Doubles Strategy

It’s best to divide the court up to front and back (as opposed to side by side), one player covering any net shots or short shots that they can quickly smash while the other player covers the back court smashing just about anything that comes their way. It’s best for the person at the back to always smash (only hitting high clears when caught out of position) because the partner at the net will almost always be able to handle the short return after a smash. By limiting the number of high clears or lobs from the back and only hitting nets shots at the front we inhibit the opposition’s ability to smash at all. Also the person at the back has a clear view of their partner, allowing for better “communication” and reducing the possibility of a collision.

When serving the person who served should immediately take the front position. Typically the best serve in doubles is a low short shot, for which the best defense against is to hit a net return which can be smashed back if too high. So after you serve watch the receiving player and be prepared to run to one of the two corners quickly. If they make the mistake of hitting a high return to the back court your partner will smash it, likely ending the point quickly. When serving almost always try to hit a short low serve, after a while Begin to notice that the opponent start to move forward early in anticipation of a short serve … when you see that you hit a quick flick serve to the back, making them think twice next time and often resulting in an easy point. When serving to a weaker player the flick serve deep is very effective too because they’ll often return a very high shot, allowing your partner to easily smash it home.

Some mixed doubles teams always have the female player take the front of the net, even when she’s not serving but this is a mistake … especially since the power of a return is less important than it’s placement.It’s easier for the person serving to move forward (since their momentum is already in that direction) and they’ll have a better feel for where the shuttle is going. Plus if you hit a poor serve it is highly likely you get hit in the head, not your partner.

While receiving it’s best to let the play dictate who takes the front and who takes the back. If the serve is short then the receiver is likely the best candidate for taking the front and vice versa, provided they are in position to handle an another return (if not then the partner should take over the position). Good partners who play well together will accomplish this instinctively. Also while receiving a serve a short serve should almost always be countered with a short net return … pressurise them into hitting a poor high shot and put it away!

Also watch the server carefully; most people have “tells” that will let you know if they’re going to serve short or not. Often their eyes give it away, Take the strategy of looking right or left and then hitting to the opposite side when serving.… hoping they are following my eyes.

Some other tips in general: Try to stay on the balls of your feet while the shuttle is in play, as you want to be able to move quickly and as you can’t move as quick off your heels. Sometimes you will get caught flat footed “admiring” one of your shots you don’t except a return for, a foolish mistake, its important to always get back in position. Try to avoid hitting backhands at all; Always try to get yourself into good position for a forehand shot because your backhands are often too weak to be effective.

Staying fit is a key element too; A lot of players get beaten who are better than you, just because you don’t tire as quickly.


Singles:
 
Use the length of the court and pin your opponent to the back line before trying a drop shot to the net. It is much easier to retrieve his shots when he is forced to hit from deep in his court. Move your opponent to all four corners to tire him. It is much easier to hit winning shots against a tired player, even a fresh player who is slightly tired from a long rally. Dart in and out of your own corners so that you can cover your court for his next shot.

Singles is a mental and physical battle. A lapse in concentration can easily lead to losing a run of points, which in turn is discouraging and may lead to losing even more points. To win in singles one must be fit, focused, and hit good clears and drops without errors. Smashes should only be used for ending the rally within the next two shots. The classic singles rally would use drops and clears until the shuttle is too far away from the opponent to him to effectively clear a return, and then with a smash win the rally outright.


Practice, practice, practice … the more you play the better you’ll get!