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The Best Backhand Low Serve In The World Ever
October 23, 2013
3:20 pm
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Roger
West Midlands UK
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Hi All

In a recent post Paul rated a good low serve as the second most effective shot in the game.

Given that the backhand low serve is the most prevelent,certainly in doubles,I thought it may be interesting to gather a few thoughts on this topic.

Please include views on your own serves, good and bad, and also the serves of top players as techniques can vary considerably.

Also any tips you know to improve this under rated but extremely vital shot.

Look forward to hearing from you all

 

Roger

October 23, 2013
5:43 pm
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Ray
Indonesia
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Conventional wisdom holds that the the body weight should be on the left foot (for a right handed player) with the right foot extended forward and the body slightly bent during the serve. Some prefer the weight of the body to be on the right foot, with the left knee bent and toes pointing downwards. My normal stance is for both feet to be placed parallel to (and just short of) the service line, with the body fully upright, since it offers more mobility and I personally find it easier to retrieve the service return in this manner and it gives me better vision of the opposite court.

Although I used to prefer the forehand low serve for many years before switching to the backhand serve, I still see some professionals such as Jwala Gutta of India using the forehand serve with great effectiveness. I do use the forehand low serve every once in a while, in mixed doubles and if I want pinpoint placement in the far box. My only problem is consistency, and playing games where I tend to make too many service errors is frustrating (invariably the serve would fall short or hit the net due to insufficient power). I still average about one or two service errors per game, but it used to be worse than that.

I find two things to be critical when doing a backhand serve: to hold the shuttle properly between the index finger and thumb (this sounds almost basic, but I have messed up too many serves where I didn’t hold the shuttle properly!); and to hold my breath after exhaling just before serving. It helps to relax the body as much as possible too.

Best backhand serve ever? Lee Chong Wei! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him mess up his serve. For doubles, it has to be Christinna Pedersen, if only because of the peculiar way she performs her serve.

October 25, 2013
10:45 am
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Matthew Seeley
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Personally, the best backhand low serve I have ever seen was Lars Paaske. Check his serving out in the 2010 all england. He won the whole tournament with that serve!

In my opinion, the important aspects with regard to a backhand low serve are:

– leaning as far forwards as possible to make the serve distance as short as possible

– using a good thumb grip

– having a backswing no bigger than 3/4 inches

– titling the shuttle when you hold it: if you hold the shuttle with the cork pointing down, the trajectory of your serve will be higher. If you hold the shuttle with the cork pointing towards the strings, then the trajectory of your serve will be flatter. This is due to the weight of the cork.

– using a pushing action: making sure you follow through and “feel” your stroke, so that you can help the shuttle over the net and into the court.

The pushing action is possibly the most important aspect from my point of view – it is the difference between an inconsistent serve, and a great serve.

October 25, 2013
11:20 am
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Peter Warman
United Kingdom
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Matthew Seeley said:

– titling the shuttle when you hold it: if you hold the shuttle with the cork pointing down, the trajectory of your serve will be higher. If you hold the shuttle with the cork pointing towards the strings, then the trajectory of your serve will be flatter. This is due to the weight of the cork.

– using a pushing action: making sure you follow through and “feel” your stroke, so that you can help the shuttle over the net and into the court.

The pushing action is possibly the most important aspect from my point of view – it is the difference between an inconsistent serve, and a great serve.

I've not had time to post (although I was going to try to), but now I don't need to both as Matt has just said everything that I do and recommend down to the last word.

 

People seen to go for spin serves but they are so inconsistent! You will lose more points than you will ever gain from one eventually going over and winning a point. I've recommended to so many people about pushing and the positioning of the shuttle but they do not give it time for it to work. They try it and then give up, yet they know that I have one of the most consistent serves in the club!

 

You can practice this at home, close your curtains and hit the shuttle into the curtain. Net height is about 1.5m so if you can mark that some how then that helps. Practice for 5-10 minutes a day or every other day and you will see an improvement after a week or so.

 

The great thing about a consistent serve is that you know where it's going to go (and not randomly spin in a direction) but you can play these shots so much better under pressure. Whereas fancy serves can be messed up even more easily under pressure or if you are having an off night. If you are pumped up, you might think that you are tapping the shuttle over but you are pumped up and it goes too high but with the push method, you completely minimise that.

 

Good luck Smile

Badminton Gives Me A Purpose In Life – To Serve Others
I'd Rather Be Playing Badminton…………..

October 25, 2013
11:46 pm
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Ed
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Little do I have to add, than instead of hitting into the curtains: take a ruler, fix a rope, and place a box at the correct distances. Train your serve like a real condition. I think if you go for the curtains, the height might be good, but you could get your distance messed up. Here's a youtube url to where Lin Dan demonstrates his serve training with boxes from his sponsor. I used a bucket, and the better my serve became, the more I reduced the size of the bucket. Ever since my serve is good. 2 errors per game ? That's not so bad is it ? Plus, when a golfer wants to have a good swing, he needs to swing a trillion times. Period, there's no shortcut. So, train your serve.

Cheers, ED

October 26, 2013
12:14 am
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Chen
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I've practiced in the home too.  I put masking tape between the door frame and serve from my kitchen to my dining room (we don't actually dine there as it's become the kids room).  I've measured the distance from the door to the imaginary T and conveniently, that's where my kitchen tiles join so I don't have to put a marker down there.  On the other side, I put one of my kids toy buckets at the right length.  My serve to the T is okay now after much practice.  But I need to think of a way to practice my serve to the wide areas.  I don't serve much to the wide areas but equally I don't want to get too predictable with the serve to the T either.

October 26, 2013
9:20 am
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Paul Stewart
Cheshire, UK
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The best training tool I have for a low serve is a small box which I place on the T. When the situation is required I also add the net above the net which is a device I created. This is set to a height of 1.5 times shuttle length. Then I pin bin lines at certain points creating a letterbox for players to serve through…into the small box. Whilst the second net shouldn't come into play at all, it seriously messes with your mind. Matt can testify to the degree of difficulty.

 

I also agree with Matt's choice of player for the best backhand serve. It's interesting how Pederson's serve is modelled off this serve and now I see Gabby White from England doing exactly the same.

 

One of the best servers I've ever seen was Nora Perry of England and she served forehand. It was so fluent and easy.

 

For me the secrets to a good serve are simple.

 

1) good balance in your stance

2) solid preparation through a sequence that doesn't change

3) postive focus – most of the time we mess up through lack of concentration or doubt.

 

The technical aspects can be incorporated into each element.

 

The big issue for most players, rather than the converted on this forum is that they do not practice and do not care to practice.

 

Paul

October 28, 2013
9:36 am
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gingerphil79
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Paul Stewart said:

The best training tool I have for a low serve is a small box which I place on the T. When the situation is required I also add the net above the net which is a device I created. This is set to a height of 1.5 times shuttle length. Then I pin bin lines at certain points creating a letterbox for players to serve through…into the small box. Whilst the second net shouldn't come into play at all, it seriously messes with your mind. Matt can testify to the degree of difficulty.

 

I also agree with Matt's choice of player for the best backhand serve. It's interesting how Pederson's serve is modelled off this serve and now I see Gabby White from England doing exactly the same.

 

One of the best servers I've ever seen was Nora Perry of England and she served forehand. It was so fluent and easy.

 

For me the secrets to a good serve are simple.

 

1) good balance in your stance

2) solid preparation through a sequence that doesn't change

3) postive focus – most of the time we mess up through lack of concentration or doubt.

 

The technical aspects can be incorporated into each element.

 

The big issue for most players, rather than the converted on this forum is that they do not practice and do not care to practice.

 

Paul

All of what Paul said is 110% lol, I did the net device, very tough!!

 

I used to teach Archery is my early adult days and had the fortune to teach a man who went on to be good enough to play for the Northern Ireland team and was going to compete in the commonwealth before he gave all up. Pauls 3 tips reminded me of the advice he would give to other archers.

 

Balance is key, taking your time and going through a pattern of events every time is paramount and concentrating on the target.

 

Serving is the only time where we get all the time on the world to prepare and not rush. So many times & ive done this myself, we rush the serve whether due to nerves or whatever and this messes up the serve. Make a sequence of events and follow this to the letter every time you serve. Whether it is a flick or low or drive, exact same preparation every time!!

November 4, 2013
5:18 pm
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Roger
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Great replies as usual. I'm with Matt and  Lars Paaske for the best serve but the debate could go on and on.

Thanks as well for all the tips.

With beginners I use a similar one to Paul's letterbox and perch 2 old shuttles on the net at 6 inches(15cm) apart as a guide to where the shuttle should cross. Although there is no top to the “letterbox” players will automatically try to get the serve between the target shuttles.I'll add Phil's bin to my next session.

Taking Ray's point on breathing. I tell my beginners to place the shuttle base on the centre of the racket face. backswing, and before they ” push ” the shuttle, exhale and at the same time drop the shoulders. This breathing technique works well with anyone who feels under pressure on their serve, and let's face it who hasn't.

To move the thread on without a new post.

Has anyone any comments on the backhand flick serve, particularly the best way of disguise, and do all backhand low serve styles lend themselves to good flick serves.

November 5, 2013
11:20 am
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Paul Stewart
Cheshire, UK
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Roger

 

Great question on backhand flick serves.

 

I visited a club recently for a coaching day. I always say “if I had to choose between a partner with a big smash and one that can serve well, I'd choose the server all the time.”

 

Whilst coaching we did some work on the serve. One player has a nice low serve but cannot flick. Her style is to point her racket almost vertically. Would she change? No. Was she accurate enough with her low serve? No. This is when I question why I should bother. She wants results but isn't prepared to change what isn't working well enough. This style of serve does not allow the racket face to meet the shuttle correctly to create a force and therefore will not allow enough movement for a flick.

 

The other issues I find with technique that prevent a decent flick serve is by serving too close to the body. There is no room for the racket or hands to create the squeeze for the flick.

 

I'll contribute again later but open this up for others to comment.

 

Paul

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