Badminton Rules & Skills

Badminton is a racket sport that you can play as a game of singles--that is, one player against one player--or as a doubles game, wherein a team of two players opposes another team of two players. You play badminton with a racket, shuttlecock and net that is 5 feet high in the center of the court. Players hit the shuttlecock over the net and win points if their opponents can't return the shot.

  1. Rules

    • Each game of badminton is played to 21 points, and there are three games in a match. At the beginning of each serve the players stand diagonally opposite each other. The server hits the shuttlecock from below waist height over the net into the back quadrant of the opposite side of the court. The serve must pass over the short service line of the court or it is ruled a fault. If the opposing player cannot return the serve and the shuttlecock lands inside the court, the server wins the point. If the served shuttlecock lands outside the court, the server loses the point.

    Racket Grips

    • It is important to grip your badminton racket correctly. There are two main grips in badminton: the forehand grip and backhand grip. In the forehand grip, hold the racket in either your right or left hand as if you were shaking hands with it, and maintain a v-shape between your forefinger and thumb. You can achieve greater flexibility if you don't grip the racket too tightly. If you grip the racket nearer to its neck, you'll have greater control when serving from the middle of the court. For the backhand grip, hold the racket the same way you do for the forehand grip, then slide your grip to the left (if you are right-handed) or to the right (if you are left-handed), taking care not to twist the racket handle, so that you can pull the racket back toward the opposite side of your body to hit the shuttlecock with the backside of the racket. Don't turn the handle as you shift your grip--the point is to move your hand on the racket handle to change the angle of the grip, not the angle of the racket.

    Footwork

    • Proper footwork is helpful in improving your badminton game. It is important to stay on the balls of your feet and keep your knees slightly bent. Try to return to the center of the court after hitting a shot, which makes it possible for you to cover your side of the court if your opponent returns the shot. Stay alert and ready to attack your opponent's shot.

    Smash Shot

    • A well-performed and placed smash leaves no opportunity for your opponent to make a counter attack. A smash shot is one that you hit with a great amount of power and speed. You should hit the shuttlecock when it is in front of your body, striking it in the area just above the center of your racket. If you can jump and smash the shuttlecock at the same time, then you generate more power and hit the shot at a much steeper angle. Note that smash shots take a great deal of energy.

    Badminton Clear Shots

    • The clear shot is probably the most common shot in badminton.You hit the shuttlecock high and deep, forcing your opponent to move to the back of the court. You make this shot with an arm movement that is similar to throwing a ball. The shuttlecock will move quickly and almost parallel to the ground.This shot also gives your opponent little time to get any power behind his return shot.