Badminton doubles defensive shot positioning and execution strategies are essential components of successful badminton play. In this beginner/intermediate training video from Coach Chen, basic positions for both offensive and defensive play are described for effective badminton doubles play.
Players on defense should always strive to cover all areas of the court through purposeful side by side positioning.
Side-by-Side Positioning
Badminton doubles is an exhilarating and strategic game that demands speed, skill and teamwork to protect one side from lightning-fast attacks. To be a true competitor in badminton doubles it is imperative that one masters proper badminton defensive shot positioning strategies in order to effectively defend.
To create an effective defense, both you and your partner should stand at equal distance in midcourt – this formation is known as side-by-side position and it enables both of you to cover the full width of the doubles court without colliding into each other.
This position also allows you to respond swiftly and decisively to your opponents’ shot placement, such as when an opponent hits their shuttle high and slowly; you can move into an attack position to take advantage of their misshot placement, setting yourself up to make powerful smash shots that win rallies.
Your goal when defending is to keep the shuttlecock low and force your opponents to lift it, using various defensive shots such as hitting it down the center for an effective test of communication skills or short drops and fast slices to break their rhythm and force them to lift it.
Defensive doubles requires both an effective strategy and plenty of practice. Without either, an opponent could strike with a smash or net kill that takes control of the rally, meaning you need good communication between you and your partner and an understanding of their opponent’s playing style to have any hope at succeeding at defense.
If you want to improve your badminton defensive tactics, follow these five simple steps.
As a beginner to badminton, it is crucial that you learn the fundamentals and how to advance in this sport. By mastering its fundamentals, you will enjoy this sport more and become an advanced player with practice and commitment – ultimately leading your team towards victory!
Clearing
As was noted in the previous section, doubles defense requires more than physical prowess alone. Doubles pairs must collaborate closely, communicating and adapting their tactics as the game goes along in order to maintain an advantage and foil opponents’ attempts at gaining one – this becomes especially crucial when one side manages to turn a rally around with an unexpected smash or net kill shot from their opponent.
To help prevent this from occurring, teams should establish themselves defensively using a side-by-side system. This allows both players to cover all parts of the court. Rear players will cover shots to the backcourt with smashes and drop shots; front players will cover replies at either net or midcourt with kill shots or those that provoke lift.
Another key strategy is attempting to avoid high clears whenever possible, as these are one of the primary ways an opponent can gain an edge against you and attack back with series of counter attacks. Lifts should generally only be employed as a last resort.
Avoiding high lift or clear shots requires hitting your shuttle low and straight into your opponent’s front court, forcing them to play either a lift or net shot in order to intercept it, giving you an opportunity to strike with drives or net kill shots. Mastering one of the easiest badminton techniques will enable you and your partner to remain in control during rallies even when opponents make solid attacks. Avoiding high clears will allow for longer rallies and increase your odds of victory in matches. Communication and practice will help hone this skill; so get out there and practice! This is how you will master badminton defense skills and become an all-round great doubles player – good luck and don’t forget to have fun!
Lifting
While playing a defensive point, players must keep in mind they are still defending the shuttlecock and take great care when moving and playing their shots. To do this, they should stay low to the ground and hit to their opponent’s backhand; this helps tire them out and makes attacking harder for them. Furthermore, it is imperative that whichever side defended its shuttle remains close by so both can anticipate any shots their opponent might launch at them.
Rotation is also essential when playing doubles; during a rally, partners typically swap between attacking and defending multiple times to adapt to what their opponents are trying to accomplish while trying to block or recover.
As soon as a smash occurs, both players must move swiftly from defensive to offensive positions in order to regain a balanced attacking stance quickly and regain an advantageous stance. This may require communication amongst them as they decide the direction in which to rotate depending on where their opponent hits their shuttle – for instance if they hit it below waist height then the pair defending must rotate towards front court while above waist level will require them to shift slightly behind center court.
Defenders should take great care to cover any gaps on the court that would allow opponents to score a smash, such as through quick movements and being able to read their opponent’s movements – this process is known as “scouting”, and requires good communication, trust and consistent practice from all involved parties.
Lobbing
Practice of badminton often includes adopting the side-by-side position when facing an attack from their opponents in order to avoid being near the net and thus vulnerable to any well-placed smash or drop shot from opponents. By adopting this strategy, both players can cover more area than they could with up and back formation.
Side-by-side positioning can be difficult to master, but with practice it can become highly effective. To maximize its use, the defending team should watch their opponent and react instantly if any hits below waist level; otherwise they should move into attack or defensive positions respectively. However, communication among all of their defenders may also be required as they need to know when it’s appropriate to change positions.
One of the key strategies of effective doubles defense is avoiding getting caught in the trap of “killing.” Doing this makes it extremely hard for opponents to keep up with you; to prevent this from happening, practice aggressive strokes such as net drop or net dribble that force opponents to lift, such as net drop and net dribble.
Kicking is another easy and effective way to support your teammates. Kicking is a relatively effortless technique that only requires slight movements from your partner; for maximum effect, place their foot directly in front of the shuttlecock when kicking, forcing it into their court more likely than usual – giving your partner greater chances of intercepting it and ending the rally quickly!
Though kicking may be an effective defensive shot positioning strategy for badminton doubles defensive shots, there are numerous other techniques you should explore and test out until finding one that best works for both of you. Keep in mind there is no single secret ingredient to badminton success; rather it takes practice, coaching, corrections and focus to achieve real progress on court.