Do you love cardio activities? If you do, then try badminton and see how good it serves you. It’s a sport that requires maximum fitness for perfection. However, the game is beginner-friendly that one can play without too much demand. The sport has various health benefits with a lot of fun that no one would want to miss. You can learn the basic rules more so for the people wanting to perfect skills for competing. If you want to be a pro, it’d be best if you paid attention to the basics, such as the grip, serving, stance, swinging, and footwork. This article mainly provides information how to play badminton. Let’s keep reading to understand.

The guide below takes you through three basics for mastering and badminton. They are;

Whenever you rally the shuttle, it’s essential to get used to hitting the ‘sweet spot’- rubber centre. It can be mastered by focusing your eyes at the point when hitting an overhead shot. Try it out using your hand too to understand how it feels for the shuttle.

The shuttle’s speed and height is well-met when you hit it at the top of the arc. Doing that allows a player to shoot a sharp overhead, hence more control of the shuttle’s location. Letting it travel until it’s near you will have lost its momentum or height, thus the reaction will be faint.

Returning to the middle is a useful skill to win your competitor. You’ll likely be ready to hit back the shuttle wherever your opponent takes it. Understanding the ready position stance and moving the feet in preparation for the next shot is best done while at the middle of the court from your side.

Giving a shot towards the backline comes with strength. It’ll possibly take your opponent backwards to hit back with an equal or more strength to achieve it. However, be very careful that it doesn’t go outside the backline. It’ll be a foul.

The success of a badminton game is always in a player’s footwork. Individuals with flat-arched feet are unlikely to hit back shots as expected. You should, therefore learn to stay on toes. The feet should always be up and down, back and forth, and side to side so you can return shots properly. Please don’t rely on your hand to take shots back by stretching them too wide to reach the shuttle. Instead, make tiny motions until you’re in a better position to hit back perfectly. The following are examples of workouts to help improve footwork;

Using the shadow– You can go round the court either with the shuttle or not with a partner’s shadow. Have a specific spot where you two will move towards, looking at your shadow.

Squat jump– With your hands tied at the neck’s back, bent the knees lower, thereafter, jump the highest you can. Repeat it 10 reps three to four times every time you’re ready to start your practice. Consequently, you’ll gain more strength that’s necessary for jumping when smashing the shuttle.

Lunges– Lunges help in building the leg muscles; quads mostly. Do the severally to develop strength for tackling shuttles falling at the front court.

Short serves are excellent for surprising your opponent. They may not expect it, thus fail to return it in good time. Do this by hitting it hard, failure to which it’ll fall on your side. Make long serves majorly in singles by hitting at the back of the serving line. Be sure it’ll catch them unaware and won’t find time to return. It’s easier by letting the shuttlecock fall near your front area and swing it back around the shoulder level to give more momentum before coming into contact with the shuttle. Please, never let the shuttle go, try to hit it even if you can tell the impossibility.

Be keen with your opponent’s moves. It could be in a real game or a friendly march. Learn how they apply every technique starting from warm-up to the main game and cool down. Trace any strengths like aggressiveness, the dominant hand for shots, footwork, and drop shots. Then gauge yourself knowing how to counter all in the game.

Avoid taking all shots in one direction, instead, make them move from point to point. Exploit their strength from right to left, centre to back, and side to side.

You can do this well by moving near the net and slowly hitting the shuttle to them. It’ll get them running towards the not to get it. The technique plays perfectly when your opponent is at the back court. Remember to hit short and go back to the middle of your court, waiting for their reaction. Let it not be your trap in turn.

When the shuttle is hit at you directly, don’t do the same for your competitor. Take it to a different direction, ensuring the shuttle has the most momentum you can give. Don’t allow time for them to respond to a fast-moving shot.

Slicing enables the shuttle to spin and to fall unpredictably. It usually begins with the normal forward motion, then move the racket inwards and hit the racket perpendicularly to the shuttlecock’s centre.

Smashing applies when the shuttle is hit with maximum strength immediately it reaches its top arc. Place the racket over your head on the shuttle’s path, ready to swing by letting it hit the racket’s centre to smash towards your opponent’s court.

After mastering the basic smashing technique, you can now jump to smash the birdie. It’s vital for added strength and momentum.

While a beginner only feels happy hitting back the shuttle, an advanced player will always shoot to the zone desired and going back to a safe position waiting for what might follow. It’s good to plan your following move and to think ahead of your competitor.

Playing badminton gives not only fun but also a form of exercise.  For one to be an outstanding and exemplary player, it’d be best having lightning speed feet, cunning strategy sense, and proper playing technique. You may probably be having some knowledge of the game but want to reassess your technique. The main advice is to maximize your strengths, and exploit an opponent’s weak points. Otherwise, it’s a popular sport for keeping you fit and other health advantages.