Basic badminton shots that every beginner player should know

If you are searching this information then i am assuming that you are just starting out in badminton. As a beginner it is very necessary to know the basic badminton shots and how to execute them, this will be the foundation of your badminton journey.

If you want to know in broader sense types of badminton strokes then these are

• Overhead Forehand stroke(From back of the court)
• Overhand Backhand stroke(From back of the court)
• Underarm Forehand stroke(From net area on court)
• Underarm Backhand stroke(From net area on court)

Types of shots in badminton

• Clears
• Smash
• Drop,Drop shots and Dribbles
• Counter/drive/Parallel
• Net kill

So from this we can see that there are 5 types of shots in badminton Now lets get in detail with each of these basic badminton shots

Clears

What is clears in Badminton?

What is clears in Badminton? If a player hit the shuttle from back of the court to his opponent back side of the court or lift shuttle from net area is called clear

Different types of shots (clear)

• Underarm clears
• Overhead clears

First lets learn about underarm clears

When you are lifting shuttle from net area to back of court then it will be categorize in underarm clear.  It is played with both forehand and backhand side read this article

Were to use?

Underarm clear can be used when your opponent played a good net shot which you know will not be able to return with dribble(sometime players try to anticipate their opponent dribble for net kill) so good thing to do is lift shuttle so that you can get yourself back in rally.

Or another tactics you can use is keep lifting shuttle back of the court so that in frustration he will make any mistake which you will then take advantage off.

Overhead clears

• Attacking clears
• Full Length clears

Use of Attacking clear in badminton

These are much sharper shot and are played to create opportunity during rally, suppose your opponent is a short player now by playing these sharp attacking clear it will be difficult for him to return shot specially when it is played to his backhand side.

One thing to note that sometime player make mistake of playing attacking clear with less height, yes the main objective of the shot is to hit shuttle with low height but keep in mind that if shuttle height is too low then player can easily intercept the shot especially when he is a tall player.

Use of Full length clears in Badminton

These type of shots are much less used by Pro players as comparison to beginner for intermediate player because it it is a neutral shot that means that neither of the player can take advantage but there are situation where it can be very helpful.

When you are out of position:- player always try to make their opponent off balance by playing sharp shot or deception to force him in playing a loose shot now in this situation you can use a full length clear, suppose you are out of position now by playing a long clear you can have sufficient time to get back in balance.

When you are out of stamina:- Playing a 30 minute match is not easy and when you have weak physical fitness then these full length clear can be very helpful for you so instead of playing more attacking short or sharp shot you can use these full length clears to really slow down pace of rally.

Learn more singles tactics in this article

Smash

The smash is a shot hit with power and speed downward to your opponent’s court. The angle and the steepness of the shuttle’s trajectory will make it hard for your opponent to retrieve.

Smashes are most exciting to watch and also difficult to master especially if it is combined with a jump.

If you are interested in learning badminton smash then click here to read my other article about smashes.

Some types of smashes

• Half smash
• Full smash
• stick smash

Use of badminton smash

It can be a very effective shot if used in a proper way,first creating an opening and then finish the rally with a powerful smash.

Smashes consume very much energy and if your are not quick enough to get to the reply of your smash then it can cost you a match.

So always first analyze what’s happening on court and then choose your strokes.

In singles

So now you have learnt how to smash but question you are gonna use in your favor to win rally in single it seems obvious that playing smashes to side line are more effective but it is not always the case especially when you are playing against the total player if his defense is very good he can defend your smash with a single lunge so in that case playing smash close to his body is a wise option.

What I am trying to say is that there is no particular tactic to win the match you have to adapt according to situation now I am not saying just to stop reading all this thing or watch videos about studies for matches what use these as an inspiration and not make rigid strategy.

In doubles

In doubles most of the beginners or even intermediate player seems to be placing their smashes at center of court now it may seem practical because center smashes will confuse both player but if you are playing against and experienced pair then this tactic is not going to work,

Don’t believe me? After you finish this article go watch a international doubles match on YouTube and notice how they are standing on Court you will see that one player is near Central Line and other player is is in half court, I have also written an article about Doubles formation which you can check out for more better understanding.

So in that situation playing smashes above their waste and below their neck or placing smash to forehand hand side near hip is a nice way to go.

Drop, Drop shots and Dribble(net drop)

Slow drop shot

Drops are those types of slow shots which are played from back of the court to net area of your opponent. These are more slow and close to the net.

Use of Drops in matches

These shots are very effective against tall players , as they are much close to net , it put tall player closer giving you opportunity for attacks.

Be careful in using these shots if you played drop much too slow than your opponent will have time to reach the shuttle , always play shots keeping in mind position of your opponent.

Drop shot in Badminton

Fast drop shot

Drop shots are those type of fast shots which are played from back of the court to net area of opponent. These are more fast and sharp badminton shots.

Use Drop shots

It is a more fast paced shot and can be used to change pace of rally and add sudden explosiveness.Viktor axelsen mostly use this shot , because been a tall player you can produce more deep angles in drop.

Adding jump to your drop shot is also a good idea it will make your shot more tipper and your opponent will be confused whether you are going to play a smash toss or drop shot and he will not be able to decide where to keep his body more ready, most of the time specially experience player always try to insert anticipate their opponent shots and making it look like on same will in fraction reduce their reaction time.

In badminton to win level you have to break them off your opponent so playing every single shot by performing same action is a good habit.

Dribble in Badminton

Drop Shot

Dribbling(net drop) means when you reply to your opponent net shot with a more tight net shot(here net shots means player are playing net to net)

Use of Dribbles

Badminton shots along the net (known as “net shots”) are used to create opportunities and dominate the front of the court.It is a very important skill to help you win badminton rallies.

A good net shot can force your opponent to perform a high lift/clear, so
that you can play a winning smash.A tumbling net shot enables the shuttle to tumble across just slightly above the net.

Counter /Drive/Parallel

What is counter attack/Drive/Parallel?

If a player reply his opponent’s smash with more force  to back of the court or with a parallel stroke then it is called counter attack.

How to use these shot for your advantage in singles and doubles?

Most of the time especially in singles, player after smashing run to the net area for next shot, so you can use this stroke and play a counter to back of the court for winning a point.These are the most common basic badminton shots used in badminton.

Drives and parallel are used very low by beginners or even intermediate player but these can be very effective if used at right moment.

In Singles

Suppose you are playing with a slow player and by slow I mean that his footwork is more relaxed, he is able to reach your shots but not moving with much explosive power, now a normal player will think that I should increase my footwork speed to beat this player. It is a good strategy if you have good endurance but in my opinion it will be more efficient to increase speed of your shots instead of moving faster, seems good.

In Doubles

also it plays an important role in turning opponent attacking play into defensive play, you are having a match against a very attacking players in doubles only they are doing is attack, now an experienced player instead of just defending their smashes in a hope that eventually they will get tired, he will try to find opportunity to counter they attack and quickly move forward to donate to gain attacking position for his partner.

Net Kill

The net kill is a useful skill to end a rally when if your opponent executes a poor quality net shot (net shot that is too high). When your opponent plays a net shot that is too high, strike with a net kill!

In this video lin dan is performing net kill to his opponents high net shot.

A net kill is when you hit the shuttle downwards from the net area, with the aim of winning the rally immediately.Net kills are played with pace, but they don’t require much power and should be played as steeply as possible.If you try to hit the shuttle too hard, it will often go flat.These flat kills are much easier to return, and they often go out at the back!

When to use Net kill

Net kill can be a very effective shot if played at right moment, to perform
Proper net kill having speed on Court and power in wrist is must.

Mainly shot is performed when your opponent place a lose net shot means that shuttle is not played Sharp against net and you can easily pounce with single jump.

One thing to note that your racket should not cross the net while making a net kill, it means that your contact point with shuttle must be in your court and when the shuttle is dead follow through of racket to your opponent court side is allowed.

if you are finding difficulty in understanding Fault during net kill read this article

As been a badminton player i know that it is very difficult to learn these basic badminton shots and learning their utility in the game but if you will keep practicing these shots for 6 months(5 Days/week) then you will become capable of executing these shots in a very effective manner.

FAQ:- How much time will it take to master these badminton shots.

Ans, To master it takes 5-6 years and to learn these shots it takes 1 year, 5 Days/week.

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Thank you for reading…….