BADMINTON STUDY GUIDE
Pre-match
The choice of serving, receiving or which side to start on is determined by spinning the racket. If you are playing doubles, it is better to choose to receive and in singles, it is better to serve.
Equipment
Bird (also known as shuttlecock) – we play with plastic birds, but an official bird has 16 real feathers on a cork base.
Racket – know the parts of it.
Head (whole top)
Face
Throat
Shaft
Grip
Butt
Short Service Line
Left Service Court
Net
Center Line
Right Service Court
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Back Alley
Back Alley
Back Boundary Line – Doubles Play &
Singles Serve
Back Boundary Line – Doubles Serve
Side Alley Singles Side Line Doubles Side Line
The Game
Singles: The first serve of the game should come from the right service court. Most serves should be high and deep and, if not contacted, would land in the back alley. You can only score points if you have served. When a point is scored, the next serve comes from the other service court. To determine which court you serve from, say the score. If the server’s score is an even number, (0, 2, 4, etc.), serve from the right service court. If the server’s score is an odd number (1, 3, 5, etc.), serve from the left service court. The serve must go diagonally into the opposite service court. Two words to help remember the singles service court are long and narrow. The racket head must be below the wrist and waist and no step may be taken. If the serve hits the net and continues into the proper service court, the bird remains in play.
Wrist Waist
Right Service Court
Left Service Court
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For singles, if you are serving from point X, (an even number the serve must land score), the serve must land in the shaded area.
For singles, if you are serving from point X, (an odd number), the serve must land in the shaded area.
X
Doubles (a fourhanded game, i.e. 2 players on each side): The first server on the side is always the player in the right service court. The team which serves first gets only one hand of service which means only one person gets a turn to serve. The turn continues until the serving team commits a fault (an error). Most serves should be short and low. The racket head must be below the wrist and waist and no step may be taken. If the serve hits the net and continues into the proper service court, the bird remains in play. Two words to help remember the doubles service court are short and wide.
In doubles, if you are serving from point X, the serve must land must land in the shaded area.
In doubles, if you are serving from point X, the serve must land must land in the shaded area.
The person standing in the service court being served to must return the serve. After that, either person may return it, but only one hit is allowed per side. After the serve, the rally (a series of rapid returns by both sides) begins.
1. Forehand – It is a stroke contacted from the right side of the body (for a right-handed player). The “handshake” grip should be used.
Take the racket back as early
as possible
2. Backhand – It is a stroke contacted from the left side of the body (for a right-handed player). The grip should be changed from the forehand grip to the backhand grip. Note: It is important that on the backswing of all shots your side is to the net.
The different shots are:
1. Clear – It may be hit overhand or underhand and goes up high at a 45° angle and lands in the back alley.
2. Drive – It is a hard horizontal stroke, which just clears the net and lands deep in the opponent’s court.
3. Drop Shot – It is an overhand shot which goes up high at a 45° angle and falls just over the net to the floor.
4. Smash – It is a powerful downward shot. It is used to put the bird “away.” Note: Try to make the 3 overhand shots – clear, drop, smash – look the same until the last possible second.
5. Hairpin – It is an underhand shot made from close to the net. Ideally the bird should cross the net close to the top of the net and fall close to the other side of the net.
Backhand hairpin
Badminton is considered a wrist game; whereas tennis is considered an arm game. Being able to snap the wrist on many of the shots will help you be more successful.
Sometimes after a long rally in doubles, players forget which service court they are supposed to be in for the next service. Here is a way to remember where to go: The player who is the initial server for each team is called the “even” player - her partner the “odd” player. When the even player is serving from the right service court, the score must be even; when serving from the left, the score will be odd. The reverse will be true for her partner.
After the serve, the boundaries in singles are long and narrow. See diagram below
Singles Playing Court – after the serve
In doubles the boundaries become long and wide.
Doubles Playing Court – the outside line all the way around.
Scoring
The game is played to 15 points in doubles and men’s singles and 11 points in women’s singles.
In a 15 point game, when the game is tied at 14, it may be set 3 points (which means that the team that was serving continues serving; you continue scoring and whichever team gets 17 points first is the winner). The team which had 14 first has the option of setting the game. If the game is not set, continue play until one team gets 15. You do not have to win by two points. In an 11-point game, at 10-10, it may be set 3 points. Note: It is normally to your advantage to set the game.
A match consists of 2 out of 3 games. An exchange of courts or sides of the net is made at the beginning of each new game. In a match which runs to a third game, the players change ends when the leading score is one point beyond the halfway mark, i.e. 11 point game – change ends at 6 and in a 15 point game change at 8 points.
Additional Rules:
1. Birds landing on the line are in.
2. Birds which hit the rafters or baskets are out of bounds.
3. If you or your racket touch the net, it is a fault.
4. After the serve, if the bird hits the net and goes over, play continues.
Positioning
Wait for the bird in an athletic position and in your home position. In singles your home position is the center of the court. In doubles play up and back.
Positions of
Initial position of players during
the person receiving the rally when
the serve they are playing
in the up and back
Initial position of positions.
the receiver’s partner
Initial position of
the server from the
right hand service
court
Initial position of
server’s partner
Clear Drop
Smash
Drive
Hairpin