Game point
Ready when: Play a plan (a3) done.
What you are learning
To play well when the game is close and nearly over. Games are often won or lost at 18 or 19 points each. Practising from that score teaches the player to slow down, breathe and play a planned shot.
Words on this card Shuttle, Rally, Serve, Short serve, Fault, Deuce
- Shuttle
- The "ball" in badminton: a cork with feathers or a plastic skirt. It flies fast, slows down quickly and falls almost straight down. A foam shuttle is softer and good for learning.
- Rally
- The shuttle going back and forth over the net until someone misses. One rally wins one point.
- Serve
- The hit that starts every rally. In badminton it is hit underarm, low, across to the other side.
- Short serve
- A gentle serve that just goes over the net and drops near the front.
- Fault
- A broken rule in a rally: into the net, out, a double hit or a net touch. The other side wins the point.
- Deuce
- The score at 20-all. From there a player must lead by 2 to win the game.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Explain the end of a game: the first to 21 wins, but you need a lead of 2.
- At 20-all (deuce), play goes on until someone leads by 2.
- Start a mini-game at 18-18 and say your planned shot aloud before you serve.
Your part while they practise
Start each mini-game at 18-18 or 19-19, and give the server a task, such as "short serve, then attack".
Step by step
- Set the score to 18-18.
- The server says the task aloud.
- Play to 21, with a lead of 2.
- Reset and play again. 6 mini-games.
How much: 6 mini-games from 18-18 20 min a session 1 day a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Mini-games from 18-18
Each mini-game is played to 21 with a lead of 2, then the score resets.
Who plays: the player against you.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Start at 18-18; the player serves
- Play normal rallies, with the usual faults
- The first to 21, with a lead of 2, wins the mini-game
- Before each game point, the player names the shot they will play
- Fair play
- If one player wins 3 in a row, the next mini-game starts with them 1 point behind.
- Points
- 1 point for each rally won. Count the mini-games won.
- Fouls
- The other player wins the rally
- The shuttle goes into the net or out
- A net touch or a double hit
- A serve that is not hit underarm and low
- Winning
- The player who wins more of the 6 mini-games.
- 3 planned game-point shots in 6 games for 1 star
- 4 planned game-point shots in 6 games for 2 stars
- 5 planned game-point shots in 6 games for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Start from 15-15.
Start at 20-20 (deuce).
What you will see, and what to say
- the player rushes
Slow down, take a breath
One slow breath before the serve. - they play safe
Play your plan
Say the shot, then play it.
Self-check
The player chooses and plays a planned shot on game point in 5 of 6 mini-games.
Stop and get a coach when
The player is upset for the rest of the day after practice.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains pressure, resilience.
awiseathlete.com/sports/badminton/badminton-a4