Badminton is an intricate game requiring strategy and tactical thought when it comes to defending against smashes.
One effective technique to employ is hitting the shuttle short over to your opponent’s side and forcing them to move with it – this may also give them an unexpected surprise!
Shadow practice is another effective drill to improve on-court movement, extend your reach and enhance footwork.
1. Frontcourt Drill
This drill is ideal for improving ball handling and changing directions at different speeds. Start the drill using two basketballs by having your player start on the baseline with both hands dribbling to and from near and far free throw lines and back again before finally returning back to baseline dribbling at an even pace, facing pressure from their defender while continuing forward in transition. This drill can help improve their ability to dribble while under pressure while staying in transition.
Step two of this drill calls for O2, the non-shooter, to grab a rebound before it hits the floor and step out of bounds, before swiftly passing it back over to O1 on the wing. This helps develop O1’s ability to grab rebound quickly and get into position quickly for his shot. In turn, shooter O1 must return pass quickly in order to move to open space to receive their shot quickly.
Once players have mastered this drill, they can advance to an advanced version where one hand performs crossovers between each cone using just one hand. This will increase fluidity of movement in the paint while developing on-court vision. When performing this drill with your trainees, try incorporating front, between-legs, and behind-the-back crossovers for maximum difficulty in this drill.
Figure 8 Drill is another fantastic offensive movement drill. A trainee must work on this drill with either two- or four-point setup, using clears and lifts in both backcourt and frontcourt spaces – not only will this improve endurance and defense but will also build the trainee’s flexibility for offensive movement.
2. Backcourt Drill
When players can hit backcourt shots confidently, their defensive game opens up significantly more freely. This is particularly helpful against aggressive attacks as hitting long shots gives players an opportunity to stay away from the net and prevent being hit with overhead smashes.
To develop this skill, players should regularly practice volleying with a partner, so as to learn to quickly read and react to incoming shots as well as improve platform passing technique which is key for defending backcourt attacks.
As a drill that helps players hone their volleying skills together, try running a “stop and go” drill. One player, known as the defender, takes up position on one side of the court while their partner – known as the dribbler – positions behind them. Once set into motion, sprint ahead of your partner until they stop and when that occurs take up blocking positions to stop any further movement from them.
“Run the Middle” drill is an effective volley drill for honing return of serve accuracy. For this drill, at least seven players are needed; two on either side of the net. When player 5 on one side tosses up a ball to player five opposite them on their side of the net, their goal should be intercepting and passing it onto their teammate in the middle who then sets up for them.
To master backhand lobs, follow the same method used when practicing forehand lobs: Create a box on the wall at 1 square foot in size at a height that is two or three feet higher than where your net would normally sits and use this target box as your target, moving 20 feet back before hitting into it with your ball. This drill helps develop your ability to hit high lobs that are accurate when playing competition.
3. Backhand Drill
Badminton players require strong backhand skills and this drill provides a great way to develop them. Starting in the middle of the court or ‘base area”, side-slip toward one of the front corners and play a backhand drive shot using your non-dominant hand’s wrist action for rotation and topspin addition. Make sure your follow through with your back leg.
Your shuttle should be placed just behind the backline so that your opponent has difficulty hitting it over the net, prompting them to use more strength to return your shot and shuffle backwards in response. Furthermore, practicing shots when they are shorter than usual will make it easier to hit over without losing it.
This drill may be slightly more challenging than the two backhands and two forehands drill, but it remains an effective way to develop backhand skills and strengthen reflexes. Furthermore, running the width of the court provides great exercise that helps develop general fitness levels.
One drill you can do to develop your defensive skills is the ‘flat drives’ exercise. This movement can be found throughout a game of badminton – particularly doubles but singles players may use it too – and serves as an ideal drill to work on footwork and timing, particularly with overhead shots.
This drill involves one student and a feeder (can be either coach or another player). The feeder stands in the doubles corner while their partner lines up on their forehand side with racquet ready to hit ball when hit by feeder; once ball has been hit to student they run across court and perform backhand shot.
4. Forehand Drill
A forehand serves as an essential part of badminton play, yet to achieve a powerful forehand, players need to develop proper footwork movement and stroke positioning – something this article’s forehand drills can assist with!
One of the top forehand drills is Figure 8 Forehand Drill. This drill aims to develop players’ forehand swing while also adding topspin for increased shot consistency and power. By regularly engaging in this exercise, they will increase forehand power and speed while simultaneously raising court awareness and developing their reaction skills.
Feed and Attack Drill is another highly effective forehand drill, focused on attacking shots from various court positions across the net. A coach or feeding partner should feed balls from various spots across the court with varied pace and spin to a player; then that player attempts to return these shots by moving around their baseline using reaction time and footwork skills as circumstances shift.
Forehand crosscourt shots are an integral component of any badminton strategy, used to break your opponent’s rhythm, force them backwards and cause errors while taking control of a point. Therefore, practicing these types of shots regularly in practice sessions is highly recommended.
To improve your forehand crosscourt shots, start off by practicing some basic crosscourt volley drills. This could involve dropping the shuttlecock from a stationary position or even behind the baseline and having your opponent chase after it down the court – the goal being that this practice allows you to read your opponent’s position before hitting a volley that disrupts their rhythm or forces them backwards.
Once you’ve mastered the basic technique, you can refine it further by targeting hits over the backline and hitting over it with greater force, forcing your opponent to shuffle backwards with each return and use significant strength when returning it backwards. Furthermore, this will improve your ability to hit shuttlecocks deep into an opposing backcourt for badminton points.