Practice makes perfect when it comes to developing swift lateral movements in badminton; here are a few drills designed to enhance this aspect of your game.
Mid-court driving routine is one of our go-to exercises at the beginning of every session, providing us with a chance to focus on returning cross shots quickly and accurately – without using too much force!
1. Running Step
An effective badminton player must be capable of quickly covering the court quickly and efficiently through running, shuffling and lunging movements.
One of the earliest movements a player should learn is the running step, a short running motion where one foot passes over another. This movement helps players quickly recover after an opponent hits their shuttleball, so learning it quickly is vital to staying competitive. For optimal performance it should also be combined with Crossover Step and Defensive Shuffle movement drills.
Split Step (sometimes referred to as anticipatory step or running step) is another lateral movement a player should learn and become comfortable with. This technique provides more advanced protection when faced with overhead strokes like lobs or round the heads from opponents, providing additional cushion against an attack by striking overhead strokes themselves. As it requires anticipative movement it should always take place prior to shuttle striking for optimal effectiveness.
For instance, when an opponent hits a lob shot, players should immediately move into their ready stance and begin their split step to ensure they are in an ideal position to receive and return to base position for their next shot.
An alternate type of split step that players should become adept at is the’step-close’ split step. This involves making a small jump before positioning their dominant foot closer to the shuttle than their non-dominant foot in order to reach it without expending too much energy.
Side-to-side movement is also essential to badminton and must be practiced using running, shuffles and lunges. This enables players to effectively defend the regions directly in front of them on court as well as reaching any surprise shots their opponent may send flying. A great way of practicing this skill is through shadow badminton where one player moves similar positions as their partner during a match.
2. Crossover Step
badminton shuttlecocks can travel at up to 250 km/h, so players must be capable of moving swiftly and changing direction quickly. Badminton footwork drills like shuffling, crab walking and pivoting allow players to maneuver without losing balance or compromising stability; such movement can help defend against opponent passes made.
Crossover Step is an extremely useful defensive movement used to cover longer distances. This movement involves crossing one foot over to the ball side in similar fashion to traditional defensive shuffle, though with additional benefits including keeping hips open and not restricting range of motion.
Crossover Steps in singles badminton are especially crucial when defending against shuttlecocks that are hit into the front corners. When defending these areas, quick lateral movement is needed in order to intercept it as soon as it strikes; that’s where Crossover Steps come into play: by combining Running and Split steps together quickly moving between two front corners using this quick lateral movement a badminton player can intercept their shuttlecock faster and intercept it sooner.
Shadow training is another effective way of practicing badminton movement, simulating the footwork that will be done during a game. By moving between two front corners of the court repeatedly, shadow training allows players to develop proper footwork for covering areas during matches while improving balance and coordination overall.
Add a partner for added fun and engagement when competing against each other to enhance lateral movements while increasing coordination and speed. So next time you practice badminton, consider including one or more of these badminton footwork drills to elevate your game! Good luck!
3. Multi-Shuttle Drill
Badminton requires an impressive mix of aerobic stamina, agility and balance – the shuttlecock can travel up to 250 km/h during a game! Players must be agile enough to quickly change direction while remaining stable, and also react swiftly when reacting to opponent’s shot selection or style.
Badminton coaches must create drills that simulate game environments in order to provide their students with effective practice of reaction skills and movement under pressure, as well as building confidence within the sport. A shuttle drill may help achieve this aim.
Multi Shuttle Drill is an ideal exercise to develop overhand shots or net play skills, starting with multiple shuttles being fed from the feeder (who will start the drill by feeding multiple shuttles to their worker), forcing them to return them as quickly as possible and improving reflexes, footwork accuracy and lift accuracy of each worker. Furthermore, this drill also forces feeders (the feeder) to develop their defensive skills as they must block shuttles coming toward them from approaching workers – all great exercises!
Another great exercise for this is ‘net lift with backhand or forehand recovery’. Similar to net shot, but instead focused on improving defensive movements for feedback from their opponent and working on lift, forehand, backhand recovery as well as defensive movement practice; ultimately helping feeders defend workers better!
Finally, half-court singles is an enjoyable drill that helps players experience what it’s like to have long rallies while also improving stamina and focus.
Shadow practice is another excellent drill to try when playing badminton, as it helps develop movement and speed on-court as well as shot selection. Shadow practice should take place by moving between two corners; make sure the player moves in the appropriate way each time!
4. Push Downs
Badminton requires fast and effective lateral movement patterns when dodging hits. One effective way to develop these is through simple footwork drills that strengthen ankles and calves – such as suicides. Here you run up to different lines on the court before touching them before running back – five runs will cover between 50 to 100 meters between lines; quick shuffles can help improve speed as you quickly respond to shots by getting to them as soon as they drop into your front zone zone.
Push downs drill is another effective way of developing defensive movements. In this drill, one player acts as feeder while the other works as worker on both halves of the court and both play defensively; with aggressive shots from one side hitting down at an opponent while forcing the defender on the other half to lift and move into their front zone to defend against aggressive shots from their feeder. It is an ideal drill for doubles players as well as singles players alike as it helps develop off body defence while forcing footwork and reaction skills into use.
Recent research utilized a multifeeding on-court drill to investigate the impact of different training protocol interval durations on internal load and performance outcomes in high-performance badminton. Researchers conducted three different interval training protocols with different interval and rest durations (10, 30 and 50 seconds) across multiple training days using a cross-sectional design. All participants participated in an identical badminton drill across all days. This study’s findings demonstrated that high-performance badminton coaches often prescribe training protocols with intervals of various lengths in order to meet predetermined training goals, yet these don’t always lead to improved external load or performance outcomes in practice. As a result, further research needs to investigate how goal directed training prescription affects internal and external loads in high-performance badminton training environments.