Physical Education and Health: Sports

1
Basic Skills in Playing Badminton

Basic Skills in Playing Badminton

At the end of the module, the student will be able to:

1. Identify and apply the basic skills in playing badminton
a. The Grip
b. Stroke
c. The Service
d. Clearing Difficulties
2. Determine each skill’s use in playing badminton
3. Understand how badminton is played

Basic Skills in Playing Badminton

How important is racket handling? The feel and weight of the racket prepares
you to handle it comfortably during the play. Hand-eye coordination is
essential in making contact with the bird. Timing also plays an important role
in your stroke production. Constant practice in hitting, blocking, bouncing or
even picking up the shuttle with the racket will enhance your racket handling
skills.
Correct gripping is the most vital factor in badminton and winning matches,
as holding the racket is vital in executing a good serve or hitting a
shuttlecock.
To develop good stroke production, the following steps should be followed:
- Shake hands with racket
- Reach for shuttle with arms extended
- Snap racket through forearm rotation

The Grip
The grip is made near the end of the handle, the side panel of which should
bisect the angle of the thumb and forefinger. The grip is neither tight nor
loose but firm and pliant, strengthening as the swing progresses. It is also the
basis of free effective wrist action. The player’s control of his/her hit depends
on his grip of the racket so this is a crucial part of playing the sport.

Two kinds of grip

1. Forehand grip – known as the “SHAKE HANDS” grip. The handle of the
racket is held as if you are shaking hands with the racket. This universal
grip is similar to the eastern forehand grip in tennis, with the “V” formed
by the thumb or index finger on the top level of the racket grip.
2. Backhand grip – or the Frying Pan Grip. It is similar to the forehand grip
except that hand is rotated slightly to the left and the thumb is placed flat
Course Module
 against the side level for additional power. Most of the time, this is the
weakest way of holding the racket especially for the backhand that is why
it is very seldom used.

Stroke
The term “stroke” is referred to as the forehand and backhand manner of
hitting the shuttle while the term “shot” refers to a different flight pattern
produced by the stroke such as drive, smash, lob or clear and drop.
 Forehand stroke
This refers to any shot struck on the racket side of the body. This is used
when returning the bird from the right side of the body.

 Backhand stroke
These are shots struck on the side away from the racket (left side for the
right-handed and right side for the left-handed). This is used when
returning the bird from the left side of the body.

 Overhand stroke
This is used when returning a high shot and in which the arm and the
shoulder are fully extended.

 Drop shot
This is any shot that drops immediately after crossing the net. The
overhand is the easiest stroke to use.

 Drive
A flat shot that is kept as low as possible to have the opponent run from
side to side.

 Smash
This is the basic offensive shot in badminton. It is a very powerful stroke
that is used primarily for getting the shuttle to land on your opponent’s
side of the court as quickly as possible. An attacking shot made with all
the power and speed one can put into it.

 Clear the lob

Clears are used as a defensive stroke to allow you time to return to the
ready position and regroup and to move your opponent as far away from
the net as possible. This is a defensive shot used to keep the opponent
away from the net when caught off balance or out of position or when in
doubt as to what the shot should be played. Use either the forehand or
backhand grip.

 Overhead clear – it is usually taken from a backcourt position.

 Forehand Underhand (Net) Clear – it is usually taken from forecourt
position.

 The Service
The service is the stroke used to initiate play. It is used to begin each
 Physical Education and Health: Sports
3
Basic Skills in Playing Badminton

point in the match. It begins as a defensive play, in which you must strike
the shuttle below the waist and hit upward over the net. When serving,
the player must ensure that the shuttle does not touch the net and must
cross over the net and reach the service area across the server diagonally.
Take note that the server must stand about 3 feet away from the short
service line with the left foot slightly put forward and the left shoulder is
angled for the preferred placement of the shuttle. The player holds the
shuttle by its feathers.

 Long Short Serve – Bird should clear the net and fall on in or two
beyond short service line of opponent’s court.
 Long High Serve – Bird travels above the receiving reach and falls
within six inches of rear boundary line.
 Drive Serve – made by a quick flip of wrist and bird travels in a
direct line to the desired spot.

Clearing Difficulties
These are the important terms to learn in playing badminton.
1. Ace – a good service but unable to hit or touch with the racket
2. Backhand – any stroke made on the side of the body opposite the
racket side.
3. Bird – another name for shuttlecock
4. Clear – term for LOB, a high shot that falls close to the backline.
5. Drive – a horizontally hard stroke that is straight and close to the net
6. Drop – a low shot close to the net from the back court that falls
sharply immediately after crossing the net.
7. Fault – any infraction of the rules resulting in loss of the serve or a
point. This is committed when a player goes beyond the boundary
lines set or if the shuttlecock lands on an area that is considered as a
fault zone. If a player or pair commits the fault, the opposing team or
player will serve next
8. Forehand – stroke made on the racket side
9. Hand-out – loss of service
10. Let – when the bird touches the top of the net and falls in the proper
side of the court
11. Match – consists of three games in a set or otherwise agreed upon.
12. Net flight – a shot in which the bird follows the net in a short flight
13. Rally – continuous heat of the bird back and forth across several
heated return of the bird.
14. Serve – putting the bird in play
15. Setting the game – chasing how many points to play when the score
becomes tied in 13-all or 14-all.

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Rules in Playing Badminton
Badminton matches usually consist of three games in which a team or player
must win at least two to win. A point is given to a player or team if his or her
shot leads to the shuttlecock landing on the side of the opponent’s in play
area or if the opponent hits the shuttlecock out of play on the player or
team’s side.
First, the players in a badminton game must fully understand and agree to
the scoring method that will be used in the match. A toss between the players
will determine the winner who gets to decide if he/she wants to serve or
receive or which end of the court will start the game. Some toss methods that
can be adopted are flip coin, spinning a racket, tossing a shuttle in the air
(wherein the direction the base is pointing at will be declared winner of the
toss).
In a men’s single competition, the player who reaches 15 points first will be
the winner, while in a women’s singles, the first player to reach 11 points
wins the game.

References:
Muyot, Fritzie Marie, et.al. Soaring with MAPEH (with KPUP Learning Guide).
Quezon City: Bright House Publishing. 2015
Scutt, Lynne. Badminton Manual. Retrieved from:
https://www.achper.vic.edu.au/sitebuilder/resources/knowledge/as
set/files/14/a26badmintoninfomanual2007(2).pdf on April 7, 2018
Fundamental Skills and Rules in Badminton. Retrieved from:
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/fundamental-skills-rules-
badminton-2380.html on February 25, 2017
Badminton Basics for Beginners. Retrieved from:
https://www.masterbadminton.com/badminton-basics.html on
February 25, 2017
What are the basic skills in Badminton? Retrieved from:
https://www.reference.com/sports-active-lifestyle/basic-skills-
badminton-27cfe8829c0b124# on February 25, 2017
Badminton Rules. Retrieved from:
https://web.mst.edu/~ima/rules/Badmintonrules.html on February
25, 2017
How to Hold the Neutral Racket. Retrieved from:
https://www.sikana.tv/en/sport/badminton/how-to-hold-the-
neutral-racket-grip on April 5, 2018
How to Hold the Forehand Grip. Retrieved from:
https://www.sikana.tv/en/sport/badminton/how-to-hold-the-
forehand-grip on April 7, 2018
Serving rules and techniques for singles. Retrieved from:
https://www.sikana.tv/en/sport/badminton/learn-the-rules-for-the-
serve-in-singles on April 7, 2018