Here I discuss where a player stands on a badminton court to receive a serve, when playing doubles (mixed or level).
Over the years I have studied players at all standards of play. Of course, professional players stand close to the front service line and have the capability to retreat to the rear court to cover the occasional flick serve. League and social players tend to find this difficult. Whilst the flick can be difficult to retrieve, the flick to the furthest corner is the one that causes so many issues.
I have developed a couple of guidelines depending on which side of the court you are standing on. This is purely for better alignment and help you cover all four corners of the court much easier.
This video assumes a player is right handed and therefore it is important to switch if you are left handed.
I hope you enjoy the video and as always, I’ll be looking forward to reading your comments.
Hi Paul,
I am a left-handed women’s singles player. This is a bit off the topic, but I have a question about singles. When my opponent does a really good high serve into the back tramlines, I find it difficult to do a straight clear to the back of the court, but when I attempt to do the straight clear, it going to the middle of the court and my opponent smashes it straight away. So my questions are:
– Where should I return the serve?
– What exercises could I do to strengthen my muscles to get more power?
There is either something wrong with your technique in hitting or your preparation if you cannot clear the shuttle straight. It may be worth having a coach check look at it. If oyu haven’t got a coach, all I can suggest is you join my online coaching club. Then, you can send me video footage of you receiving the serve and hitting the shot. Perhaps I can find the error and help you resolve it this way. You can improve power through improved footwork and doing my armchair exercises.