Kristian Ferrell
Badminton is an ancient sport, with roots in a game played in India centuries ago. To play badminton effectively, you must master a variety of shots and know when to use them. The most common badminton shots include the clear, drive, drop, smash, and net shot. Each of these shots can be used in different ways and from different areas of the court to create opportunities, defend against opponents' attacks, or simply buy yourself some time. Mastering these shots and learning to disguise them will make you a formidable opponent.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Defensive or attacking |
| Trajectory | High, towards the back court or close to the net |
| Played from | Forecourt, mid-court or back court |
| Type of shot | Clear, drive, drop, smash, net, lob, push, net lift, net kill, spinning shots |
| Racket movement | Flat, angled, slicing, double motion, triple motion |
| Opponent's position | Opponent is forced to move to the back court or forecourt |
| Footwork | Quick footwork is required to play shots effectively |
| Disguise | Shots should be disguised to be unpredictable |
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What You'll Learn
How to play a drop shot
The drop shot is a strategic movement in badminton that aims to deceive your opponent into thinking you're about to make a powerful shot, such as a drive, clear, or smash, when you're actually going to play a drop shot. This throws your opponent off balance, giving them less time to respond.
There are a few variations of the drop shot, but they all hinge on utilising wrist movement to deceive your opponent. The shot can be played with both a forehand and a backhand grip. When using a forehand grip, stand sideways with your non-racket hand facing the net. Shift your weight to your rear foot and bend your elbow, holding the racket. As you hit the shuttle, straighten your elbow, tapping the shuttle as you make contact. The point of contact should be above the racket shoulder.
A slow drop shot will cause the shuttle to land in your opponent's front court, as close to the net as possible. This type of shot is effective if your opponent is heavy, as they will have to move their body weight to get close to the net, expending more energy. A fast drop shot, on the other hand, will cause the shuttle to land in the midcourt of your opponent, preferably by the sides. This shot is intended to catch your opponent off-guard, giving them less time to react.
It's important to note that when executing a drop shot, you should not hit it with too little force. While you want the shuttle to land close to the net, it should still have enough speed so that your opponent doesn't have enough time to react and reach the shuttle.
Once you have mastered the individual drop shot, you can combine it with other shots to create a diverse playing style. For example, you can use a combination of lift/net shot/lift/net shot to keep your opponent moving and deplete their energy.
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How to play a clear shot
The clear shot is one of the easiest badminton techniques to master and is often the first technique learned by beginners. It is a fundamental stroke that can be used to push your opponent back into their backcourt, giving you time to reposition yourself.
To execute a clear shot, you will send the shuttlecock high into the air and deep into your opponent's court. This is also known as an overhead clear shot or lobbing. The most common version of this shot is the forehand clear, which is also an overhead clear. With more advanced skills, you can also perform a backhand clear.
The clear shot is often used as a defensive strategy to defend against a flurry of attacking shuttles without expending too much energy. It can also be used to change the pace of the game. However, some players view the clear shot as a last resort or a sign that their opponent is under pressure. This presents an opportunity to exploit this mindset and use the clear shot to catch your opponent off guard.
While the clear shot is a useful technique, it is important to disguise your shots to prevent your opponent from predicting your moves. For example, you can make your offensive shots look like a drive or drop shot until the last second.
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How to play a smash shot
The smash is an attacking downward shot used to win a rally or produce a weak reply from the opponent. It is one of the most powerful and fastest shots in badminton, reaching speeds of up to 565 km/h. The downward angle of the shot is just as important as the speed at which it is hit. The steepness of the shuttlecock's trajectory makes it hard for the opponent to retrieve and return.
To execute a smash, you need to be positioned behind the shuttlecock—about half a metre behind it is optimal. This is because a lot of power comes from rotating your body forwards into the shot. Stand in position on the balls of your feet, with knees slightly bent. Turn sideways with your left foot pointing towards the target and your right foot parallel to the baseline. Your left shoulder and fully extended elbow will be pointing towards the shuttlecock. The racket elbow should be extended backward behind the head at 90 degrees with the face of the racket above head height. Transfer weight onto the back foot.
It is important to choose the correct moment to unleash the smash. The smash is used when an opponent returns the shuttle high but short. The advantage of hitting a smash is that it gives an opponent very little time to react and return the shuttle. However, if the opponent manages to return the shuttle, you will have reduced time to prepare and set yourself for the next shot. Hitting too many smashes can also make a player tire quicker.
To improve your smash, it is important to practice. One way to practice is to hit a drop shot on one side of the court and then have your partner lift to the other side, allowing you to smash. Another way is to hit the smash, and then have your partner hit it back to the mid-court, allowing you to practice the movement after the smash.
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How to play a drive shot
The drive shot is a basic flat shot, hit hard on a horizontal or slightly downward path, usually played down the sidelines of the court. It is a powerful and quick counter-attacking shot that is easy to execute. If played correctly, it will force your opponent to hit an upward return, giving you an opportunity to counter-attack.
The best time to play a drive shot is when you are balanced and in a good position, and your opponent is off-balance and has not recovered to a central base. This often occurs after they play a smash. When possible, place the drive into open space, away from your opponent. If you can make them reach late or at full stretch, they will likely play a weak reply.
When attacking from the net against a centrally positioned opponent, drive shots are usually best played directly at their body. This will make it difficult for them to return the shuttle as they won't be able to get their racket into an effective hitting position. You can also try hitting drives to the sidelines, but beware: if it's within reach of your opponent, they may counter-drive and steal the point. After your opponent's smash, drives should be directed away from them.
The backhand drive is the same as the forehand version, except for a slight grip change. Start the backswing with the palm facing down and finish the stroke with it facing up. To get to the shuttle before it drops too low, extend your dominant leg towards the shuttle and reach with your racket arm. Then pivot and turn in the direction of the shuttle, with the wrist in the cocked position for the backswing. This should mean the racket is parallel to the floor. Swing forward and transfer your body weight onto the dominant foot. Make sure to extend the racket arm, roll the forearm over in a supination movement, and uncock the wrist to provide power. The final stage of this stroke is the follow-through, when the arm should travel in line with the shuttle's path.
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How to play a net shot
To play a net shot, you must step forward with your dominant foot and reach with your racket arm. Make sure to put the racket face in line with the dropping shuttlecock. You should also aim to put slightly more body weight on your front foot. When in line with the shuttlecock, cock your wrist and, as soon as it comes into the hitting area, drop the racket head down and quickly lift it to make contact with the shuttlecock as close to the top of the net as possible. The racket hand palm should be facing up when making contact. The last of the racket lift should come from the shoulder. This should mean the shuttlecock bounces off the face with no pace on it, making it fall just over the net.
After the net shot, get back into the ready position and be prepared for the return. Practice your forehand net shot until you manage to hit it close to the net.
Net shots are used to create opportunities and dominate the front court. They are also used to counter a drop shot, bringing your opponent forward and creating space in the rear court that can be exploited.
The tumbling net shot is played in such a way that the shuttle tumbles and spins right above the net towards your opponent’s side. To achieve the tumbling effect, you’ll need to slice the shuttle. There are no swinging motion or wrist action involved. Touch the shuttle by slicing the racket against it. After this point, your racket arm and wrist shouldn’t move until you play the net shot.
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Frequently asked questions
The five essential badminton shots that beginners should focus on are the Clear, Drive, Drop, Smash, and Net shots. The Clear shot is considered the most important and basic shot in badminton.
Practice makes perfect. Playing against others with a wide range of playstyles will help you improve your shots and force you to use different shot types. You can also film yourself playing to study your form, footwork, and technique, or watch YouTube content from professional players to learn from their techniques.
Slice shots can be used to conceal the direction of the shuttlecock and make powerful shots appear slower. They are useful for creating opportunities and dominating the front court. However, be careful not to use too much power as this may cause the shuttlecock to hit the net.
