Badminton doubles is an exciting, fast-paced game with fast shots of high quality and speed. At first, it is essential to play safely so as to regain defensive ground quickly.
Doubles requires selecting shots with different angles of attack (straight, to the centre or cross-court) carefully. In general, cross-court drops or smashes should be avoided since their flight distance is long.
Serves
Badminton doubles players must know all types of serves in order to successfully execute them and win matches. An accurate serve can change the trajectory of a match and put your opponent on their heels while an unfavorable one may provide your opponents with the chance for easy scoring opportunities.
One way to enhance your serve is by experimenting with various spins. This will make your opponent guess which direction the shuttlecock will head, as well as potentially disorient them. Also try serving short or flick serves to break your opponent’s rhythm and prompt weak returns from them.
Net play and mid-court control are essential aspects of winning badminton matches, as this fast-paced sport demands mastering these skills to achieve victory or defeat. Both players must work together as one unit, anticipating each other’s movements while mastering both offensive and defensive moves for maximum effectiveness.
There are various strategies you can employ to enhance your game of badminton, such as learning the 10 laws and executing precise shots. Furthermore, speed up your swing so that it hits harder and faster; this will allow you to score more points overall while improving overall play.
Badminton is played using a shuttlecock, which is a small rubber ball adorned with goose feathers attached. The game starts off with a coin toss; whoever wins determines if they serve first or receive first; the side that serves first should set their service court to either left (if they’re even) or right ( if odd).
The long service line in doubles is a line running parallel to the net and across the width of the court, often used by setters (front players in doubles matches) to intercept returns or force their opponent to lift it; back players on the other hand often launch powerful attacks from this area.
Drop Shots
Drop shots can be an effective strategy to surprise and disorient your opponent. By altering the speed and placement of your drop shots, you can force your opponent to adapt their defensive strategies constantly – giving you a much higher chance of capturing points! Combine powerful smashes with slow drop shots for even greater success in winning points!
Successful drop shots require hitting the shuttlecock high enough that it cannot be returned straight back, yet not so high that you are unable to control it. Aim your shots towards the side tramlines rather than front corners so your opponent is less likely to intercept it; furthermore, targeting their back corner makes it more challenging for them to return short lifts or net shots.
Be wary of playing drop shots as the opening stroke in any rally. While dropping can be effective at surprising your opponent, you must follow up your drop with either an effective smash or net shot to secure victory and claim the point.
As in singles, when playing doubles you should avoid using only slow drop shots as part of your strategy. While this tactic might work for beginners or casual games, higher level opponents quickly adapt and become immune to such shots and will quickly kill them off easily.
Instead, save your slow drop shots for times when your opponents will be vulnerable to attack (e.g. when your partner is late returning the shuttle or their defense is weak). Varying the pace and surprising opponents can give you an advantage in winning points; always work with your partner and adapt your game to complement their skills if possible, creating a winning badminton partnership which will lead to many victories together.
Smashes
Doubles requires you to be skilled at every aspect of the game, from getting opponents into defensive situations they cannot cope with and attacking short service to adapting your style of play in order to maximize potential partnerships.
One effective strategy for doing this is through clear shots, whether to the front court or back court. When playing an aggressive player who prefers not to stay near the center of the court, hitting them with long clear shots may help take away their power and force them closer to you so you can attack or set up tight net shots more easily.
A net shot is a very powerful stroke played to the opponent’s side of the court and intended to either kill their shuttle, or put them at risk of hitting one themselves. A well-placed net shot requires precise footwork in order to return successfully; any one good enough may make returning it extremely challenging.
If you play a high lift to the front of the court, your opponent will be forced to retreat backwards without enough time to plan their next stroke. Furthermore, hitting your shuttle at an exceptionally fast rate could prove deadly for them and result in an immediate kill shot from you!
Cross court net shots can be an extremely effective means of attack, though it requires great deception to play effectively. They’re best used when an opponent has played a low lift or drop, and the best way to play this shot is by getting in behind your opponent and seeing their reaction to your shot.
“Fault” in badminton refers to when one team loses a point by breaking any rule of play; for example, by making an error during serving or striking the shuttle out-of-bounds.
Returns
Badminton is an intense game, leaving little time for reflection or adjustment. Therefore, having an instinctive set of positions and rotations ready can help players respond more quickly, potentially saving valuable seconds that could mean winning or losing points.
As part of returning a badminton serve, it is crucial to use different strokes in order to keep your opponent guessing about the speed and direction of each shot. Doing this will allow you to maintain control of the rally while winning more points; one effective approach would be employing different forms such as net returns, tight backhand drives, or deceptive slicing which force their shuttlecock back.
Ideal, your goal should be to return the shuttlecock high enough that your opponents must take clear, smash, or drop shots; this gives you the best opportunity for ending a rally quickly with an attack. In order to increase your chances of hitting high returns it is vital that both you and your partner stand in proper defensive formation.
As shown below, players have taken up a doubles defense formation that ensures one partner always within reach of a shuttlecock when being hit or cleared away from play.
Another advantage of taking up this position is that it enables defenders to quickly move in response to potential cross-court shots; a technique utilized by many top level doubles pairs such as World champion pair Boe and Mogensen.
It is crucial that when playing doubles it is essential that both partners understand their respective roles and how you can work as a team to enhance badminton skills. To do this, it is necessary to adapt your style of play according to your partner and be flexible when returning – for instance some top level male mixed pairs such as Zheng Siwei and Praveen Jordan lead with non-racket leg when returning whereas other do not.