Last updated on August 6th, 2024
I consider badminton to be both a fast-paced and an exciting sport. That means if you’re to play it well you need to have agility, speed and precision. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player looking to up your game, you need to focus on the right badminton tips and techniques. That way you can really take your skill set to the next level.
That’s exactly what I intend to do in this article, I want everyone to become the best badminton player they can be. To do this we will explore invaluable tips that are designed to help you improve not only your badminton skills but your enjoyment of the sport.
When starting out playing badminton it’s easy to overlook a few key points, many of which will seem obvious yet you may not be implementing them fully.
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With that in mind, here are 11 great badminton tips aimed at helping beginners and intermediate level players improve.
Like I said, many of these will seem obvious but how many of us make the mistake of skipping straight to playing badminton without any further thought?
By following these essential badminton tips you should start enjoy your play a lot play! I mean who doesn’t want to improve their skills and techniques?
So just how do you get better at badminton? Lets take a look at a few things you can do to improve your skill set and game experience.
Badminton Tips Vital To Improving Your Game
1. Play To Enjoy
This one really applies to any sport! When taking up a new sport such as badminton it’s important that you are actually have fun whilst playing. You’re more likely to stick with something if you find yourself actually enjoying playing.
That’s why I highly recommend joining a club with a friend as it often results in your continued participation in the sport.
2. Don’t Spend A Fortune On Your First Racket
I think this is something most of have done at some point with a sport or hobby. Purchasing a really expensive badminton racket! is not going to turn a beginner into the next Viktor Axelsen or An Se Young! You going to need a lot of hard work and coaching to have a chance of that happening.
I’d recommend picking up a relatively cheap racket to begin with. Remember you can always upgrade later if you decide to stick with the sport. The most important thing to learn is the basics of badminton such as all of the different shots you can play.
3. Ensure You Warm-up Properly Before Play
Often the most overlooked yet essential part to any sport is the warm-up. Most of us just want to go straight to the fun part, playing badminton right? Skipping a proper warm-up however significantly increases your risk of injury. In fact you can find out more about badminton injuries here.
Engage in light cardio exercises to increase your heart rate and warm up your muscles. Follow this with dynamic stretches that target major muscle groups used in badminton, such as your legs, arms and shoulders.
Warming up and stretching reduce the risk of injuries and help improve your agility during the game.
To give you an idea of the sort of exercises you could include in your warm-up take a look at this excellent video from Greg and Jenny over at Badminton Insight.
Badminton Warm-up
4. After Play Cool-Down – Stretches & Jogging
You have warmed up, played a few games of badminton and now it’s time to head home right? Wrong, just as important as warming up before play is warming down or cooling down after play.
This involves various stretches along with jogging. This allows the body to transition back to a resting state. It also helps to reduces muscle soreness and injury.
In fact if you watch sports such as football you will quite often see players jogging and stretching after the game. How many badminton players simply skip this cool down or warm-down routine? That’s why its considered one of are most important badminton tips!
5. Know The Basic Rules
This may sound obvious but knowing the basic rules of badminton will actually increase your enjoyment and help to improve your game. Check out my badminton rules for beginners guide.
How To Play Badminton Better: Essential Badminton Tips
6. Learn How To Hold The Racket Correctly
Holding the badminton racket correctly really is imperative if you are to master the sport. Let’s take a look at a basic forehand grip, and backhand grip with the aid of a fabulous video from Badminton Family.
Badminton Grip For Beginners
7. Focus On Footwork
Footwork is crucial in badminton as it allows you to move swiftly across the court and be in the right position to hit the shuttlecock. Practice agility drills, side stepping, lunges and split steps to improve your footwork and responsiveness.
Improving your badminton footwork really is going to make a massive difference to your all-round game. We have an entire article dedicated to the topic in fact. In short by working on this aspect of your game it will allow you to not only move around the court quicker but smarter.
You will learn to anticipate your opponent’s next move therefore giving you a competitive edge over those not quite as skilled with their footwork.
8. Return To A Central Court Position
Following on from improving your footwork is badminton court positioning. You want to be where you can best anticipate your opponents next shot. That’s why whenever possible you should return to the centre of the court following your shot.
9. Improve Your Fitness
It may sound obvious but by improving your overall fitness it can help you to become stronger in the shot and faster around the court. This is without doubt an essential tip that will benefit everyone.
By focusing on fitness you can improve your power, stamina and agility allowing you to become more competitive whilst the increase in your agility means you can reach areas of the court faster and therefore save points.
10. Gradually Play Against Different / Stronger Opponents
Playing with different opponents of varying skill levels can expose you to different playing styles and strategies. It will help you adapt and improve your overall game. Participate in local tournaments, join badminton clubs, or find training partners to diversify your playing experience.
Once you have become reasonably competent in the basics of badminton you are going to want to test yourself against better players. Put simply if you wish to improve further you must play against tougher opposition.
Don’t be disheartened or disappointed if you are soundly beaten early on as it’s all about learning from more skilled opponents. Trust me every top player experienced the same thing as they progressed in their careers.
11. Think About Strategy
For my eleventh badminton tip, its all about game strategy. You should start thinking about how you can manoeuvre your opponent into an area of the court, that gives you the best chance of winning the point.
Are you using your badminton serve to your advantage? Which badminton shots do you need to achieve the desired goal.
Whether you play singles or doubles, understanding and practising these specific strategies are vital.
In singles for instance, you should focus on maintaining a steady pace, conserving energy and exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses.
However in doubles, communication, court coverage and effective teamwork have proven to be the key to achieving success.
Bonus Tips – Master the Court For Success!
Master the Basics
Another obvious tip, work hard on the fundamental skills of badminton. Focus on mastering techniques such as grip, footwork, and racket control. By establishing a solid foundation in the basics skills required to play the sport, you increase your can of success in the long run.
Play Both Singles and Doubles
I highly recommend that you participate in both singles and doubles matches. This really does help to develop and improve your overall game. Singles games enhance your footwork, speed and individual strategies. Meanwhile doubles matches go along way to improving your teamwork, coordination and shot placement.
By playing both formats, you will gain a well-rounded skill set that can be applied effectively in any game scenario. You can choose later on which format suits you best!
Master the Serve
The serve sets the tone for each rally, so having a strong and consistent serve is important. Practice the various types of serves such as the high serve, low serve and flick serve.
Focus on accuracy, placement and varying your serve speed as this will help to keep your opponent off balance.
Utilize Effective Net Shots
If you are able to master the net shots you start to dominate positioning during rallies. You should focus on developing a soft touch to perform delicate net shots that force your opponent into difficult positions. By making your opponent lift the shuttle, you can gain opportunities to attack and score points.
Develop a Strong Smash
The smash is one of the most powerful and explosive shots in badminton. You should work improving your wrist strength and timing, then you will be able to implement a potent smash shot.
Try working on hitting the shuttlecock at different angles and heights to make your smashes unpredictable and difficult to return.
Analyse and Learn from Professionals
I recommend studying the different techniques and playing styles of professional badminton players. Take a look at videos of top-ranked players and observe their footwork, shot selection, and overall strategy.
Analyse their body movements, positioning and shot execution. Then try to incorporate their tactics into your own game, by adapting them to suit your style and strengths.
Seek Professional Coaching
To truly elevate your game to the next level, consider working with a professional badminton coach. A coach can provide personalized feedback and guidance that will correct your technique. They can help your to develop strategies that can overcome any weaknesses in your game.
Play Regularly and Seek Feedback
There really is no substitute than playing regularly, consistent practice and match play are essential for honing your skills and improving your game.
As I mentioned earlier, try to find a training partner or join a badminton club to engage in regular matches where you will receive valuable feedback.
Conclusion: Mastering Badminton Tips For Beginners
I believe by implementing these tips into your badminton training, you’ll undoubtedly see improvements in your game. Remember to be patient, practice regularly and have fun along the way.
With dedication and the right techniques, you’ll soon become a formidable player that can enjoy badminton to the fullest.
I hope these badminton tips will prove invaluable in helping you avoid several common mistakes new players tend to make whilst also giving regular player some pointers in certain badminton techniques.
My aim with article is to increase your enjoyment with the sport and enable you play better badminton!
There are of course many other aspects I could cover such as shuttlecock types which I have a dedicated article on (click the link) but I think I’ll leave it there for now.
If you follow these 11 great badminton tips (Plus a few bonus tips) I believe you will see a big improvement not only in in your all-round game but also in your enjoyment of the sport.
How do I get better at badminton? Hopefully these badminton tips will provide you with the techniques to boost your game to the next level.
In the next tips article I will feature badminton tips for advanced players and badminton tips for doubles. Keep an eye out for that one!
If you have any tips you think I should of covered in this article, please leave them in the comments section below.
Badminton Best Buys / Tops Picks
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