Badminton is a beloved recreational racket sport, played both leisurely and competitively. At community gyms or drop in badminton centers, doubles is typically the dominant form of play.
At its highest levels, tennis requires impressive footwork and speed along with agility, strength, mental toughness and rotational positioning to be successful.
Attacking
Badminton doubles teams must have the ability to shift gears during a rally by attacking when their opponent pair lifts, forcing them to play either slow drop or high clear shots, leaving your partner vulnerable against attacks from his or her rival.
To do this effectively, the back player should move forward slightly so as to give their front player an open space to attack and intercept any flat lift that comes their way – this technique is known as “up and back.”
Notably, this position differs from doubles front position in that its front player should still stay close to the net while remaining ready to strike if an opposing pair lifts low and looks vulnerable.
An effective badminton defense requires speed, skill and teamwork – as in doubles play where two teams need to quickly switch between defense and attack at lightning speeds.
Doubles pairs that master this task have an unparalleled advantage over their opponents. Mastery of doubles tactics requires much practice.
To be successful at this, players must be able to communicate well and quickly. Before each point starts, they should discuss its strategy in detail and then practice executing their plan during warm-ups, between points, or matches – this will help them learn how to work more efficiently together as a unit and enhance their overall game.
Badminton Coaching Video: In this Badminton Coaching video by Xiao Jie, she discusses rotational positioning in doubles and how you can maximize your partner’s ability. Watch all of this video for an in-depth understanding of this complex topic.
No matter where you stand in doubles, this video can provide the skills you need to win. With some dedication and hard work, you could become one of the best doubles teams!
Defensive
Doubles defensive positioning is more complex than in singles. Partners must remain aware of each other’s position, and adjust when necessary – something which requires great communication among partners as well as plenty of practice to perfect.
Ideal defensive positions for both players should involve standing close to the middle, with male players typically in front and female ones in back (unless your girl hits harder). This allows your back player to smash or play quick drops at the back to end rallies quickly while opening up attacks for front players from front positions close to them. When possible, front players should not stand on either side of the net in order to intercept and kill any shots that reach them and set up attacks for those playing closer to it – especially since players have less room at their net than before!
As part of your defense strategy, if the shuttlecock hits below your partner’s waist during defence, try blocking it as high up as possible to stop your opponent from scoring a point. A flat lift is an effective way of stopping long cross-court smashes since attackers positioned at the front can often struggle to cover distance needed to hit these shots.
As part of your blocking strategy, it’s also crucial that you keep an eye on the distance between you and your opponent when blocking. Too close can result in collisions or broken rackets; two versus two matches require being extra cautious as too close can lead to collisions between rackets crashing together. Defensively both players should move sideways as often as possible in order to react swiftly to flat shots from an opponent and block them accordingly.
As your opponents may use different types of shuttlecocks and attempt different shots, you must be cognizant of this fact when practicing defensive positions during each match – from open rallies with instructors or your friends through to two versus two matches. If they regularly employ cross-court smashes then you might need to move closer towards the middle court, while if they regularly hit back-court net shots then shifting forward might help cover these areas better. To stay at your best you must practice your defensive positioning during every match from open rallies with instructors or your friends up through two versus two matches – always – something every player should do! It is therefore essential that every match you play, from open rallies with instructors or your friends through to two versus two matches!
Covering the Court
Badminton doubles players must have the ability to cover both front and back court areas effectively when attacking, along with good communication between two players. One effective way of learning this skill is through practice drills tailored specifically toward improving an area of your game.
At higher levels of badminton doubles play, one player usually covers the front court while their partner covers the back court – this formation allows pairs to reduce gaps in defense while increasing attacking potential. When practicing defensive positioning however, the most essential thing for both partners to remember when practicing their positioning is smooth rotation during rallies – only then will effective coverage remain intact and prevent your opponent from exploiting weak replies by taking advantage of any gaps or weak replies during rallies.
When defending, it’s essential that both front players cover the rear court while back players move forward to cover any responses to net or midcourt. This will prevent your opponents from exploiting any weaknesses in your defense and forcing them to lift harder; if this proves challenging for you, try practicing more defensive drills to enhance your coverage ability.
As part of a rally, it is also crucial that players avoid inadvertently entering their opponent’s court by inadvertently stepping onto their courts when trying to reach for shots; doing so can result in faulting awarded against you and can result in penalties being assessed against them.
To avoid this scenario, make sure that when defending you remain close to both partners and ensure that you don’t get too far apart from opponents. An ideal distance would be between 3.4 meters apart to ensure complete coverage without leaving gaps in defense or making yourself susceptible to an attack – this is especially helpful for fast games of badminton where footwork must be coordinated smoothly between all participants.
Communication
Badminton doubles is a team sport and requires good communication between partners. A successful communication strategy can make or break a match; good communication will allow all areas of the court to be covered evenly, making it more difficult for an opponent to attack them. One effective way of improving communication skills is watching professional badminton matches or attending coaching sessions to learn about different strategies and tactics you can employ to strengthen your game.
Communication between partners is of utmost importance when playing badminton doubles; no gaps should exist for your opponent to exploit. One player should cover the front court while the other covers back and middle courts to prevent attacks being launched against your defences and to maintain strong defences.
When attacking, it’s wise to start out slowly and gradually increase power until hitting with more accuracy and without errors. Furthermore, try targeting shots towards an opponent’s weak side, in order to take control of the rally and pass their shuttle by them more easily.
While having a strong offensive play is essential, defensive play should not be neglected either. Badminton doubles is a fast-paced game where it is easy to lose track of where the shuttle is going; therefore it is key that you remain aware of where your opponent is on the court at all times and act quickly when responding.
To stay ahead, it’s essential that you always remain alert and ready to intercept the shuttle when it passes by you. Achieve maximum height and speed when attacking by taking a high stance during attacks; hit with your forehand rather than backhand to increase pressure on opponents and force more errors out of them.
When it comes to defending, always move from side-to-side during rallies. This will prevent your opponent from hitting hard drives into the backcourt and quick drops. Also make sure that when defending you use a wide stance as this leaves yourself susceptible to lifts from their opponent.