The Start

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“Karate begins and ends with respect. That respect begins with how you stand …”

— Gichin Funakoshi, Karate teacher

The Serve

Every rally in badminton starts with the Serve and it is probably overlooked by many beginners. The serve will dictate how the rally with play out over the next few shots, a good serve can give you the attack or put you in the defence. So you need to pay close attention to how and where you serve.

Preparation

Most beginners pickup the shuttle and stand at the service line then start to think about where to serve. I believe you have to think ahead before you serve and you need to develop a routine.

You want to develop a routine so that you can reproduce the same quality serve every time. Each person is different, so their preparation/routine will be different but here are some key point that I use in my routine.

  • Check where your opponents are standing – before you approach the service line.
  • Check if your partner is ready – maybe, signal them your intentions where you’re going to serve.
  • Calm your nerves – take time to approach the service line, it can be intimidating serving to an aggressive receiver.
  • Decide on your serve – before you setup your serve decide on where you want to serve
  • Keep your Grip lose – if your nervous, you will naturally grip the racquet tighter and reduce the speed and fluidity of the motion – some people spin the racquet in there hand, like me, bad habit but it seems to work.
  • Ready your serving position – now at the service line, set your service stance
  • Execute your serve – focus on the serve and let your body do what you have practiced, probably thousands of times.

After the Serve

After serving, whether it was a good or bad serve, you need to get ready for the possible/expected reply. You know what type and what location you served to and you should expect a specific reply so get in to the correct position.

For example, if you served wide to the tram (outside corner) line you should expect a straight drive or drop return. So move from the centre serving position to the side to try to intercept that shot. Similarly, if you did a “flick” serve then you need to move back to cover the possible “smash” shot.

Practice Practice Practice

The great thing about serving is that you don’t need a partner to practice. I remember doing this a lot when I was first learning. If you’re early at the gym, pickup a few shuttles and practice your serve. Try serving to particular spots in the court and see how consistent you can get (make it fun, make a game of it).

Doing this will build the muscle memory and will help you execute your serve, especially when you are under pressure from an aggressive opponent.

Tutorial on the backhand serve mechanics

More Information but some after serve tactics (set plays) at the end