Badminton is an exhilarating game that demands skillful maneuvers from players. They must both attack and defend with accuracy to win this race-to-the-finish competition.
For each point in badminton to be scored successfully, one must land their shuttlecock within all of the designated court areas and win it before any of your opponents do. Should that occur, they lose one point!
If you are serving, hit your shuttlecock into your opponent’s left service court directly across from where you stand.
1. Positioning
Position is everything when it comes to badminton doubles; those in better positions to play aggressive strokes will win more points. A great player always keeps in mind how best to place their shuttle for optimal results – this is why regular practice and participation in tournaments are crucial in honing your skill.
To assist with improving your positioning, we have put together some tips and strategies that will increase the chance of winning more games with your partner. In addition, we’ve also included top tips for returning effectively in doubles.
Badminton is a competitive game of strategy and tactics, so being quick thinking when playing doubles requires quick decision-making skills. Reading the shuttle and anticipating how your opponent may attack are essential skills; also using different shots while being as subtle as possible are essential.
If you want to win at doubles, your serve should be flat and fast to minimize time your opponent has to prepare a return serve. Flick serves are an effective way of doing just this; these high serves feature the racquet flicking upward at the last millisecond to throw off receivers and give you an edge.
Target your opponent’s weaker side (usually their backhand) to gain the advantage of a weak return shot. Be mindful to play accurate shots without adding too much power as this could result in errors and more mistakes being committed by your opponent.
When defending in doubles it is best to stand side by side; this will allow you to defend a larger portion of the court while providing opportunities for drop shots and clears. Furthermore, staying in this defensive position will make it easier for you to reach smash returns against attackers.
2. Grip
Badminton is a game that requires teamwork between two players in order to succeed, which may prove difficult for novice players as they tend to focus more on attacking than on defense. But by learning effective defensive techniques they will find it much simpler to win their match.
When defending in doubles it’s vital that both players are in proper positions and have an appropriate grip on the shuttlecock. Defenders need to reach it via flat clears or net shots in order to stop opponents from attacking with attacks of their own; otherwise opponents have more space and time available for smashing it back over their opponent’s net.
One way of accomplishing this goal is by positioning players near the centreline. This will enable both players to easily reach for and intercept short defense shots from opponents – something you can see demonstrated by BG Badminton Academy on YouTube.
One effective strategy to defend effectively is through playing long serves, wherein a player hits their shuttlecock so it lands as close to the backline as possible, making it more difficult for an opponent to return an attacking shot as their attack won’t have enough force behind it.
Finally, try targeting your shots towards an opponent’s weak side (usually their backhand) to make effective returns more challenging for them and fatigue them faster as they work harder at playing the shuttlecock resulting in potentially more errors being committed by them.
Flick serves are an effective way of cutting down on opponent’s thinking time when returning a serve, by sending the shuttlecock lower than its height above the net as soon as it passes onto your side of the court.
3. Movement
Badminton is a two-person sport, so to be effective both you and your partner must remain in sync throughout. To maintain control, consistently and quickly returning the shuttlecock is necessary in order to maintain dominance of the match; you also must be able to move freely around the court and read your opponent well – which requires good footwork as well as being quick at switching from offensive to defensive shots quickly.
Watching professional badminton players can help you to develop this skill, showing how they move and use technique, while getting into the right frame of mind for playing doubles – you need to believe in your own ability and trust that you can win matches!
If you don’t believe that you can win, your opponents will notice. They’ll use this knowledge against you and try to thwart your efforts in an attempt to frustrate both of you and create tension within your relationship. In order to stay positive and not let anyone get you down, stay determined in your work and don’t give up too easily! To avoid this scenario it’s essential that you stay positive by not giving in too easily and always working hard at every match – this way victory may just be within your grasp!
An important consideration when playing doubles is moving around the court effectively, i.e. being able to quickly change direction while moving side to side and covering more area without leaving your opponents room to attack you.
Returning serves is of particular importance: being able to return a shuttlecock at some height above the net cord will allow you to maintain control early in a rally and limit their attack potential. There are numerous ways in which this can be practiced; one such way is watching Badminton Life YouTube channel which features videos covering this aspect of badminton.
Another approach is to practice through various drills such as shuttle picking or shadows (which will increase both speed and stamina). You may also wish to watch international matches to observe how other players play, noting their attack positions and blocking strategies, etc.
4. Stance
Taken the right stance can give an opponent the impression you’re ready to play; even if this isn’t exactly true, your body language could influence how they respond to your serve.
Badminton requires you to hit the shuttlecock with just the right combination of power and direction in order to score points and establish a winning mindset. In order to do this successfully, it is vital that both partners practice together until both are comfortable with their stances; additionally, practicing together allows you to see how each is receiving your shots so you can adjust as necessary.
An ideal stance allows players to keep their arms relaxed and legs in an effective position to support their weight. This makes moving around the court and blocking more manageable while helping prevent injuries.
Badminton requires players to adopt various stances; the key is finding one which allows for optimal body positioning that allows the player to maintain balance without overextending themselves when hitting the shuttlecock.
Beginners may find the ideal stance is one which is slightly wider than normal and features the player’s feet facing forward rather than backward. Many professional tennis players also adopt this position because it makes running and covering the front court much simpler.
Adopting the correct stance can assist with speed of your shots. With proper posture you’ll be able to hit more power into each shuttlecock hit – an invaluable asset when playing badminton doubles!
When practicing your stance with your partner, try placing the shuttlecock close to the net – this will expose any weaknesses in your receiving technique and may reveal whether adjustments need to be made in terms of approach or strategy.