Secret badminton skills you must possess to outmaneuver, outplay and score your opponent part 1
Have you ever played badminton against an opponent that you think you should beat, but never have?
Have you suffered the frustration of knowing that you are so close to a momentous victory, and yet you just can’t seem to make it?
Or have you walked off the badminton court wondering what happened, easily losing to someone you think is just as good as you are, and yet the score suggests a huge chasm in your level of play?
If you have answered yes to any of the questions above, then this series of articles on badminton skills may be the answer you are looking for.
So what is the secret badminton skill?
In all standards of play, whether you are a beginner, intermediate, club, league, or professional badminton player, you need to understand how to read your opponent, identify their weaknesses, and be able to use this information to create a tactical game plan. .
So how do you do this?
Here are some ideas for you…
In this article, you’ll discover how to understand the big picture, and then in the next two articles, you’ll hear how to analyze ability components and design tactics to expose and capitalize on your opponent’s weakness.
1) Play Style
No doubt you have played with and against various badminton players. Each player has their own style of play, favorite shots, weaknesses, likes and dislikes.
The goal of this section is to simplify the style and help you assess which style fits you and your opponent. Once you understand this, it’s much easier to start building a game plan to beat them. Let’s take a look at the various styles and how to identify them.
aggressive attack
This style of player is easy to identify. They try to attack everything. They like a fast paced game and favor the big shot to end the rally at the first opportunity. There’s an almost force-over-brain mentality here, although it’s a bit cruel to say this.
Serving this style of player, they are prepared to pounce on any loose shot. They have an aggressive attacking stance, following the service line and try to rile you up and force a loose low serve or fast move to allow the return of the big shot. Have you already put this player style? They can be very intimidating.
attacking thinker
This style of player is tricky and hard to beat. They can attack well and use a variety of well-placed shots to achieve the desired result. They like to mix up the rhythm, look for openings, work well in pairs to create a weak return. There is more finesse to his game, using an “all court” approach to find the gaps in his game.
When serving this type of player, you need to pay attention to the variety in return they get. There is less aggression in his game, preferring the well-placed return to the booming smash. Be on your guard, especially around the net and watch out for push returns. They’ll still latch on to a bad serve and bury it, however, they lack the aggressiveness on the court to send you right back on your heels.
This type of player likes a more medium-fast paced game, although they are much more adept at changing the pace to create their openings.
aggressive defender
While this term may seem strange, there is a reason I use it. There are players who like to counterattack. They like to set up certain situations, specifically to play for a certain return where they can inject rhythm into their defensive shot by creating a hit shot or triggering a weak return.
Their defensive capabilities are good and they love to move the shuttle around the court quickly to expose weaknesses or open up a weak return, especially in the backcourt.
Taking this type of badminton player out will usually result in quick shoves to the back of the court or to the server’s partner in doubles. They like to send an opponent down the wrong path, so they have developed good deception skills to use quick pushes to score points.
This style of player prefers a fast paced game and they really like to drive the shuttle into the corners to create their openings. They love to hit “through” the attacking player of the net at the back of the court.
Advocacy Thinker
This style of player is good for moving the shuttle around the court, but in a more defensive way. They are happy to pick up the shuttle and then maneuver the shuttle to expose gaps in their opponents’ attack. Again, they like to use trickery to fool their opponents and enjoy a slower pace of play, lifting high in the corners, blocking and driving returns to create their openings.
Taking this player out is certainly less pressure. They tend to stand outside the service line, preferring to cover their backcourt rather than attack a low serve.
the complete player
The complete player is one who is a bit of a chameleon. They can play all four styles, although they have preference in terms of their most comfortable style. They will have weaknesses and some of these styles are almost foreign to them, because they are so good at their preferred playstyle.
With this type of player, it’s important to recognize the style you favor and either improve on it or learn to play against it.
The rally point scoring system has changed the game. Have you adapted?
The change in the scoring system of most players caused a change in their style. In essence, they either adapted or were defeated (Darwin’s law of survival of the fittest – fitness in these terms means adaptable to its environment).
The rally point system doesn’t follow the slow starter as much, and certainly in pro arenas the defensive thinker is extinct. Players at this level should be able to take all the styles and adapt them to their game instantly, choosing the return style to deal with the situation they find themselves in, in a split second.
In the badminton league, especially in the lower leagues, this is not seen as much. Consequently, matches are won and lost based on which style of player outplays their opponent. The rally point system still favors an attacking player, especially the aggressive attacker, though time and time again, it’s the softer hit that finds an opportunity.
What to do next
Take a good look at the players on your club and see if you can figure out what style of player you typically fit.
When you have completed this task, think about your own game and your preferred play style. Does it stay the same or does it change depending on your partner and the opposition? Consider your findings.
Having identified these different styles, think about what you would do to counter a style that you have a hard time playing against. Also rate your playstyle and why you think you are having trouble beating this style of player… this could be very interesting so come join us and let’s learn something together!
