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Badminton · Basic · b4

Short serve to a target

At home 8 min 1 to 2 players One room, yard or lane, park

Ready when: Two grips and the switch (b2) done.

Start a session

What you are learning

The serve starts every rally. A short serve goes just over the net and drops near the front, so the other player cannot hit it down at you. The secret is a small, gentle push, done exactly the same way every time.

Words on this card Shuttle, Rally, Serve, Short serve, Backhand, Grip, Racket foot, Follow-through, Service line
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.
Backhand
A shot on the other side of the body, with the back of the hand facing where the shuttle goes.
Grip
The way the hand holds the racket handle.
Racket foot
The foot or leg on the same side as the hand holding the racket: the right one for a right-handed player.
Follow-through
The racket keeps moving after the hit, toward where you aim.
Service line
The line near the net that a serve must pass. On the home strip it is 2 m from the rope.

Set up

The base strip with the rope; a hoop, a bucket or a chalk circle 3 m away on the other side. A racket, and shuttles or a foam ball.

Weather: no wind

The base setup for badminton

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Stand behind the service line facing the rope, racket foot forward, feet a shoulder-width apart.
  2. Backhand grip; hold the racket in front of your waist with its head pointing down.
  3. Hold a shuttle by one feather, cork down, just in front of the strings.
  4. Push the racket forward about a hand's length into the cork as you let go. No backswing. The shuttle floats just over the rope.

Your part while they practise

Stand by the target. After each serve say "in" or "out", and count the good ones. Collect the shuttles.

Step by step

  1. Stand behind the service line, racket foot forward, feet apart.
  2. Backhand grip; racket in front of the waist, head pointing down.
  3. Hold the shuttle by one feather, cork down, just in front of the strings.
  4. Push the racket forward a hand's length as you let go. No backswing.
  5. Watch the shuttle over the rope. The same action every serve.
  6. 10 serves, then collect them and start again.

How much: 5 rounds of 10 serves 8 min a session 3 days a week On your own: a bucket as the target; count your own

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Call your spot

Before each serve the other player names a spot, and the serve must land there to score.

Who plays: the child serves and you call and judge; then swap and you serve.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Put 4 markers on the far side: left, right, short (just over the rope) and long (near the back)
  2. Before each serve, you call one: "left", "right", "short" or "long"
  3. The child serves. If the shuttle lands nearer the called marker than any other marker, it scores
  4. 10 serves each, then swap
Fair play
The grown-up serves from 1 m farther back.
Points
1 point for each serve that lands nearest the called marker. 3 scoring serves in a row earn 1 extra point.
Fouls
No point for that serve
  • The shuttle hits the rope or goes under it
  • The racket starts above the waist (a badminton serve is hit low)
  • The server's feet move before the hit
Winning
After 10 serves each, the player with more points wins.
Stars
  1. 4 points for 1 star
  2. 6 points for 2 stars
  3. 8 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

Stand 2 m away, with a bigger target.

Harder

Stand 5 m away, a smaller target, serve over a rope.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the shuttle flies high and long Lower, slow swingA smaller push; it should only just go over the rope.
  • it falls short Follow through to the targetLet the racket keep going a little toward the target after the hit.

Self-check

5of 10

5 of 10 serves land in the target from 3 m.

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 touch, distance control.

awiseathlete.com/sports/badminton/badminton-b4