Over the years, Badminton as a sport has revolutionized in terms of participation, viewership, and quality as a whole. It is one of the most popular sport in the World with World-class players like Kento Momota, Tai Tzu Ying, PV Sindhu, Carolina Marin, and more who dominate the International Circuit. However, an interesting history lies behind the origin of Badminton as a sport. Take a look at the origins of badminton and the development of the sport Worldwide.
Origin of Badminton
The mentions of badminton date back 2000 years when it was called the game of battledore and shuttlecock which was predominantly played in Ancient Greece, India, and China. In this period, players used a paddle(battledore) to hit the shuttlecock between them and kept it from failing to fall on the ground.
However, the transformation of the sport started in Poona when the British took over India. A group of tired soldiers in Khadki (an area in Pune), looked for relaxation so they made a shuttle-like object using cork, feathers, and voila. They played by passing the object to and fro like a ball giving rise to badminton. The sport gathered so much popularity in Pune and eventually it was called ‘the Poona Game’. Moreover, the first set of informal badminton rules were formulated in India by the British colonists in 1867.
Additionally, in Southern India, another version of badminton, known as ball badminton became popular. In this, the game was played with woolen balls instead of shuttlecocks, and the British Soldiers got inspired by this idea as well. Therefore, in windy or wet conditions, the game was played with a woolen ball.
Eventually, the game traveled worldwide as British Officers introduced the game to Britain and Commonwealth.
Why is the sport called Badminton?
While the game popularised in Britain, the ninth Duke of Beaufort, Henry Somerset was fascinated by the game. In 1873, the Duke then introduced the game to his guests at a lawn party held at his estate in Gloucestershire.
Interestingly, the name of his estate was ‘The Badminton House’ and he called it ‘The Badminton Game’ following the name of his estate. Since then, the name ‘Badminton’ has been frozen as the name of the sport.
Rules of the Sport
From a game, badminton revolutionized as a competitive sport. In the 1870s, the Bath Badminton Club was formed which formulated new rules for the sport in 1877.
These rules were further improvised by the Badminton Association of England in 1893. The sport grew in terms of participation and championships with the All England Open Championships, first played in 1899, being the oldest badminton tournament to date.
History of the Formation of International Badminton Federation (IBF)
With the widespread reach of the sport following the All England Championships, the International Badminton Federation was formed on 5th July 1934. Initially, it comprised nine members namely, Denmark, England, Canada, Netherlands, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales.
In 2006, all the 176 members of IBF voted to change the name of the Federation to Badminton World Federation. The IBF, now known as the Badminton World Federation(BWF) is still the governing International body of Badminton.
Badminton at the Olympics
Badminton first appeared as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. However, it took 20 long years to be included as an Olympic Sport at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Badminton became an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. It included only singles and doubles for both men and women. Later, the mixed doubles category was introduced at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Since then, Badminton has contested in every Olympic Games till now. Moreover, the sport flourished after its inclusion at the Summer Olympics.
Also read: Olympic Oath: An Exquisite Guide
First Badminton Olympic Winners
- Men’s Singles: Alan Budikusuma(Indonesia)
- Women’s Singles: Susi Susanti(Indonesia)
- Men’s Doubles: Kim Moon-soo & Park Joo-bong (South Korea)
- Women’s Doubles: Hwang Hye-young & Chung So-young (South Korea)
Olympic Oath: An Exquisite Guide
The Olympic Oath is a ceremonial promise made by one athlete, judge/official, and one Coach at the Opening Ceremony of each Olympic Games. One athlete recited the Oath on behalf of every athlete/coach and officials. The first Olympic oath of the modern Olympics was written by the founder of IOC, Pierre de Coubertin. The Oath has gone through various modifications over time to reflect the changing nature of sports competitions.
Source: Te whanau
History
The inspiration for an Oath came from the Ancient Olympic Games where the athletes swore an Oath beside the statue of Zeus. The Olympic Oath was added into the protocol in 1906 by the International Olympic Committee(IOC) President and founder, Pierre de Coubertin.
Eventually, the first Olympic Oath was taken at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics by Belgian fencer Victor Boin.
“We swear. We will take part in the Olympic Games in a spirit of chivalry, for the honour of our country and for the glory of sport“.
Later, in 1961, there were several changes made to the oath. Particularly, ‘swear’ was replaced by ‘promise’ and ‘honor of our country’ by ‘honor of our teams’. It was done to eliminate Nationalism at the Games.
Moreover, in 1970, the IOC proclaimed that a judge from the host nation would also take the oath. Therefore, since 1972, a judge has also recited the oath along with the athlete at the opening ceremony. The first judge’s oath was taken by Heinz Pollay at the 1970 Munich Summer Olympics.
All athletes up till the 1980 Olympics, swore the oath by holding their country’s flag. However, since the 1984 Games, all athletes have sworn the oath on the Olympic Flag to eliminate nationalism from the oath ceremony.
At the 1988 Games, the oath was taken for the first time by two people, when Hur Jae and Shon Mi-Na took the oath in unison
Notably, the Munich Games also saw Heidi Schüller, the first female athlete to take the oath at the Summer Games. In 2010, the IOC identified that young athletes are inspired by their coaches therefore, the Coaches Oath was added to the Olympics protocol.
Language of the Olympic Oath
The Olympic Oath is usually said in the language of the host country. However, in the 1994 Winter Olympics both, the athlete’s and officials’ oaths were said in English.
Unified Oath
In 1999, the IOC established the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) to battle against doping. Therefore, the official’s oath was amended to include references to doping and drugs.
Eventually, with effect from the 2018 Winter Olympics, all three oaths were unified into one, led by an athlete to save time during the ceremony.
Each representative including the athlete, official, and coach says their part:
“In the name of all the athletes”,
“In the name of all the judges” or
“In the name of all the coaches and officials”
The athlete then completes the following oath.
“We promise to take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules and in the spirit of fair play. We all commit ourselves to sport without doping and cheating. We do this, for the glory of sport, for the honour of our teams and in respect for the Fundamental Principles of Olympism.”
21 gift ideas for a Badminton lover
Are you looking for great gifts for badminton fans and players? If yes, you have come to the right place as I have enlisted an amazing list of options you can consider to gift your friend who loves badminton. Take a look at the different options and I am sure you will find something worth purchasing for your friend.
Table of Contents
Tickets to the All England championship
Well, this gift is especially for hardcore badminton fans that follow all badminton tournaments passionately with their dream to watch one tournament live. The All England Championships is by far one of the greatest badminton tournament which involves all the great players of the world who fight to win the prestigious title. Gifting the tickets to your friend will be like a dream come true for him/her to see all the great players playing right in front of their eyes.
Badminton Cufflinks
If you are looking for a gift for a badminton lover who loves to dress up and try new ideas, then badminton cufflinks will be a very unique gift for them. It’s a great idea to add something interesting to the very serious and boring suits. Moreover, you can gift it to your friend who is about to get married as well. A tip while selecting a cufflink is to observe its weight. The heavier the cufflink the better the quality.
Badminton keychain
If you want to gift a small gift which is not very expensive then this is one of the best options. It is more suitable for kids and teenagers who love badminton. This is a very useful gift and can be used by them to keep a hold of their important keys.
Personalized water bottle
Sports bottles are trending nowadays. You get them in many designs, shape and you can even customize the appearance of the bottle. Badminton is an intensive sport that requires high hydration levels so gifting a water bottle is a very useful gift to give a badminton lover. Moreover, you can customize it concerning color, design, and many more features.
Sports towel
A sports towel is very much required in badminton and gifting a good sports towel is a perfect gift in terms of usefulness for your friend. A sports towel will help them to wipe out the sweat and it is an essential item for any badminton player. So if you are looking for a simple and useful gift, then you can go ahead with this idea.
Feather shuttlebox
This is one gift that will surely suit the need of any badminton player. A tube of shuttlebox is required by any level of player so they will surely appreciate it if you gift them a shuttlebox.
Badminton Mug
A badminton mug can be used for many purposes for drinking milk or your friend’s favorite beverage. Moreover, gifting a personalized badminton mug with your friend’s favorite player or a picture of your friend playing badminton will make it more special for them.
Badminton shirts
Badminton players require a great number of t-shirts for everyday use. You can gift a shirt to your badminton friend taking into consideration his favorite brand. It can be Yonex, lining, Adidas, or any other. Moreover, if you are looking for something personalized you can gift a shirt which your friend’s favorite player printed on it.
Badminton Face mask
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask is mandatory to avoid the spread of the virus. Lately, masks are available in different designs, and gifting a badminton customized design face mash to your friend will make it more special for them.
Knee Support
Badminton is a highly physically demanding sport that requires lunging, running, and a lot of jumping. All this is quite on the knees due to which many players can sometimes face some knee pain or at the most a knee injury. You can gift a knee cap to your friend who is undergoing such pain to support their knee during play.
Badminton medal hanger
Well, this is a very helpful gifting idea for a friend who has won a good number of medals in his/her badminton career. By gifting this, your friend can systematically arrange their medals properly which can be showcased properly.
AirShuttle
I hope all of you are aware of another vertical in badminton which is AirBadminton. Well, this is a very unique concept developed by the BWF which is played with the help of specially designed AirShuttle. You can gift this to a badminton love who can play with it wherever and whenever they want. Click here, to know everything about AirBadminton.
Badminton popsocket
A mobile phone is owned by almost every individual on this planet. Many people love to decorate their phones with many accessories. Well, this popsocket is for a badminton player who loves different phone accessories. This will make their mobile phone look even more happening.
Badminton lights
This is a very unique and beautiful gift that you can gift your friend. These lights are in the shape of a shuttlecock look very unique wherever you place them. I am sure your badminton friend would love this gift.
Chandelier
This chandelier is filled with colorful shuttlecocks that look very beautiful. You can gift this to your friend who loves to decorate his/her rooms with a unique set of ideas.
Inspirational books
Every badminton player looks out for some inspiration to perform and get better every day. They keep watching new videos and learn new skills to develop their game. Gifting a few inspirational books to your badminton friend will motivate and inspire them to get the best out of them. Remember to gift this to a friend who loves reading.
Badminton socks
A badminton player requires many pairs of socks for their training. You can gift a good pair of Yonex or any other brand socks to your friends as this is for sure going to be something they will use.
Poster
There surely must be one favorite player of your badminton lover friend. So you can gift a poster of that favorite player, for example, a poster of Lin Dan/Lee Chong Wei to your friend.
Foam Roller
A foam roller is a very useful gift for a badminton player. Stretching is very important in badminton after the workout. This is where a foam roller helps and it helps to stretch almost all muscles of the body and also reduces inflammation giving the player the best recovery possible.
Portable Badminton Net
Your friend will surely appreciate this gift as this will allow him/her to play badminton anywhere in an open space.
Badminton Racket and Shoes
The last best option to gift your badminton friend is either a good badminton racket or a good pair of badminton shoes. There are many brands available and you can choose according to the type and quality of the player.
Final Thoughts
So here are some unique gifting ideas for your badminton lover friend. I am sure if you choose any gift from the above options, your friend will surely love it.
Badminton Vs Tennis: 10 major differences
Badminton and Tennis are both racket sports played with a net in the middle. Both have origins from England and are played by hitting things back and forth. Moreover, both can be played individually as well as in sets of two. However, there are a lot of differences between these two sports.
In this article, I have enlisted various aspects that differentiate badminton from tennis.
Table of Contents
Duration
Well, matches on average are shorter in badminton than in tennis. While Tennis is a lengthy sport due to a different scoring system, a badminton match takes less amount of time. For instance, in the men’s singles category, the 2019 Wimbledon final lasted for 4 hours and 57 minutes while a Badminton World Championship final took 38 minutes. Well, this is just a vivid comparison but it might give you a basic idea of the difference in timing.
Speed (Tennis Ball-Badminton shuttle)
One might think that tennis courts are bigger and rackets are heavier so therefore, the speed of the ball will also be higher. However, according to Guinness World Records, the fastest shot in tennis is 263km/hr and the fastest shot in badminton is recorded at 426km/hr. This means that badminton is a faster sport than tennis.
Equipment required
There is quite a lot of difference in the equipment used by each sport.
| Difference | Tennis | Badminton |
|---|---|---|
| Rackets | It requires rackets that weight around 250-360gm | Badminton Rackets are normally under 100 gm. |
| Shuttle/ball | It requires a hard-felt ball | Badminton is either played with a feather or a plastic shuttle. |
| Weight of Shuttle/ball | A tennis ball weighs around 56-59.4gm | A badminton shuttle weighs between 4.75-5.50gm |
| Shape | Tennis ball is spherical in shape | Badminton shuttle is conical in shape |
| Court Dimensions | 78 feet long and 36 feet wide | 44 feet long and 20 feet wide |
Scoring System
Badminton and Tennis vary comprehensively in their scoring systems. Honestly, tennis scoring systems are far more complex. Well, a tennis match is composed of points, games, and sets. A set is won by the first side to win 6 games and a game consists of points (15, 30, 40 Ad). If the set is tied at 6 games each, then a tie-break is played to win the set. a match is won by the player/team that wins the maximum of the prescribed sets which is usually 3 for women and 5 for men’s category.
Meanwhile, badminton follows a traditional scoring system in which a match is composed of 3 games of single points up to 11, 15, or 21. Professional matches are played for 21 points and the player who wins maximum games wins the match which is usually played for the best of three games.
Service
Service is a very important aspect of racket sports. Tennis and Badminton are racket sports with extremely different serve patterns. In badminton, serves are allowed to be below the waist and underhand.
Whereas in Tennis, a service can be done overhand as well as underhand. Moreover, in tennis, you get a second opportunity if you fault in the first service which is not applicable for badminton.
Standard shots
In badminton, there are overall 6 shots involved outside the serve.
- Clear
- Drop
- Drive
- Lift
- Smash
- Dribble
Whereas, in Tennis four shots are involved which are-
- Drop
- Forehand/backhand groundstrokes
- Lob
- Volley
Worldwide participation (Badminton vs Tennis)
It may come to you as a surprise that badminton is among the World’s top 10 most participated sports. Notably, it is the second most popular sport in the World according to realbuzz and is played regularly by an estimate of 220 million people around the World predominantly in Asian countries.
Meanwhile, Tennis is the 6th most participated sport in the World with an estimated 60 million people around the world according to a stat by Topend Sports.
Indoor & Outdoor sport
Badminton is an indoor sport that is either played on a cement, synthetic, or wooden surface. However, recently, the BWF has announced another vertical of badminton which is AirBadminton that is designed to be played only outdoors. Click here, to know everything about AirBadminton.
Tennis is typically played outdoors on a clay, synthetic, or grass surface. You can play tennis indoors as well but all major tournaments take place in an outdoor environment.
Court Layout (Badminton vs Tennis)
The court settings are very different in badminton as compared to tennis. Tennis courts measure 78 feet in length and 36 feet in width, on the other hand, badminton courts measure 44 feet in length and 20 feet in width. This means that tennis courts are almost double the size of an average badminton court.
Moreover, the location and size of the nets is also very different in each sport. While the tennis court’s net measures 36 in above the ground, the badminton’s net measures 60 in above the ground.
Earnings (Badminton vs Tennis)
While badminton is at the upper hand in terms of participation, tennis is a more widely followed sport around the world which makes it a higher earning sport than badminton.
Let’s compare the top 5 richest players in each sport to get an idea of the earnings.
According to halfgoal, the net worth of the top 5 richest tennis players are-
- Roger Federer- $450 million
- Novak Djokovic- $220 million
- Rafael Nadal- $200 million
- Serena Williams- $180 million
- Maria Sharapova- $135 million
According to successstory, the top 5 richest badminton players in the World are-
- Lee Chong Wei- $35 million
- Lin Dan- $26 million
- Chen Long- $24 million
- Peter Gade- $18 million
- Taufik Hidayat- $11 million
Like you can see, the difference in the earnings of both these sports is immense due to the difference in following and popularity.
Final Thoughts
Despite both being racket spots, you can now very well identify the major differences in both of them. Now that you know the basics, identify your sport and go ahead and play following the respective rules.
Kento Momota honored by Guinness World Records
Japenese star and World no. 1 badminton player, Kento Momota has again scripted history as his name enters the Guinness World Records for his prolific 2019 season. Momota’s stellar 2019 season witnessed a record-breaking 11 titles including the World Championships singles title.
Therefore, he has been recognized with the Guinness World Records for ‘Most badminton men’s singles titles in a season’. Previously, the record was held by former Malaysian legend, Lee Chong Wei who won 10 titles in a particular season.
2019 Successful Journey
Momota started his 2019 season with a shocking first-round loss at the Malaysia Masters before losing to Anders Anderson in the finals of the Indonesia Open. His first 2019 title came at the German Open, a Super 300 tournament. Further on, he won the All England Championships by beating Victor Axelson to become the first Japanese men’s singles player to claim the title.
After this, he won 4 back to back titles including titles at the Asian Championships, Singapore Open, Japan Open, and also he reclaimed his World Championships title.
Moreover, he went on to win his first China Open and Korea Open titles before defending his Denmark Open and Fuzhou China Open title. Notably, he ended the season on a winning note by winning the World Tour Finals which was his 11th title of the season.
2020 Comeback
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Momota suffered a serious accident in Malaysia after winning the Malaysia Masters event by defeating Victor Axelson in the finals. Moreover, he suffered facial injuries with a broken nose as well as injuries to his lips and face.
However, after successful surgery, Momota is all set to make a comeback. Notably, despite the injury, no one has been able to take the top spot at the BWF World Rankings after Momota claimed it in September 2018. He was all set to participate in the Denmark Open but withdrew due to rising COVID-19 cases. Currently, his first tournament after the accident will be at the All-Japan National Championships. Click here to read about Momota’s top 5 performances till now.
Final Thoughts
The Japanese is one of the strongest contender for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the entire badminton fraternity will look forward to see him perform just like the previous season.
I hope you enjoyed the article.
Thanks for reading. Keep Playing!
15 Badminton Drills to Improve Your Game
Badminton is a highly complex and physically demanding sport. There are a lot of drills that can be used to improve your game. Drills are relatively a simple practice that anyone can handle but they help you to augment your skills in a significant manner.
Playing games alone is not enough in badminton. You need to spend time and effort in your badminton training to improve your game.
There are two key elements in badminton- Shots, and Movement. Being able to shoot accurate shots from every corner of the court is an important element in badminton.
You can be the fastest player on the court but without good shots, you cannot win a game and vice versa. In this article, I’ll share with you 10 badminton drills that will help you become a better player.
Let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
1. Shadow Badminton Drill
Shadow practice is one of the most important drills in badminton. Well, this drill involves practicing actual movement and technique without physically hitting the shuttle.
Shadow practice is the best training to improve your on-court movement and coordination. There are many variations that you can add to your shadow practice and it can be done without the need for a shuttlecock. Remember, to move as quickly and efficiently as during a real match scenario.
Make sure you cover the backcourt, midcourt, and frontcourt. You basically move from the center of the court to all six corners with proper footwork. A shadow drill improves your reaction time and footwork coordination on the court.
Moreover, there are different shadow movements you can practice. This practice will help you to improve your game and convert your weaknesses into your strengths.
Intensity and focus are critical to making the drill meaningful. At first, you should focus more on proper form than on speed. The more you get used to moving properly, the faster you can then go.
For beginners, focus on the technique first and don’t think about the speed. You need to perfect each movement in each area of the court properly and once your base is formed, then practice developing your speed. The more you can move properly with the correct technique, the faster you can move on the court.
The most important thing in shadow practice is to move to and fro to the center of the court after covering each corner of the court. For beginners, you can start by taking two corners of the court like the backhand and forehand backcourt, and just practice your movement to and from each side.
However, for intermediate and advanced players you can practice shadow badminton by covering the whole court. An easy way of doing this is along with a partner. Your partner will direct you to the areas you need to move around the court with actions and you will move accordingly. This way you do not need to think about where your next movement needs to be.
2. Wall Rally Drill
Commonly known as wall practice, a wall rally drill helps to improve your shots significantly. So, take an old shuttle and practice against the wall hitting it forward, backward, straight, and diagonal.
The idea is to hit the shuttle against the wall and try to keep it in the air for as long as possible, combining different types of shots. This helps to improve your arm and wrist strength and efficiency of shots. The wall rally drill will not only help to improve your shots but also improve your reflexes.
Sometimes, the shuttle can land anywhere and bounce very fast from the wall but you can maintain the same intensity and try to keep up a rally against the wall. This technique is helpful for all levels of play from beginners to professional players.
3. Multiple Shuttles Drill – Overhead Strokes
This drill is specifically for the backcourt shots and movement. It requires an additional person (a feeder) and as many numbers of shuttles as you can get.
The feeder will feed the shuttle anywhere in the backcourt and you will have to use your forehand or backhand to hit the shuttle correctly with maximum intent. You can combine clears, drops, and smashes while hitting the shuttle.
It is recommended to go back to the center of the court after each shot to bring real game situations into play. This drill will enhance your accuracy and speed in executing the different strokes.
4. Multiple Shuttles Drill – Net Play
Unlike the multi shuttle drill for overhead strokes, the feeder will feed the shuttles to your net area. You can choose whether to hit a net shot, a net kill, or a net lift with your forehand or backhand.
This drill is to improve your movement and accuracy of shots near the net. In this, you will require a feeder to place shuttles for you near the net and you will have to receive the shuttle wherever the feeder hits the shuttle. Remember to move towards every shuttle from your base position and come back to the same position after hitting the shuttle.
5. Half-Court Singles
Half-court singles means playing a game of singles on just one side of the court. It is a drill that surely helps to improve footwork and boost your stamina. This will train your movement and help you to play more precise shots using all types of strokes. This drill will help with resistance because the rallies tend to be longer.
You can either play a game of 11,15, or 21 points which can be played for the best of three games. Half-court singles will also help with shot accuracy because you are playing on only half the surface and therefore you need to focus on the landing position of your shots. Moreover, it is fun to play and will help to improve your game.
6. King of The Court
This game is useful when there are a lot of players. It helps to practice real game situations with more than two people.
In this drill, one person starts as the King of the Court while the others start a queue to become challengers. The first challenger steps on the court and starts playing a normal rally with the king of the court.
If the king of the court wins the rally, he adds a point to his/her score and the challenger is replaced by another challenger. However, if the challenger wins the rally, he/she adds a point to the score and becomes the king of the court.
The king of the court joins the challengers while another challenger moves in to challenge the new king of the court.
This can go on for a predefined set of time. In the end, the person with more points in his/her score is the winner. It is more fun if played with the same level of players because that keeps the competition intense.
7. Two Versus One
In this drill, one player plays a match against two opponents while following the rules of singles in a badminton match. However, the two players cannot change sides like in doubles, instead, they have to cover their respective court areas. This drill helps to improve your coverage in court which gives you confidence while playing singles in real-time situations.
Your opponents will play in a front-back situation, which will keep you under pressure due to a fast game. This is a great exercise if you are a better player than the players you are training with. This is a very effective drill to improve your singles game performance on the court.
Try to make use of a variety of shots as you have to play against two players which is more difficult than normal singles. It will raise your game to become a better player and help your fitness, speed around the court, footwork, and shot accuracy.
8. Service Challenge Drill
Service is undoubtedly one of the most important shots in badminton. In this drill, you will layout boxes in different positions of the court and your aim should be to hit the maximum number of shuttles into those boxes. This drill will help you gain perfection in your serves. Moreover, it can help to reduce service faults in real-time situations.
To make this fun, you can compete with players of your age and level of play. Moreover, to make it more interesting you can assign points to each box and play to serve to achieve maximum points. Practice this once a week to perfect your service.
9. Drop and Lift Drill
This drill can be done both half court and full court. However, beginners start with half-court and it can be done as a static or a moving drill. When you move to a fro for a drop and lift helps to improve your straight court footwork, agility, reflexes, and accuracy of shots. These two players will practice alternate drop and lift.
- Player 1 will stand at the backend of the court and player 2 will stand in the middle of the opposite side.
- Player 2 will play a high serve
- Player 1 will hit a drop to that serve
- Player 2 will dribble (remember to not dribble very close to the net to sustain a long rally).
- Player 1 will then play a high lift
- Player 2 will execute a drop and so on.
This can either be done with 2 players or one player can take the drop lift rally of the other with one standing stationary. This is a very effective drill that not only helps to improve your shots but also improves your movement on the court.
10. Drop Static Drill
This drill is basically for beginners to practice and perfect the drop shot. In this, the one who will practice the drop will stand at the backend of the court and one player stands near the net on the other side of the court to practice a lift.
- Player 1 will serve the shuttle to the backend of the court.
- Player 2 will receive the shuttle and execute a drop.
- Player 1 will receive the drop and execute a lift again to Player 1.
- Repeat
You can practice this continuously for 100-200 drops and you will surely see the improvement in your quality of drop.
11. Clear Drill
A clear is one of the most important shots in badminton. This drill helps you improve your clear shots. It is intended for two players and both will practice the drill from the backcourt. It is recommended to stay in the center of the court or of the backcourt to perform this drill.
For beginners, the aim is to shoot a clear to the other person so that neither of you has to move from your position.
For professional players, to improve your movement you can stand at the center and move back to return a clear every time. It can be performed both ways and helps to improve the accuracy of a clear shot.
12. Alternate Forehand/Backhand Clear
Like the previous drill is helpful to improve the quality of your clear, this drill helps to improve your movement while executing or receiving a clear. In this, a second person or your coach will feed you shuttles alternately at each end of the backcourt and you will have to receive it either by hitting a straight court or cross-court clear.
For beginners, keep a shuttle box at the center of the court and move to each side of the court from that point. This will help to enhance your movement.
13. Hitting Shuttle at One Point
This drill is especially for intermediate/advanced players and can be done to practice especially your drops and clears.
In this, your coach or another player will stand at one point of the court let it be near the net or the backcourt. The coach will hit the shuttle anywhere on your court and you have to hit the shuttle only at the point where your coach stands. It helps to improve movement and speed as well as the accuracy of the shot.
14. Full Court vs Half-Court singles
In this game of singles, one player will cover the entire court whereas, the other will cover only one part of the court. The player covering the full court has to hit each and every shot to the half-court of where the opponent is standing. This practice will not only help in improving your movement but also will improve the efficiency of your shots in a particular area.
15. Chinese Doubles
Chinese doubles is a fun game in badminton in which many players can play with each other. Two teams can be formed and they can play a match for 15/21 points. It may seem confusing at first but very interesting to play once you get accustomed. Moreover, it can be played half-court as well as a full-court.
For example, a team consists of 2 players each
Team 1- Player 1,2
Team 2- Player A, B
Player 1 from team 1 will serve and player A from Team 2 will receive the service and move out of the court. Further, player 1 will again receive the shot hit by player A and move out of the court. The shot hit by player 1 will be received by player B from Team 2 which will then be received by player 2 from Team 1. Like this, alternately the players will rotate and play.
Final Thoughts
Players from all around the world put in a lot of effort and time in badminton training using different types of drills. If you are aspiring to be one, keep practicing these drills to improve your game. Enjoy the game while practicing the drills, this will enhance your performance even more.
Even professional players often have a weaker backhand. If you’re struggling with your backhand shots, check out this article which will teach you how to improve your backhand game.
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If you want to become a better badminton player, click here to check the article on 6 Tips To Become A Better Badminton Player.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy badminton!