Singles is definitely my favourite form of the game! Maybe Stuart will have some helpful advice too, as I know he is undefeated in his university singles this year 🙂 It sounds as if you are quick around the court and able to rally! This is a fantastic place to be 🙂 Hence, we can get a little more advanced in our tactics 🙂

Here are some small tips that should make your singles a little more aggressive, helping you win points just a little quicker. I have highlighted really important ones is bold:

Playing flat down the sides may help you expose more weaknesses in your opponents game, maybe even allowing you to get the shuttle behind him, and maybe gain a weak lift that is good for smashing! Not enough players use drives! You see this more and more at a professional level.

When the winning opportunity to smash comes in the rally, by all means, TAKE IT! Afterwards, look for the net reply – charge forwards and try to play a decisive shot from the net! p.s. make sure its a good smash 🙂

If your winning smash keeps coming back, vary the pace! Hit some slice smashes, some fast drops, some attacking clears. Reach the shuttle quickly and play a slow shot, do anything to stop your opponent being able to anticipate what shot is coming. Once you have played a few half paced shots, catch him out with full power smash, or a deep punch clear that will send him scrambling. These shots may well (and against a good opponent, should) come back, but thats not the point – the point is to stop your opponent being able to guess what you're going to do, and make those shock attacks with the power attack, that much more effective, and hopefully receive a weaker reply.

A good smash at the BODY of your opponent is OFTEN countered with a block to the net – so exploit this! Smash at his body and pounce on the net.

The game will change dramatically if you work really hard to ATTACK the net. Get there EARLY. You do not have to hit drives or pushes or tight net shots, you could hold and flick off the net. getting there that little bit earlier, will deprive your opponent of time! This will make him work harder, whilst YOU dictate the point. Whoever dominates the net wins after all 🙂

If you are struggling physically, you can probably replace all smashes with fast drops, and still be just as effective. The occasional big smash should keep them guessing.

I have covered an awful lot of things, and thats not even a fraction of things I could suggest. I feel I have mentioned two very key ingredients to good aggressive singles though, and BOTH revolve around reaching the net EARLY! You do this, and you are playing very good aggressive singles! Something to bear in mind, is that aggressive singles requires you to outmanouvre your opponent, then simultaneously attack his weakness and increase your intensity on court. This means you should be rallying away, probing for weaknesses. Then, the chance comes, you suddenly start movinga  little bit quicker and playing a bit more aggressively. It is this sudden change in tempo that will, so often, lead to winning the rally. keeping up a higher pace than your opponent for an entire game is also an option, but that can be VERY tiring 🙂

Matt

So, from all the various replies, I would say good attacking singles involves the following:

dominating the net (quick into the net, use of tight net shots)

using variety (including clears) to remain unpredictable

keeping it flat and fast can sometimes work well

half smashes can be just as effective as full smashes – placement and angle wins singles, because you will be using the whole court

Matt