Kristian Ferrell
The forehand serve in badminton is a basic technique that beginners learn first. It is a high and long serve, sometimes called an underhand serve, and is executed by standing behind the baseline with the left shoulder pointing towards the target and weight on the back foot. The ball is dropped between the player and the target, and the paddle arm swings forward to make contact with the ball below the waist. The forehand serve is not used for immediate attacking advantage but to start the rally with lower pressure on the server. It is still widely used at the highest levels of women's singles by top players like Tai Tzu Ying and Akane Yamaguchi.
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What You'll Learn
Forehand grip
The forehand grip is one of the four basic grips in badminton, along with the backhand grip, overhead grip, and serve grip. It is used for a number of strokes, including drives, smashes, and clears.
To execute the forehand grip, hold the racket as if you are shaking someone's hand, with a 'V shape' formed between your thumb and index finger. Your thumb should rest on the wider, flat side of the racket handle, and your fingers should be loose around the grip. This allows for greater flexibility and makes it easier to quickly change grips during a rally. A tight grip will hinder your ability to generate control and power in your shots.
When serving, the weight should start on the back foot and shift to the front foot during the motion to generate momentum and consistency. The wrist should be pulled back, and the arm swung in a pendulum motion, with a final flick of the wrist or forearm before contacting the shuttle. The shuttle should be dropped at a comfortable distance from the body to allow for a full swing.
It is a good idea to practice switching between grips with a conditioned routine, such as a backhand defensive shot followed by a forehand defensive shot, or vice versa. This will help you make quick grip changes and improve your gameplay.
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Stance and positioning
When playing singles, the strongest position for serving is close to the centre line. In a doubles game, your position behind the baseline when serving is somewhat dependent on the type of serve you plan to use. However, you shouldn't vary your position too much, or your opponent might guess your next move. For example, if you want to hit a short crosscourt serve, you can get more of an angle if you stand close to the sideline rather than in the centre of the court.
For a forehand drive serve, stand in a forward stride position behind the baseline with your left shoulder pointing towards the target and your weight on your back foot. The ball is in your left hand, and that arm is extended toward the net. Bend at the waist, take your paddle arm back, and drop or toss the ball between you and the target.
For a lob serve, stand in a balanced upright position with your body facing the net and your left foot slightly ahead of the right foot. The paddle arm hangs loosely at your side with the paddle in a backward cocked position. Hold the ball in your left hand with that arm in line with the target.
For a forehand low serve, a right-handed player should assume a side-stride position behind the baseline with the right side towards the net. The right foot points to a spot between the net and the left sideline. The ball is in the left hand, and the arms are crossed in front of the body.
In general, the badminton forehand serve starts with the weight on the back foot and shifts towards the front foot during the process of serving. This generates momentum and a more consistent flow for better-quality serves.
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Variations of the forehand serve
The forehand serve in badminton is considered a basic technique that beginners can learn to start playing the game. It is typically always a high and long serve, sometimes referred to as an underhand badminton serve.
The forehand serve has three main variations: the forehand drive serve, the short crosscourt serve, and the lob serve.
Forehand Drive Serve
The most common serve, it involves standing in a forward stride position behind the baseline with the left shoulder pointing toward the target and the weight on the back foot. The ball is held in the left hand, with that arm extended toward the net. The player then bends at the waist, takes the paddle arm back, drops or tosses the ball between themselves and the target, swings the paddle arm forward in an underhand motion, and makes contact with the ball below the waist. After contact, the player follows through by bringing the arm up and toward the target.
Short Crosscourt Serve
After a series of deep serves, the opponent will likely not expect a short crosscourt serve, which may lead to an easy point. To get more angle on the ball, the server can stand close to the sideline rather than in the center of the court.
Lob Serve
The lob serve is an excellent serve to mix in with a forehand drive serve. The server stands in a balanced upright position with the body facing the net and the left foot slightly ahead of the right foot. The paddle arm hangs loosely at the side with the paddle in a backward cocked position. The ball is held in the left hand, with that arm in line with the target. The player then drops the ball, swings the paddle arm forward, and makes contact with the face of the paddle behind and below the ball. The follow-through is up and toward the target, with the ball lofted and landing deep in the intended service court. The slow speed of the ball and the high bounce often throw off the timing of the receiving player.
The trajectory of the high serve should go high and far to the target. The serve is executed by swinging the racket like a golf club, hitting the shuttle from below and sending it with a high trajectory over the opponent, making it drop towards the baseline of their service box, ideally at a 90-degree angle. This makes it difficult for the opponent to return and gives the server time to compose a better follow-up strike.
The forehand serve is typically used in singles games and is less common in doubles, especially at higher levels of competition. It is still widely used at the highest levels of women's singles, with top players like Tai Tzu Ying and Akane Yamaguchi employing it successfully in major tournaments.
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When to use a forehand serve
The forehand serve in badminton is a basic technique that beginners can learn to start playing badminton. It is typically always a high and long serve and is sometimes referred to as an underhand badminton serve. It is one of the first service styles beginners learn because they can get away with less focus on technique and strike with as much power as they want.
The forehand serve is a great technique to mix up your service. It is typically executed in a singles game and is widely used at the highest levels of women's singles. It is a good option to use when your opponent is extremely aggressive on the net as it can push them back to the rear court. It should always be hit to the baseline to push your opponent back on the court.
The forehand serve can also give you more time to position yourself for the return shuttle, which can give you a defensive advantage. It can be used to throw off the timing of the receiving player, especially when mixed in with a forehand drive serve.
When playing doubles, the forehand serve can be used to get more of an angle on the ball. For example, if you intend to hit a short crosscourt serve, standing close to the sideline will give you a better angle on the hit ball than standing in the center of the court. However, varying your position too much can give away the type of serve you plan to use.
The decision about which serve to use depends on the position of the player receiving the serve and how they react to and handle each kind of serve.
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Advantages and disadvantages
The forehand serve in badminton is an underhand shot that follows a high, far trajectory. It is performed by holding the shuttle with the feathers between two fingers and swinging the racket in an underhand motion to hit the shuttle high and far over the net.
Advantages:
One of the main advantages of the forehand serve is that it can be used to push your opponent back to the rear court, giving you more time to plan a follow-up strike. This is especially useful if your opponent is very aggressive at the net. Hitting the shuttle high enough will also make it drop at a steep angle, making it difficult for your opponent to return. This serve can also be used to mix up your service and keep your opponent guessing.
Disadvantages:
The forehand serve is less popular than the backhand serve, especially in doubles matches, as it offers less control over the shuttlecock. The backhand grip allows for a shorter swing with more precision and is, therefore, a better choice for players who want to gain the attacking initiative immediately. The forehand serve is also easy for opponents to read and anticipate, which can reduce its effectiveness. Additionally, mastering the forehand serve can take time and practice to perfect the timing, power, and technique required.
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Frequently asked questions
A forehand serve in badminton is typically a high and long serve, also known as an underhand serve. It is one of the first serving styles learned by beginners as it requires less focus on technique.
First, get the right grip. Hold the shuttle at the head with your thumb and fingers, and raise it to about shoulder level. Stand with your weight on the back foot, and then shift it to the front foot as you serve to generate momentum. Drop the shuttle at a comfortable distance from your body and swing your arm in a pendulum motion. Finally, just before making contact with the shuttle, flick your wrist and forearm.
The forehand serve can be used to push your opponent to the rear court by serving to the baseline. It can also be used to give yourself more time to prepare for your next strike. Additionally, the serve can be useful to mix up your service style and keep your opponent guessing.
The forehand serve is typically used in singles matches. It is not used to gain an immediate attacking advantage but rather to start the rally with lower pressure on the server. It is a good option if your opponent is very aggressive at the net.
The forehand serve is not as popular as the backhand serve, especially in men's badminton. This is because the backhand serve allows players to control the net and gain an attacking advantage at the beginning of the rally. However, the forehand serve is still widely used at the highest levels of women's singles, with top players like Tai Tzu Ying and Akane Yamaguchi using it successfully in major tournaments.
