Once you’ve mastered badminton’s basic offensive shots, it’s time to move on to more advanced training drills. This random offense multishuttle drill provides an effective way of honing different offensive moves while improving accuracy.
For this drill, a partner is necessary who can supply you with shuttles from various areas on the court. Take up your ready stance and prepare to strike them one by one before switching partners and repeating this sequence of strikes.
1. Drop Shot Drill
The drop shot is an invaluable badminton technique that can give you a significant edge against opponents, but like any skill it requires practice and perfect execution to master it. In order to be effective with it, however, proper attention must be given to grip, body positioning, racket preparation and contact point when practicing it – regularly practicing this shot and seeking feedback from a coach will help you excel at it and ultimately strengthen your overall badminton game.
As when playing tennis, when executing drop shots you should aim to hit them in the center of the court so as to create an uncomfortable situation for your opponent and limit their movement. When hitting in this area you should use slice shots before hitting real drop shots shorter behind the net. Furthermore, try mixing up their placement to keep opponents guessing while taking advantage of any defensive weaknesses they may possess.
Another effective strategy for getting more familiar with this shot is playing a slow drop shot, which can catch opponents by surprise and force them into awkward positions on the court. To play one properly, bend your back knee slightly and set your paddle low by your side rather than reaching forward for it.
To master a drop shot, enlist the assistance of either your coach or an experienced player as a feeder who can throw shuttles your way so that it will become easier for you to execute various types of drop shots – standard drop shot, spinning drop shot and cross court drop shot among them – until it becomes second nature to you both. This drill should take place on half court for optimal training results and three sets should be attempted per training session.
2. Backhand Drop Shot Drill
Backhand drop shots are an invaluable weapon in badminton that can be used to overcome defensive obstacles and open up court openings. Achieve maximum effect from this shot requires both power and precision; practicing it during practice routines or game play can elevate your skillset and outwit opponents during matches. Mastering it requires developing consistent touch, practicing with different placements, as well as including drills that simulate real-life scenarios into game situations or practice sessions.
The Hairpin Net Shot Drill is an effective way to practice both backhand drop shots and badminton movement at once. Both players must cooperate to perform this drill – one will serve the shuttle over their head while lifting and returning with a drop shot, then continue moving around the court in order to hit both backhand and forehand net shots at different points on court.
This drill provides an effective opportunity to practice the backhand stop drop shot. This shot should only be utilized when an opponent has moved up into your non-volley zone line and you cannot use your forehand drop shot to defend them; due to its slow and low trajectory trajectory of the shuttle this shot can be difficult for an opponent who already plays defensively.
Practice of the Stop Drop Shot will allow you to learn to assess situations on the court and disguising shots for maximum success. With experience comes an understanding of when and how best to attack. Speed can play an integral part of stopping drop shots; however too much speed could harm accuracy; quickly arm speed should be used instead to mask initial motion of shots and create deception among your opponent.
Alternately, another variation on this drill involves having the feeder hit several shuttles and allow them to fall naturally to the floor. A working player then needs to quickly move around the court before making decisions about where or if they need to drop back down.
3. Fronthand Drop Shot Drill
Fronthand drop shots offer an excellent way to vary your shot play in badminton, often by surprising opponents when they expect you to smash. A soft drop shot may surprise them and push them out of position, giving you the chance to seize control of a rally and potentially take victory.
As you drop the shuttle, be aware of its journey; aim for it to land close enough that it reaches the net but far enough so as not to hinder your opponent in returning it.
Attaining maximum control and return can be more challenging when your shuttle moves faster through the air. As such, practicing drop shots at various speeds to improve your game.
One effective way to develop your fronthand drop shot is through practicing the Drop-Recover-Drop Drill. Player B (the feeder) begins this routine by playing a high lift to the back of a trainee’s court, after which they perform a drop shot and recover back to center court before their trainer repeats this routine with another shot.
As well as improving your drop shot, this drill provides an effective means of honing footwork. While doing the drill, aim for maximum relaxation with your feet while maintaining good posture and balance; remembering to move them after each net shot can also help strengthen both footwork and reach in badminton.
Clear-Smash-Block-Lift Drill is another essential badminton drill to consider, serving as an invaluable way to develop your footwork in badminton and is best performed on any half court. To perform it successfully, start off in your ready stance with feet evenly spaced from service line and knees slightly bent – this ensures quick movement around court as you quickly reach for shuttle.
4. Sidehand Drop Shot Drill
This drill is an effective way to develop both backhand and forehand drop shot skills in trainees. At each net shot, they hit one directly towards their partner at the baseline before lunging forward a step or two following each shot – this simulates real badminton matches while improving footwork. Trainers may also add challenge by using different shots such as fast clears or harder drop shots that will add another element to this drill.
As the trainee progresses, their trainer can increase the difficulty of the drill by hitting higher lifts followed by lower ones to make shuttle more challenging. The goal of this drill is to teach a trainee to recognize opponent body language and play drop shots with greater probability of winning.
Another key aspect of this drill is requiring trainees to hit each shot with appropriate grip strength, which is essential in learning drop shots properly; using improper grip strength could result in the shuttle dropping short or even into the net and becoming unplayable.
Beyond grip, it is also crucial that the hands and feet on a badminton racket be in their correct positions in order to achieve an effective drop shot. Elevating your shuttle as high as possible will increase its height of flight, which in turn results in closer shots towards the net and less options available to your opponent when returning it; giving you an advantage during a rally.
As with the other drills in this article, it is imperative that the trainee follow through on each shot they take in order to avoid landing the shuttle in the net and improve consistency of shot placements. Furthermore, they should practice proper grip strength and hand positioning on their badminton racket in order to become consistent in all shot placements.