Having the best badminton shuttlecock and racket doesn’t make you a professional in the game. You have to arm yourself with the right skills on using the equipment.
There are several things you can do to boost your badminton game performance. Don’t wait till you near another match to begin training. Instead, practicing badminton at home is a step towards bettering your skills.
Table of Contents
Steps to Getting Better in Badminton
Get the Basics Right
Before thinking of advanced techniques in the sport, get the basics right. Sharpen your skills on the fundamental requirement of the game.
That includes the following:
Consistency in Hitting the Sweet Spot
You need to master the art of hitting the shuttlecock with the sweet spot of the racket. You can gain that skill through numerous practices. Your consistency in hitting the sweet spot boosts your power more control of the shuttlecock.
Hitting the Shuttle at its Highest Point
Next, your timing in hitting the shuttlecock matters a lot. Often the birdie makes an arc-like trajectory. For best performance, you have to hit back the shuttle at its highest point of the arc.
Beyond the peak height, the birdie starts to lose momentum. Besides, hitting the shuttle at the peak height allows you to angle it the way you want. You can even take a video of your game and analyze the finer details of your play.
Quickly Retrieving Back to Your Position After a Shot
Each type of badminton shot requires you to take a particular posture. But after making the shot, you have to retrieve to your original position fast.
That way, when the opponent hits back, you are in a better position to react. In other words, you need to position yourself at the right point and earn stability in readiness to strike.
Get Your Footwork Right
Badminton is a game that requires agility. The sport needs you to pace around continuously. So practice various exercises that can sharpen your swiftness and flexibility. Carryout workouts such as squat jump, rope skipping, shadow footwork, and lunges.
Know How to Make Long and Short Serves
Mastering how to be unpredictable with your shots is vital. Therefore you should know how to make long and short serves. And when the time is right you can pull a surprise move and get your opponent off guard.
Force the Opponent to Move Back and Forth
There are various types of shots that you can employ and make your opponent pace back and forth. For that reason, consider lob, drop, and smash shots helpful.
You can further become a challenging opponent by directing your shots to the extreme right or left of the court.
Know and Capitalize on the Weakness of the Opponent
It’s vital to understand every opponent you are playing against. That includes his strong and weakest points.
Here is how to go about it:
Detect his Weakness
One of the key points is to dissect your opponent and know his weaknesses and strengths. So, take a close observation of his gameplay. What is his dominant shot? Is he aggressive with the racket? How strong is his backhand shot?
Such features help you know what you need to capitalize on and score points. That way, you are better placed in earning the best badminton sets of the match.
Take the Lead of the Game
Know where your strength lies and make good use of it. For example, are you comfortable playing from the backline or mid-court?
If you are a backline player, then concentrate on making long shots and serves. That way, your opponent will have to stay at the backline.
Aim at His Backhand
Many badminton players can’t make strong backhand shots. So, to put a strong defense, practice and perfect your backhand shots.
Practice helps improve your accuracy and control in backhand shots. Then if you have mastered the skill, run a test shot on your opponent. You can then take note of how he handles backhand shots.
Don’t Channel All Your Shots to One Side of the Court
A good badminton player must make himself unpredictable. For that reason, don’t direct all your shots in one spot. Instead, spread out the shots at random formula.
That way he’ll have to move around the court. Your opponent will then find it hard to predict your next target location.
Furthermore, when the other player is at the backline, you can use a short shot to catch him off guard. Also, you can strike the shuttle at various angles. That way the shuttlecock deviates to where the opponent least suspects.
Practice Against a Challenging Opponent
Every sport requires frequent practice. But when training at home, you need to be wise. Don’t always choose a weaker opponent. Instead, play badminton against a more challenging rival than yourself. Only then can you learn more and grow vital skills.
Perfect Your Advanced Skills
A large percentage of badminton players have mastered the fundamental shots. So to score against such a player, you need to have more than the basic techniques. That’s why you need to have a good grasp of the advanced shots and skills.
On the same note, here are some of the shots you need to perfect:
Drop Shot Technique
By mastering the drop shot technique you can drive the shuttle closer to the net when the opponent least expects.
Shuttle Smash
A smashing shot is difficult to defend. So practice hitting the birdie at its topmost height on the curve. Further, you need to inject more energy to give it high momentum.
At the same time, you can either channel the shuttle directly at the opponent or far away from him. A shuttle possessing high momentum and heading straight to you isn’t an easy shot to take.
Jump Smash Shot
When you jump and hit the shuttle, you give it high momentum. Hence it becomes a challenging shot to contain.
However, don’t implement the jump smash shot frequently during a match. One of the costly mistakes you must keep off is being predictable.
Conclusion
The above are the essential steps to follow and get better at badminton games. Get acquainted with the basic and advanced techniques.
Practice against a challenging opponent. Stay alert during the game and use the advanced shots where necessary. Above all know the strengths and weaknesses of your rival.