Different Types of Smashes in Badminton


A smash is the deadliest and powerful attacking shot in badminton. If you know how to hit a smash with power and accuracy, then you have a huge advantage in winning rallies.

What if you add some variety to your smashes? There are actually several types of smashes in badminton. If you can add a few different varieties of smashes to your arsenal, that will make you more powerful. Then, you’ll be able to surprise your opponent and win the game pretty easily.

Smashing is not always all about hitting the shuttle as hard as possible. You can add a little bit of creativity to your smashes.

So, in this article, I’ll introduce you to some of the different types of smashes in badminton and give some tips to execute them correctly.

Let’s dive right in.

Full Smash

The first one on the list is the most common full smash, also known as the heavy smash or power smash.

Apart from using it as a finishing shot, a smash can help create a chance for a net kill, make the opponent out of balance, push the opponent to the backside of the court, and change the pace of the rally out of a sudden to surprise the opponent.

The main feature of this shot is that there is a lot of power behind this shot, and it is pretty difficult for the opponent to control this shot as it is so quick. As the name suggests, this shot is heavy. It is very hard to counter this shot and take the attack back.

This shot is usually used as an end shot, that is, to end the rally with a powerful hit.

The disadvantage of this shot is that it is difficult to recover from a full smash since you’re putting a lot of energy and power into it. 

When you put a lot of energy into the smash, your body will go off balance, and it will take a bit of time for your body to recover and come back to the base position (Returning to the base position is key to face the next shot).

The full smash can be used if the opponent is out of position, and you can finish the rally with a powerful shot. Also, this shot is very often used in doubles since you have a partner to support you and cover the front area of the court.

The full smash can be executed in different ways. You can do a full smash either by standing on the court (normal smash) or jumping before the smash (jump smash).

If you’re doing a smash by standing on the ground, the power of the smash will be less. But, you’ll have more control, and you can recover rather easily.

The jumping smash will provide a lot more power and momentum to the shot. Hence, it will be difficult for the opponent to react to a jump-smash.

But at the same time, you’ll have less control over the shot. If you’re doing a jump-smash, you have to be pretty good with the timing of the shot. Also, since you’re putting in a lot of energy, it’ll be more difficult to recover from a jump smash.

However, if you execute it correctly, you can end the rally and grab a point.

There are different types of smashes, depending on where you hit the shuttle. You can choose different angles to attack. You can either hit the shuttle straight or hit a cross-court smash. Check out this article to learn how to hit a cross-court smash correctly.

In doubles, you can hit the shuttle to the middle, in between both players, as a variation. That will confuse the opponents about who should take the shot.

Also, you can hit a smash using either forehand or backhand. The backhand smash is a lot more difficult to execute as most of the players have a weaker backhand compared to the forehand.

We’ve covered the basics of full smash. Now, let’s move on to the other varieties of smashes that you can do in badminton.

Half Smash

A half smash is a shot variety that you can use effectively in badminton. As the name indicates, a half smash is basically a smash with half the strength. This shot can be used in random points in a rally to confuse the opponent and to make it difficult for them to adjust to the tempo of the rally.

The advantage of a half smash is that you don’t need quite a lot of power to hit a half smash, and hence, you’ll not throw your bodyweight out of balance while you play the shot. It will be much easier to recover from a half smash and get ready for the next shot.

This shot can be very helpful in stealing points when your opponent is not ready or out of his position. Also, you can use this shot to apply pressure and take the attack to the opponent.

When you hit a half smash, you get a point, if the opponent isn’t ready for it. Even if the opponent is ready, chances are he/she will hit a loose shot, and you can end the rally with one more smash.

However, if the opponent is ready for the smash, he/she can handle a half smash easily compared to a full smash. This shot is not meant to be the kill-shot or the end shot. But, it can be a great setup shot.

Half smash can be more effective when you’re playing the singles game as you have a lot more area to place the shuttle.

When you play this shot, make sure you don’t lose the balance. You need to return to the base position quickly and be ready for the next shot.

Stick Smash

Stick smash is a shot that can be used as an element of surprise. We can hit a stick smash by rotating the forearm and tightening the forehand grip while hitting the smash. The power is generated through these two movements. You can hit this smash with your fully stretched arm.

The stick smash isn’t as powerful as a full smash. But it is not as soft as a drop. This shot can be used to execute a quick smash to surprise the opponent.

The main difference between stick smash and full smash is that we don’t complete the follow-through with the stick smash. When you hit the shuttle, you need to whip the racket back into the air where the racket came from.

It’s a really hard shot to learn. Check out the following video to learn this shot precisely and master it.

Now, let’s move on to the next type of smash in badminton.

Slice Smash

As the name indicates, this shot is executed by slicing or hitting the shuttle at a certain angle so that it will change its trajectory and land in a different place than the opponent anticipated.

The slice smash can be considered as a very fast cross-court drop.

Hitting the shuttle at an angle will reduce the speed of the smash considerably. The slice smash is usually aimed at the corners of the opponent’s court at a sharp angle.

If this shot is executed correctly, it’ll confuse your opponents and throw them out of balance. It can be a very deceptive shot when you don’t overuse it.

However, executing it accurately is vital. If you don’t hit it correctly, it can be an advantage for the opponent as the shot is pretty slow, and the opponent can hit a powerful return.

Final Thoughts

A smash is one of the go-to attacking shots for all the badminton players. By learning the different types of smashes in badminton, you can add a little bit of flavor to your attacking game.

In this article, we’ve covered several types of smashes in badminton. Now that you’ve learned the theoretical concepts, it’s time to do the practice. Professional badminton players practice several hours and days, even months, to make their shots perfect. You’ll improve your game only if you practice these shots on the court.

If you want to improve your game, you need to have a solid technique with your footwork. Don’t worry. I’ve written a complete guide on improving your basic footwork in badminton. Click here to check it out.

I hope this article was helpful to you in improving your badminton knowledge. If so, do share this article so that other badminton fans can find it.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the game!

Anushree Burad

Qualified as an MBA in Sports Management. A Sports fanatic and a passionate badminton player. My passion for sports drove me to foray into sports writing. This is my attempt at translating my thoughts into words. Looking forward to contributing to Sports through my writing.

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