Most badminton beginners will want to know the badminton tips on how they can master the game quickly. This is frequently asked questions, especially for those who have played badminton a few times and start to focus on their techniques.
I would say learning from professional players is a good way as it can improve your playing skill very fast. Other than that, there are still several things you should know as a beginner. I would share with you some of my experiences and hope they will be useful to you.
1. Warming up
Before playing badminton, carry out some warm-up exercises beside the court. You can stretch your hands and legs. Do a little jumping and jog around the court. This is to ensure your body is readily prepared to go for severe exercise. Besides, having a proper warm-up will also help you indulge in the game easier.
2. Wear protective equipment
Before going into a badminton court, you need to wear protective equipment like wrist wrap and knee pads. Beginners tend to be prone to get injured. So wearing this protective equipment does not just help ease pains, but it will also provide good protection for you from getting injured.
3. Practice your footwork
Learn the correct footwork movement on the court. Try to master the 8-angles footwork. You will save a lot of energy once you know how to use the right footwork to play on the court.
4. Focus on stroke practicing
Before mastering the game, you should focus on the strokes. You can practice hitting multi shuttles on pushes, smashes, drives, lob, etc.
5. Watching videos of professional players
You can watch the video of professional players and learn their strokes, techniques, footwork, tricks, and so on. You can repeatedly watch the same video, and you will learn something from the video.
6. Practice the short serve
Try to practice short serve by serving the shuttle to be slight across the net. Make the flight curve of the shuttle below and have it drops rapidly after passing the net.
What Are The Basic Skills In Playing Badminton?
When you make a little progress in badminton, you will likely fall in love with this game. The feeling is amazing when you feel you move faster and hit harder; you can do things you couldn’t do before, and you are desired to play better in badminton. At this point, you already get addicted. When you have to know all the rules and techniques about badminton, it is time for you to learn the basic skills.
1. Badminton grip
Mastering the correct grip is the first step in badminton because only the correct grip allows you to use the fingers and wrists when hitting the shuttle.
2. Ready stance before hitting the shuttle
There are two kinds of ready stances, one is the stance of receiving the serve (single and doubles), and the other is ready to receive the shot from the opponent.
When receiving the service, use the standing method of one leg at the front and the other at the back. It would help if you put the left leg in front and the right leg at the back.
The distance between the two feet is slightly wider than the shoulder, and the heel is lifted. After receiving the serve, the ready stance should change to both legs in a parallel position.
The distance between the two feet is equal to the shoulder width. The right foot is slightly ahead. The distance is about half a foot ahead of the right foot. The two feet are slightly lifted to get ready to move.
3. The standard swing of high clear
I think beginners should practice the swing first. The correct swing stroke can make you fully realize your potential and save energy. Also, it can reduce the probability of getting injured.
But some players are gifted with strong strength. When they are in the wrong position, They can hit the shuttle far away to the backcourt and play some beautiful strokes even with the wrong posture. If they don’t wish to change their playing stroke, then you can’t force them. After all, some people are just treating playing badminton as entertainment and exercise.
We can’t force them to change their playing stroke because some people will feel awkward and complain that they don’t know how to hit the shuttle anymore after changing their playing stroke.
Since habit dies hard, it is difficult to get rid of the habit in a short time. But if you are sticking to it, I believe that play the correct swing and stroke can make you better control the shuttle’s landing point and better exert your strength.
Before hitting the shuttle, you need to move sideways with the right foot at the back and use the right foot as a support point. When swinging, we should use the elbow as the axis.
The arm drives to wrap around. It mainly relies on the swinging speed of the arm, the strength of the wrist and fingers, and the power to turn the waist.
Pay special attention to the sideways, with the left foot in front and the right in the back. Put your pivot on your right foot when you are exerting your strength. When smashing, it is recommended that you use a single foot to jump and do the smash. This will help you get back to the ready position quickly after the smash.
The relationship between swing speed and strength
Having enough strength is important when you want to swing your racket. But it is not an absolute factor. For a straightforward example, the shot put and weight lift athletes have much arm strength than badminton players. But if they want to compete on the smashing strength with badminton players, I don’t think they can win.
The reason is the speed of the swing. The faster the swing, the greater the power generated. In many competitions, we can see that some players are thin, but the smash is powerful, and the speed is like a bullet. Therefore, speed plus strength are the most important factors for a player to play badminton.
4. The role of non-grip hands
Some players ignored the role of the non-grip hand, and the only thing the hand that grips the racket is important. They thought they lifted the non-grip hand when hitting the shuttle is just for the sake of good-looking. Most of them think it doesn’t matter where the hand is placed.
In fact, the non-grip hand plays a vital role in hitting the shuttle. It can help to keep you balanced. If you are swinging to the side when hitting the shuttle, the non-grip hand can help drive your body to turn and increase your waist strength. Therefore, you need to pay good attention to the non-grip hand as well.
5. The angle of the racket and the choice of the hitting point when hitting the shuttle
When hitting the shuttle, you can choose different angles and hitting points to achieve the purpose of hitting the shuttle. The effect of hitting the shuttle is different.
When playing a high clear, the racket face is slightly upward, the hitting point is above the head, and the arm is forced forward and upward. When leveling the high clear, the front faces forward, the hitting point is slightly forward, and the arm is forced forward.
The hitting point is on the front upper side when smashing, and the racket head is face down when hitting the shuttle. At the same time, using the speed and the power of the arm, wrist, and finger to swing downward.
When smashing, the finger controls the racket’s face. You can hit the right or left side of the shuttle cork. Presses the wrist and fingers, change the direction of the shuttle, and pay attention to keep the movement consistent.
6. Footwork
The footwork for beginners can be divided into 3 categories: netplay, midcourt, and backcourt. The training of the footwork is essential. Most of the footwork starts with the right foot first, and the end of the footwork is also on the right foot.
Of course, for left-handed players, it will be of the opposite. The key is to be proficient in the adjustment and application of the footwork. It would be best if you practiced so you could do the right footwork combination.
7. Netplay
Drive, push, hook, lob all are the basic badminton techniques that beginners need to learn. The most important thing for you to do when practicing the skill is to relax your hand that grips the racket. Try to control the racket with your fingers for you to learn the techniques.
8. High clear
Playing high clear is another important technique other than footwork that beginners need to learn to master badminton.
Read also: How To Teach Your Kid To Play Badminton
How To Play Better in Badminton?
For you to play better in badminton, there is something you need to focus on.
Practice hard
Try to practice more, at least 3 times a week and 2 hours every time. If you play only once a week, you will not likely make the progress you wish. You might forget the tricks you have learned or fall behind in many aspects such as force, skill, stamina, footwork, and techniques.
Get a coach
An experienced coach knows your weakness, and he knows how to improve them. The coach can come out with a plan to train you in all manners.
If you can’t afford to hire a coach, you can watch tutorial videos which will be a great choice. You may start with coaching videos where you can find a lot available on Youtube.
You may not learn every trick taught in one video at a time, so you can repeat watching the same video a few times. You may learn new tricks from the same video once you grasp something while gradually improving your playing skill.
Get proper badminton shoes and a racket
If you are feeling good, it means you are making the right progress. To have such a feeling, you will need to get the right shoes and racket in the first place. A pair of comfortable badminton shoes can help protect your feet and give you a good grip to move faster at your desired pace. At the same time, a good racket can help you to reach your full potential. So don’t hesitate to invest your money in this equipment.
Having sufficient diet and rest
If you play badminton more than 3 times a week, it is necessary to supplement more calories. Otherwise, you will get weaker after playing badminton for a period. Playing badminton can consume a lot of energy, especially if you are always playing singles. Also, you need proper rest to relax your body to stay healthy and energetic to play on the court.
For beginners, if you are serious about playing badminton, you will need to keep learning and practicing hard. You can only improve your skill if you really focus on the right practice and training. You may not become a professional player in a short time, but you will certainly become a better player.
Read also: How to play badminton alone