Badminton is a very friendly sport as anyone can take part by observing certain games.
Though you will get a rush of excitement by playing the game, you won’t enjoy it without basic skills.
With the skills, you will be able to bring competition and make a name for yourself.
Some of the basic badminton skills are easier to learn while some take time to master.
It depends on how you can grasp it and put it into practice effectively. The faster you learn, the more you can upgrade your skills.
To hit different badminton shots, your experience in basic skill is mandatory.
You can’t expect to be a professional player with bad basics.
So, you need to work on your basics regularly. Leveling up your skills will propel you to be a professional player.
While you are leveling up, you will make some Common mistakes and its only natural to do so.
Basic Badminton Skills 101
You will get further information about the basic skills for badminton below the article.
Have a look at it.
1. Holding The Racket Correctly
In badminton, this skill is essential for a player. The way you will hit a shot will depend on the way you hold a racket. Incorrect holding will drive the shuttlecock in the wrong direction, and your serving will not be up to the mark.
To correctly hold a racket, think of the racket grip as the hand of someone. Like a firm handshake, hold the grip in a way you will hold that person’s hand.
Don’t grip the racket too tightly as it will ruin the flexibility of your wrist and will have a bad impact on your performance. Gently press the thumb against the wider surface of the grip and hold the racket with the rest of your hand.
2. Forehand and Backhand Grip
These two are the basic grips that are used in forehand and backhand shots. The only difference between the shots is the placement of the fingers. For forehand grip, your index finger will control the racket on the stroke.
Like a regular grip, you don’t need to press your thumb against the wider surface of the grip. You can rest it anywhere near the racket grip. For backhand grip, your thumb will control the stroke.
JAdjust your thumb against the wider surface of the grip and move your index finger towards your middle finger. You have to be skilled enough to switch grips quickly.
Badminton game is based on speed. You have to adjust your movement according to the speed of the shuttlecock. If you are good at your footwork, you can score points quickly.
Right footwork will help you take control of your side in the court. You will save time and energy while playing. Because of the proper footwork, you won’t have a problem hitting the shuttlecock that is coming fast in any direction.
Serving is very crucial initially for you to win the rally. You need to be good at serving to prevent the opponent from executing an attacking shot. It is essential to learn all the types of badminton serve so that you don’t lose a point after doing a service.
The high badminton serves used when you want your opponent to move to the back by hitting the shuttlecock at the rear end of the court. This will prevent your opponent from going for a smash.
The low badminton serves used when you want your opponent to come forward by hitting the shuttlecock in their frontcourt. This will make your opponent get under the shuttle and prevent from making any offensive shot.
The flick serve is used to trick your opponent into believing that you are going to hit a low serve.
5. Badminton Stance
When you are going to retrieve an incoming shot from your opponent, badminton stance is necessary. There are three types of stances that are used during certain situations to take advantage in a rally. The steps to perform the stances are also mentioned.
First one is the attacking stance. You have to get behind the shuttlecock, turn your body towards the side court in an angular form, raise both your arm, transfer whole body weight to the racket leg by opening your legs widely and hit the shuttlecock.
Only use this for an incoming half or full smash or a short or high lift from your opponent.
The second one is the defensive stance. Widely open your legs, bend your knees slightly, be flexible with your upper body, raise both of your arms and defend it. Only use this when you are going to execute a high clear or a high serve.
The last one is the net stance. You have to place your racket foot forward and the non-racket one backward. Hold your racket and place it in front of your body within a small distance above weight height.
For body balance, use the non-racket arm and finally use your body weight and place it slightly forward to get ready. Only use this when you see that your opponent is going to hit a net shot. Use a net kill for a perfect counter attack.
For perfect badminton shots, you need to be good at strokes first. This will help you to perform advanced shots like drops, smashes and drives correctly. There are 4 basic strokes. All of them are explained briefly.
Overhand Forehand Stroke
First one is the overhead forehand stroke. Most of the players can be seen using it. This stroke generates power form the motion of the swing. You cannot use too much strength for the motion as the technique will go to waste.
Overhead Backhand Stroke
The second one is the overhead backhand stroke. This is difficult to execute as the body needs to turn backward. For a good backhand stroke, you need to make a complete swing backward to generate power.
Underarm Forehand Stroke
The third one is the underarm forehand stroke. This technique is used when you are hit by a drop shot from your opponent. You have to hit a low shot with a lot of strength for a counterattack.
Underarm Backhand Stroke
The final one is the underarm backhand stroke. You need to use this stroke when there is an incoming drop shot from your opponent. You don’t need to turn back like an overhead backhand stroke. So, it is relatively more straightforward to perform.
With practice, you will master all the necessary basic badminton skills talked about earlier. Don’t be disappointed if you are not acquiring the skills as fast as possible. Use your strengths as your advantage and work on your weaknesses.
You will progress at your own pace.