A Little Birdie Told Me: Talking About Strokes

Much like tennis, its distant cousin, the two most basic shots in badminton are the forehand and backhand. A player's forehand side is typically his or her dominant, or playing, hand. For a right-handed player, the forehand is on the right and the backhand on the left; forehand strokes are hit with the palm of the hand facing outward, while backhand strokes are hit with the knuckles leading.

The three basic offensive shots in badminton are the clear, smash and drop shot. However, a player's ability to execute these shots during the rally normally depends on how well he starts the point. Everything in badminton starts with the serve.

Matt DeFransisco prepares to hit a
forehand serve for Adelphi.
(Photo by me)

Serve
Not only does the serve start a point, but it can also be used as a weapon. A serve can be executed using a forehand or backhand stroke, but there are many intricate rules which make serving the most difficult concept to master in badminton.

At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand diagonally from each other in their respective service boxes. The serve must make contact with the serve below the waste and serve using an underhand motion with the racket pointing downwards. The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce.

If a player hits the serve out of bounds, or if he swings and does not make contact with the shuttlecock, then he loses the point and the serve goes to the opponent.

The singles and doubles courts have different boundary lines when it comes to serving. In singles, the playing area and service area are the same and is commonly referred to as "long and narrow." In doubles, the serving area is referred to as "short and wide," while the playing area is "long and wide."

The different serving areas in badminton.
(Chart via www.birdievents.com)

Badminton serves can be categorized as short serves and long serves, and can be performed using a forehand or backhand service action. Typically, forehand serves are played in singles and backhand serves in doubles; however, this usually comes down to player preference.

Clear

The clear can be used as both a rally and defensive shot in badminton. It is the most common stroke, played underhand or overhand on the forehand or backhand sides. The overhead clear is used to push the opponent into the backcourt and open the front court to finish the point. It can also be used to give a player more time to get back into position when on defense. The underhand clear serves the same purpose, but it is played from the front area of the court to the opponent's back court.

It is important for clears to be played deep in the court. Poorly executed, short or mishit clears can set up an opponent to put away an easy smash. 

Smash

Jenna Cavuto comes down from a jump
smash. (Photo by me)

The smash is the 'kill shot' in badminton, hit with a lot of power and speed downward into the opponent's court. There is almost no defense against it, aside from quick reactions and maybe a bit of luck, due to the speed and trajectory of the shuttle. It can be played on both the forehand and backhand sides. The forehand overhead smash is executed in similar fashion to throwing a ball. When preparing to hit the shot, a player should shift his weight onto his back foot, before making contact with the shuttle high above his head and in front of his body. At the point of contact, the player should snap his wrist down, follow through with the racket, and shift weight from the back to the front foot. Footwork and positioning are the keys to executing a successful smash. Once mastering the basic smash, advanced players can also execute the jumping smash. A jump smash generates more power, comes at a steeper angle and gives the opponent even less time to react. Professional badminton players regularly hit jump smashes at incredible speeds. Fu Haifeng (seen in the attached video) holds the Guiness World Record for Fastest Men's Badminton Smash. At the 2005 Sudiman Cup, Fu hit a smash that clocked in at 206 mph (332 kph).

Drop Shot

A properly executed drop shot will just clear the net and land in the front court very close to the net. Typically, it is the best shot to use when the opponent is in the back court to break open a point. When playing it is important not to give away one's intent to use a drop shot, as the opponent might be able to read the play and run down a poorly executed one. 

In preparing to hit a drop shot, a player should set up as if they are hitting a smash or a clear to maximize deception. A player should contact the shuttlecock slightly in front of them, and hit it lightly and smoothly. Not a lot of power is required to get the shot over the net if it is executed correctly.