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Badminton is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock, which is hit back and forth over a net. The sport can be played in singles or doubles formats. In doubles, two pairs of players form teams and compete against each other, resulting in a game of four players. In men's doubles, each team has two men as opposed to mixed doubles, where each team has one man and one woman. The server in doubles will start on the right-hand side and keep serving while alternating sides with their teammate as long as they keep winning points.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 2 pairs of players forming teams, resulting in a game of 4 players |
| Court dimensions | 6.1m (20ft) wide |
| Service rules | The server will start on the right-hand side and keep serving, alternating sides with their teammate when they lose a rally |
| Scoring | First to 21 points wins the game. If the score is 20-20, a side must win by 2 clear points. If it reaches 29-29, the first to get their 30th point wins |
| Shuttlecock | Made of feathers or synthetic material, attached to a cork or rubber base. It is cone-shaped and flies cork-first when struck |
| Player selection | Ambition to improve is more important than current skill level. Compatibility and chemistry between players are important factors |
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What You'll Learn
Men's doubles in badminton
Mens doubles in badminton is a popular format of the game, alongside singles and mixed doubles. It involves four players in total, with two players on each team playing against each other. The aim, as in singles badminton, is to score points by striking the shuttlecock, or 'birdie', with a racquet and landing it within the opposing team's half of the court.
Rules
The rules of mens doubles in badminton are similar to the rules of singles badminton, with some variations. Here are the key rules to keep in mind:
- Court Size: The badminton court for doubles is wider than for singles, measuring 6.1m (20ft) in width.
- Service: The server in doubles starts on the right-hand side and continues serving, alternating sides with their teammate, as long as they keep winning points. If the receiving side wins a point, they get to serve next.
- Rally: A rally continues until one team wins a point. The winning team gets to serve for the next point.
- Scoring: A match is played as the best of three games, with each game played up to 21 points. If the score reaches 29-29, the first team to score 30 points wins.
- Shot Selection: In doubles, shot selection is crucial. Teams should coordinate their positioning based on the shots they intend to make. For example, on the serve, the server and receiver should be just behind the service line, while their partners take up the back position near the midcourt.
Strategy
Mens doubles in badminton requires a combination of strategy and quick thinking. Here are some key strategies to consider:
- Variety of Strokes: Employ a wide variety of strokes, such as powerful jumping smashes and delicate tumbling net returns. Use subtler strokes to set up your smashes, such as forcing the opponent to lift the shuttlecock with a net shot.
- Deception: Deception is an important aspect of the game. Use advanced stroke skills to deceive your opponents about the speed or direction of your stroke, tricking them into moving in the wrong direction.
- Exploit Weaknesses: Identify your opponents' weaknesses early on and exploit them consistently. Aim for their weaker side, usually the backhand, to increase the likelihood of a weak return.
- Change of Pace: Vary the speed of your shots to keep your opponents off balance. Mix slower shots, such as drop shots and net shots, with faster shots like smashes and drives.
- Court Coverage: Keep your opponents moving by avoiding predictable positions. Instead of standing in the centre of the court, use a variety of shots to move them from the net to the back and from the forehand to the backhand side.
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Choosing a partner
Choosing a suitable partner is crucial in badminton doubles, as it can significantly impact your performance and success in matches. Here are some important factors to consider when selecting your men's doubles partner:
Understanding and Chemistry
One of the most crucial aspects of choosing a partner is ensuring you have good chemistry and understanding. This means finding someone who can complement your playing style and work together effectively. It is important to communicate clearly and have a shared strategy that utilises both of your strengths. Take the time to practice and build this understanding, as it can give you a significant advantage over opponents who may exploit weaknesses due to a lack of cohesion.
Skill Level and Ambition
When selecting a partner, you may consider their current skill level and their ambition to improve. While choosing a highly skilled partner can be advantageous, it is also beneficial to find someone eager to learn and develop. A partner with the drive to get better can become an even stronger player over time, and their dedication to improvement can positively impact your team's performance.
Positional Knowledge and Strategy
Positional knowledge is vital in doubles. Look for a partner who understands the importance of positioning and can adapt their position based on their strengths and yours. For example, if you are more comfortable at the back of the court, your partner should naturally look to attack the net and vice versa. This ensures you play to each other's strengths and force your opponents into less favourable positions.
Handling a Weaker Partner
At times, you may find yourself playing with someone less skilled than you. In such cases, it is essential to remain positive and patient. Encourage your partner to take up a net position, as this can increase the chances of winning points. Cover more of the court yourself and play intelligent shots to maintain control of the game. Help your partner feel more relaxed, as this can enhance their creativity and improve their ability to process information, resulting in better tactical decisions.
Organising Pairings
If you are responsible for organising pairings for a social group or team, there are a few approaches you can take. One method is to hold a singles tournament and pair the top-ranking players. However, keep in mind that successful singles players may not always make a good pair due to differences in play styles and a lack of chemistry. Another approach is to ask group members privately about their preferred playing partners and organise teams based on mutual preferences. This can help foster better chemistry and enjoyment within the group.
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Strategy and positioning
When it comes to strategy and positioning in badminton, there are several key factors to consider. Firstly, let's differentiate between singles and doubles matches. In singles, the court dimensions are 13.41m (44ft) in length and 5.18m (17ft) in width. The server always starts on the right-hand service court and switches to the left service court when they have an odd number of points. The server must also deliver the serve with their racquet pointing downwards, which typically means hitting the shuttlecock upwards to pass over the net.
Now, let's focus on doubles, which is when two players team up. The court for doubles is wider, extending to 6.1m (20ft). In doubles, the server will always start on the right-hand side and will keep serving and alternating sides with their partner as long as they keep winning points. If they lose a point, the partner will take over serving once they win another point. This dynamic of switching servers within a team adds an interesting layer of strategy to the game.
When it comes to choosing partners for men's doubles, compatibility and chemistry are crucial. While individual skill levels are important, the ambition to improve and the willingness to train together regularly can often be more valuable in the long run. It's also essential to consider the playstyles of each player and how well they complement each other.
In terms of shot selection and strategy, deception and subtlety are key in badminton. Expert players use slicing to deceive their opponents about the speed and direction of their strokes. They also set up powerful smashes with subtler strokes, such as forcing the opponent to lift the shuttlecock with a tight and tumbling net shot. Advanced stroke skills are essential to gaining a competitive advantage, as they allow players to deceive their opponents and control the pace of the game.
Lastly, positioning in mixed doubles is also worth noting. The standard attacking position is with the woman in front and the man at the back. However, clever opponents will try to reverse this, forcing the man towards the front or the woman towards the back. To counter this, mixed pairs must be careful and systematic in their shot selection. At higher levels of play, formations become more flexible, with top female players capable of playing powerful shots from the backcourt.
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Strokes and deception
In badminton, a match is typically played in a best-of-three format, with each game lasting until a player or team reaches 21 points. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock, also known as a
To excel in badminton, players need to master a diverse range of strokes and implement them strategically in different situations. These strokes can vary from powerful jumping smashes to delicate tumbling net returns. Setting up a smash, for instance, demands more subtle strokes like a net shot that forces the opponent to lift the shuttlecock, creating an opportunity for a decisive smash. Deception is a crucial aspect of badminton, often employed to gain an advantage over opponents by manipulating their expectations.
Deception in badminton involves executing shots in a way that misleads opponents, making it challenging for them to predict the outcome based on your stroke or body movement. This can be achieved through techniques like slicing, where the angled racket face doesn't align with the direction of its movement, resulting in a glancing blow instead of a direct hit. Another deceptive tactic is the double motion, where the initial racquet swing is abruptly changed to a different direction, catching the opponent off guard. Triple motion, a rare variation, involves an additional layer of deception by suggesting one shot but executing another.
To enhance deception, players can exploit their opponent's eagerness to anticipate shots. This is done by deliberately presenting false cues in their body movement or racket handling, only to surprise them with an unexpected shot. A successful deception may cause opponents to completely misread the shot, resulting in an outright point, or force them to hesitate or adjust their movement patterns, creating an advantage for the deceiving player.
In the context of badminton doubles, a disguised drop shot is commonly used for deception. Additionally, deception can be effectively employed in the front or midcourt areas. Having a solid foundation in footwork and basic shots is essential for executing deceptive strokes. This uniformity in movement and technique across different shots makes it more challenging for opponents to predict your intentions.
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Scoring and serving
Scoring
In badminton, a match is typically played as the best of three games, with each game played up to 21 points. To win a match, a player or team must win two games. The first side to reach 21 points wins the game, but they must win by two clear points. If the score reaches 20-20, play continues until one side has a two-point lead, so the final score could be 22-20 or 25-23. If the score reaches 29-29, the first side to score 30 points wins.
A point is scored on every serve and is awarded to the side that wins the rally. A player wins a rally when they strike the shuttlecock, also known as a birdie, and it touches the floor of the opponent's side of the court, or when the opponent commits a fault. The most common type of fault is when a player fails to hit the shuttlecock over the net or it lands outside the boundary of the court. Each side can only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net, and once hit, a player cannot strike it again in a new movement or shot.
Serving
The serve is performed by hitting the shuttlecock with the racquet and aiming to land it within the opponent's half of the court, within the set boundaries. The server's racquet must be pointing in a downward direction, so the shuttlecock is usually hit upwards to pass over the net. The server can choose a low serve into the forecourt, a lift to the back of the service court, or a flat drive serve. Lifted serves may be high serves or flick serves. High serves are when the shuttlecock is lifted so high that it falls almost vertically at the back of the court, while flick serves are when the shuttlecock is lifted to a lesser height but falls sooner.
In singles, the server starts from the right service court and will serve from that side every time they have an even number of points. In doubles, the server starts on the right-hand side and keeps serving, alternating sides with their teammate, as long as they keep winning points. If the receiving side wins the point, they assume the serve. The player who did not initially serve for each team will then assume the service once their side has won a point as the receiving side.
Both players must remain stationary until the serve is made, and the serve must pass the short service line, which is 1.98m (6.5ft) from the net.
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Frequently asked questions
Men's doubles in badminton refers to a team of two male players competing against another team of two male players.
When choosing a men's doubles pair, it's important to consider compatibility and how well the players get along. While skill is important, ambition and willingness to improve are also key factors in choosing a doubles partner.
For men's doubles, the badminton court is 44ft (13.41m) long and 20ft (6.1m) wide.
In men's doubles, the server will start on the right-hand side and keep serving from that side as long as the team keeps winning points. If they lose a point, the teammate will take over serving, resuming service once the team wins another point.
Some well-known men's doubles badminton tournaments include the Thomas Cup, the Olympic Games, and the BWF World Championships.
