands with the racket, foot forward, close to the ‘T’ on the court.
- The racket is held in relaxed backhand grip in front of the body, with the shuttle placed on it.
- With the short backswing of the racket, its face is opened slightly.
- The racket is swung forward and the shuttle is pushed out of the hand.
- Strike the shuttle out of the hand with a continued pushing action.
- Quickly recover back by bringing the racket up, to return the service reply.
Backhand low serve
The main difference in high, low and flick service in badminton is the trajectory of the shuttlecock. Trajectory is the parabolic path followed by a shuttle when hit at a certain angle.
Trajectory of services
