Help in receiving service

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by abans, Oct 26, 2012.

  1. abans

    abans Regular Member

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    I am currently playing twice a week and one of the players at the club cause me great trouble during service.
    He is a right handed player and serves from about 2-3 steps behind the service line and almost on singles side line. From that position, he has two options to serve:
    1. serve flat and deep in the corner box near the middle. The serve mostly then travels over the other court and just lands in the correct service court.
    2. serve cross court in the corner of the service line and doubles side line.

    He is very accurate with his services.

    In games that I have watched on TV I havent seen any one serve like this on the high level. so, there must be a way to attack his serve. I cant figure it out. Where should I stand? How should I prepare?

    Can you guys help me out? I am right hander with about 2-3 years of playing experience. I am between beginner and intermediate.
     
  2. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    I had a Nemesis like this, too. :eek:

    The answer from the pages of BC that helped me most was :
    a) take a step back from where you usually stand to receive; AND
    b) turn to face the server (i.e. don't "give him your back").

    This stance makes you much more threatening to attack his serve to the back middle line. He'll try more of the cross-court short serves, but you've got time to take a step to those. And he's got a long walk to that far side for your drop or half-court drive down that line.

    Looking forward to even better answers from smarter people. Good luck :)
     
  3. yeeah

    yeeah Regular Member

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    These serves suck because nobody uses them and it's hard to practice against because of that. I've met only 1 player that uses that serve regularly and another guy that uses it to "fool around". Let's assume all right handers on the court. This serve is the most troublesome from the even court to the receivers backhand at the "T".

    I agree with the above. Step back and face the server. Imagine where the serve MUST cross the net and that is where you want to intercept. Your partner will need to be out of the way in the case of a long serve to the "T". Don't wait for the serve to reach the back "T" before intercepting it.

    The serving side should be in side by side formation with this type of serve. Your reaction will be to drop it back far away from the server. I don't find that works since the partner is there to pick it up. I find giving a quick drop/half smash to the middle usually results in a lift because they will have some initial confusion on who will get it. The other would be low drive down the middle closer to the server (will be his backhand). Regardless your return needs to take advantage of the server being initially out of position. Don't feed it to the partner who is in position and ready. Pick on the guy that is out of position and has to move to make the return. Never smash it back at server, he has a great angle on the straight return.

    Also looking forward to hear more tips from others on this serve. Good luck.
     
  4. R20190

    R20190 Regular Member

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    This is a very common tactic... for novices. I laugh everytime I see it as its just such a dumb serve and one that I only ever see kids play. Yes, it works sometimes but at a big risk to themselves.

    1. By standing to the side of the court, he is opening up part of his court for your return and means his partner has to cover the rest of the court
    2. He has to stand further back to make sure it is comfortably flat whilst avoiding to hit it into the net. This gives you a bit more time to react as the shuttle has to travel further.
    3. He has to be very accurate to get it to the rear "T", too short and its out, too long and its out, too wide and he's serving at you, too high and you will have time to get back and attack it.


    So, what do you need to do?

    1. You’ve done the first thing which is to identify the two corners which he is likely to serve it to. He’s unlikely to serve it to the front “T” or the diagonal rear corner but even if he does these should be easy for you to get to and he will lose the advantage of what he’s doing.
    2. Secondly, since he has repositioned himself, it makes sense that you do to. Try and position yourself further back and near half way between the two corners he will serve it to but without exposing your backhand side too much. Turn your body a little more towards him.
    3. Practice moving to the two corners quickly.
    4. Don’t aim to play a winner from your return but try to play a shot that will get you the attack or at least pull them out of position. The obvious shot would be to drop it at the net.
     
  5. abans

    abans Regular Member

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    Thank you R20190, yeeah and Fidget.
    I will try these when I play with him next week and will let you know what my experience was.
    In the meanwhile, keep the ideas coming.
     
  6. vinod81

    vinod81 Regular Member

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    Is there any badminton rule limiting the number of repositionings? What if both server and reciver keep on repositoning?
     
  7. faiyazk

    faiyazk Regular Member

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    id stand right the the top of the T so he cant aim for a rear corner :D make him clear or lay a normal near-net serve
     
  8. R20190

    R20190 Regular Member

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    the only rule I know is the one where the receiver must not move before the serve. More specifically, the receiver must not take his/her feet off the ground before the shuttle is served.
     
  9. Ruffle

    Ruffle Regular Member

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    That is only after the serve has started, ie. server has begun his forward movement of the racquet with the intention of serving. You can both dance around, trying to out-position each other as much as you like before then - but an umpire may stop that nonsense in the interests of continuous play.
     
  10. craigandy

    craigandy Regular Member

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    Don't attack it, relax, play return into the gaping space then attack his lift. Stand with your right foot forward instead and position yourself towards the center line.
    -Just play his baseline drive serve with your backhand and place it into the space front court, he will struggle to take your return at any reasonable height because he has served so fast(and he is so far over) it will be back before he can recover/get to the shuttle, then attack.
    -short serve all you need to do is get to it, even if you dig the shuttle very low and it is only an average straight net shot, he will still struggle to get there without seriously having to dig it out, then attack.

    Just put it into the space basically, he is so far out of position he will struggle. If he starts to anticipate your shot just put it back to where he served it as he will already have run off.

    Played a few old guy's who do this, it's pretty annoying.
     
  11. amleto

    amleto Regular Member

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    and a good round-the-head shot helps. If you're stretching your arm across your chest to do a backhand, you're doing it wrong.
     
  12. Ruffle

    Ruffle Regular Member

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    I would think that a round the head shot would be very difficult against a well placed serve to the back tee served from the tramline, unless you are very fast getting back. A fast backhand drop to the right might return the shuttle earlier, be easier and just as effective.
     
  13. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    ^^ By having your racket foot in front in preparation, an around the head forehand interception while the shuttle is still high and block to the net on his left court is much more threatening than turning your back to do a backhand drop. The whole point in returning this type of serve is to not use your backhand.
     
  14. craigandy

    craigandy Regular Member

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    The way one of the guys serves it that i know, you have no chance of getting a forehand/round the head shot on it.
     
  15. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    ^^ You can if you moved your receiving base back and closer to the middle line . The threat of a forehand smash or drive is the only way to discourage such a silly serve like this.;) Of course if you can't get around it with enough power then all that's needed is just block and drop it to the net away from the server.

    Returning this serve with a backhand is just going to tell him that you're having trouble with this serve and guess what, he'll for sure continue to do it until you properly adapt. ;)
     
    #15 visor, Oct 29, 2012
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2012
  16. Ruffle

    Ruffle Regular Member

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    Why can't you do that with a backhand stroke?
     
  17. craigandy

    craigandy Regular Member

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    There is just one problem you can't stand far enough back and to the middle to get overhead round the head. With my guy if you do that, he does a crazy flick low sorta top spin shot to the front near side line which I believe may be the same alternate serve Problem Albans is having. It is fine to take it on backhand no problem he(server) is always under real pressure after my return.
     
  18. jjhlim

    jjhlim Regular Member

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    if you are on the right receiving court, you should go for the overhead ideally and attack the centre net area.
    But do not stand at the front service line when he positions himself at the corner of the outer front service line. Two reasons why:
    1) if he serves the low serve to the front line, he is risking the chance of a longer distance travelling service short to ur mid line front service line and even longer distance if he aims the further outer front service line (risking a tap at the net).
    2) if he serves the long back court service it will be covered by yourself standing in the mid of your receiving court, therefore ease of return.

    The only problem I think alot of ppl will encounter is that he aims to serve on the mid service line. That is when judgement becomes a half hearted issue.
     
  19. Axeon

    Axeon Regular Member

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    ^^ Definitely correct!

    I'm a intermediate player and able to serve very precisely as you have described! I don't really practice them type of serves but I think I have a natural act for it :rolleyes:
     
  20. abans

    abans Regular Member

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    So I finally got to play against that player yesterday. I followed the suggestions from R20190, yeeah and Fidget. In addition, I tried to stay a little lower than usually so that I can jump up if the service is to the back middle line.
    I had good success. I could do the around my head shot to the serve in the back and drop to the other corner. My shots went a little deeper than drops but worked well. When the serve was dropped to the far front corner, i was able to reply with a drop right in front. In both cases, I did not get a winner immediately, but got weaker returns and setup the rally.
    The main benefit was that I was not afraid of what would happen. Even if I missed, I still felt confident I had the right strategy. with practice, I can work on the execution.
    Thanks for your help guys.
     

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