Service - Professional question.

[novadragon849]

Hi I was wondering how come when I watch matches with professionals all around the world, when they serve they seem to play it short but when I serve I tend to hit it all the way to the back of the court. E.g. Taufik, Lin Dan etc.

Does that mean what i'm doing is not the best way to start serves and that I should change.

[jas1121]

Hi I was wondering how come when I watch matches with professionals all around the world, when they serve they seem to play it short but when I serve I tend to hit it all the way to the back of the court. E.g. Taufik, Lin Dan etc.

Does that mean what i'm doing is not the best way to start serves and that I should change.

For me, I think it all depends.I think the reason why professional players nowadays serve short is so that they can avoid being on the defence and giving the opponent a chance to smash as the game as is getting faster and faster unlike last time.

I think it depends on the opponent as well so doesnt mean you cant serve all the way back.

[SystemicAnomaly]

Are you talking about singles serves that are slow short serves (often BH) rather than high deep ones (usually with a FH)? (I will assume that this is what you meant for the rest of my reply).

Since the late 1980s, the low short serve has become increasingly more common in top level play for the men (& also with the women to a lesser extent). Yang Yang & players since his time have developed such devastating jump smashes that the standard high deep singles serves is nearly suicidal (unless the receiver is standing very close to the front line).

Most intermediate & many advanced players still use the standard high deep serve more often that a low short serve.

[novadragon849]

alright cheers, guess I need to master both types of serves to get ready for different types of players.

Also I'm a bit confused, does a smash always have to refer to the hits that hit the ground almost immediately or can it refer to the clear hits with extreme speed. That go from back court to back court.

[Kiwiplayer]

Actually, if you don't know whether you should be serving short or long in singles, then you shouldn't be short serving at all. Put all your serves to the back.

Serving short in singles requires a certain level of footwork, skill at the net, confidence in your backhand, and the ability to cut off drive returns. It also requires a certain level of court craft and tactical awareness. When these attributes start falling into place, then you'll already know whether you should be serving short or long.

Wayne Young

[SystemicAnomaly]

Good answer Wayne.


...Also I'm a bit confused, does a smash always have to refer to the hits that hit the ground almost immediately or can it refer to the clear hits with extreme speed. That go from back court to back court.

Smashes refer to fast (oten flat) shots hit at a downward angle with a fairly full overhead motion. The clears that you refer to are still clears (or lobs, if you will).

Question: Are all clears referred to as lifts in the UK (& other areas)? Or does the term lift only refer elevators:D & to underhand clears?

Lob is the preferred term in tennis. I believe that it is also the term used in Denmark for badminton clears, correct?

[novadragon849]

Well I heard of the term lifts in the UK but very little people use that term, instead we stick to clear.

[Gollum]

About the serve in singles

The forehand high serve is effective at all levels of play. Even the very best men's singles players use this serve. A good high serve forces the opponent to play from the extreme back of the court.

The low serve has become increasingly popular at the top level. I would say that low serves, either forehand or backhand, are now the most common serve at top level men's singles.

Flick serves are occasionally used at the top level. Drive serves are almost never used.

I would recommend learning a good high serve first. This serve is very effective against most players, because the shuttle falls almost vertically, making it harder to time the smashes and dropshots.

Experiment with low serves too, but be aware that you must move very fast to cover the net as well as deceptive flicks to the back.

About terminology

The normal terms -- in England at least -- are these:


Clear: an overhead shot, hit upwards to the back of the opponent's court
Lift: an underarm shot, also hit upwards to the back of the opponent's courtThe term lob is not normally used (it carries unhelpful tactical connotations from tennis). Because there is some confusion about the correct terminology, the tautologous term "overhead clear" is frequently used for clarity.

Lifts in response to a smash are sometimes called long defence. Deceptive lifts from the net are sometimes called flicks or hold and flick.

[mettayogi]

I was playing singles with a HS varsity player recently, and I led 11-7 until he started drive serving. My smash was returned, my drop return lacks consistency (unlink my usual drop). What are effective ways to return drive serves in singles?

[Joseph]

I was playing singles with a HS varsity player recently, and I led 11-7 until he started drive serving. My smash was returned, my drop return lacks consistency (unlink my usual drop). What are effective ways to return drive serves in singles?

Well first off, make sure that when they drive serve it's legal. A lot of people tend to do illegal drive serves. If it's illegal, then call a service judge and you won't have to worry about that kind of serve anymore. :p

But if it is legal, then you can just drop it over the net or just do a high clear to the back. It's better to play safe than to lose points.

[j_e_thompson]

The term lob is not normally used (it carries unhelpful tactical connotations from tennis)
We use that term sometimes to describe either:

a) the backhand flick serve that catches the receiver out; or
b) the lift which catches out the opponent rushing to the next, expecting a drop.

Especially spectacular when the opponent swings wildly at the birdie with his/her racquet, usually it is accompanied with a comment such as "Oooooo, he lobs the 'keeper and scores" (referencing footy, rather than tennis).

[Loppy]

It should depend on your opponent, if he has a powerful jump smash, then serving high would be a bad idea. However, it he doesn't have a powerful smash, or if your defense is good enough to cope with his smashes easily, then serving long is more effective, it allows you push your opponent to the back, always be ready for a smash or a drop.

[SystemicAnomaly]

I was playing singles with a HS varsity player recently, and I led 11-7 until he started drive serving. My smash was returned, my drop return lacks consistency (unlink my usual drop). What are effective ways to return drive serves in singles?

I agree with Joseph on this. A very high % of drive serves are actually illegal. Even if the contact point is at waist level or lower, servers often (usually) lift the racket head, during the forward motion, to such an extent that the shaft is parallel to the floor. This is not legel. (Some servers even go further than this -- the shaft is directed in a slightly upward angle as they contact the shutte).

Many drive servers will insist that the contact was below the waist. But this is often not the issue -- it is often the orientation of the shaft which puts them in violation of the serving laws.

Altho' serving rules were relaxed a bit in 2006, many players still hit an illegal shot in an attempt to drive the serve. Take a look at the following vid for the diff between the old wording & the new wording of the law regarding the orientation of the shaft --

badminton.tv/content/item/new-service-rule-2/114.html (http://www.badminton.tv/content/item/new-service-rule-2/114.html)

In particular, take a look at the last example. If it appears that your opponent might actually be hitting drive serves legally (it is possible), or if they continue illegal drive serves after being warned, your best best might be to get a little lower by crouching a bit for your receiving stance.

[SystemicAnomaly]

About terminology

The normal terms -- in England at least -- are these:


Clear: an overhead shot, hit upwards to the back of the opponent's court
Lift: an underarm shot, also hit upwards to the back of the opponent's courtThe term lob is not normally used (it carries unhelpful tactical connotations from tennis). Because there is some confusion about the correct terminology, the tautologous term "overhead clear" is frequently used for clarity.

Lifts in response to a smash are sometimes called long defence. Deceptive lifts from the net are sometimes called flicks or hold and flick.


Thnx for the clarification. In these parts, the term lift (as the name of a shot) is not all that common -- either by coaches or in text books. The term clear is used for both overhead & underhand shots. The latter shot is often referred to as an underhand clear.

A distinction is often made between a defensive clear and an offensive clear. The defensive clear is one that is high very high & deep so that it falls nearly straight down, deep in the backcourt area. The term offensive clear is nearly synonomous with the term flick. This type of clear is usually deep but not as high as the defensive clear -- its intent is to rush the opponent in order to elicit a weak reply (or no reply at all).

Hold-and-flick is often simply referred to as hold-and-clear. The clear in this case would be an offensive clear (aka flick).

I have heard the term lob used in Danish videos to denote clear (but I don't recall which types of clears).

How about other parts of the planet -- does the terminology differ?

[Kiwiplayer]

How about other parts of the planet -- does the terminology differ?

Here in NZ it's pretty much the same as the UK. I do remember a few amusing differences, though. In NZ, a warm-up on court is usually called a "hit" or "hit-up" or something like that. However, in the UK it's called something else. I was initially very confused when I first went along to a club and one of the girls asked me if I'd like to "knock-up" with her. I muttered something along the lines of "well, you seem like a nice person, but we've only just met, and I'm married, and I don't think my wife would be too pleased...". We all had a good laugh after the embarrassment subsided somewhat.

Wayne Young

[llpjlau]

you want to knock her up?

[winstonchan]

Yeah bring me back some memories. I do 15 minutes "knock-up" before I start a tournament. No wonder why I always lose...

[llpjlau]

a quickie? haha

[Loppy]

Yeah bring me back some memories. I do 15 minutes "knock-up" before I start a tournament. No wonder why I always lose...

You knock yourself up lol? or do you just knock up with anyone who's willing to do it with u =p

[winstonchan]

You knock yourself up lol? or do you just knock up with anyone who's willing to do it with u =p
Yeah ok, it takes 2 to knock-up, a little hard doing it yourself. I tried to pick a good looking partner but normally none available.

[BlinkNdSmashed]

Here in NZ it's pretty much the same as the UK. I do remember a few amusing differences, though. In NZ, a warm-up on court is usually called a "hit" or "hit-up" or something like that. However, in the UK it's called something else. I was initially very confused when I first went along to a club and one of the girls asked me if I'd like to "knock-up" with her. I muttered something along the lines of "well, you seem like a nice person, but we've only just met, and I'm married, and I don't think my wife would be too pleased...". We all had a good laugh after the embarrassment subsided somewhat.

Wayne Young

lol, in the UK most of us normally call it a hit as well, at least, in my part they do

[phaarix]

Ahaha I love this thread (sorry I can't add anything contructive though).