Psition after a high serve

you are probably standing too far back. Why not take 1 step forward from your normal position.

Also are you split stepping just as your opponent hits the shuttle. If not, this will make you slow.

I also had this prob but was just not being fast enough on the feet.

 

You also need to make sure that your high serve is really high, so that it drops down steeply and forces your opponent to play from the extreme back of the court.

If your serve is just somewhat high, then you achieve nothing. You give your opponent plenty of time to get back and attack from a good position.

There are flick serves, and there are high serves. Both are useful. What is not useful is a serve halfway between the two!

 

I believe that flick serve can be high enough as well (then you properly would not call it a flick), depending on skills and level on both sides! BTW what is actually the exact optimal hight for "really high", can we measure in metre and millimetres, can it be too high, what are the variables?

janmayjay, what kind of footwork do you use to the net?
When do you perceive the fact that it is a drop, do you have your attention on the opponent/shuttle at impact?

 

Especially when playing with feather shuttle, I don't think there is a "height limit" when it comes to high serves. The higher/deeper the shuttle travels, the more straight down it will fall, the harder to hit properly for your opponent.

What I am learning myself at the moment, since singles is really my weakness, splitstep/jump! This is really key in getting to the shuttle fast enough.

Please see these 2 videos and really keep practicing this, once you "automatically" start doing this you will notice your entire game will improve A LOT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHE-Lly9FPs
What is a split step, how to do it. Crucial in doing the split step is timing it correctly, you want to do the split step at the moment your opponent hits the shuttle, so as soon as you see where the shuttle is going you can launch yourself to that corner. Keeping your knees bent and balancing a little more on the balls (front part) of your feet is crucial for a powerfull launch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up5M-mirAcI
This is Peter Gade doing a really great footwork drill. Notice how he always does a little split step/jump, then a really quick launch and after that a smooth follow through.

These 2 are, especially in singles, key to playing well and getting to the shuttle fast enough. It takes a long time to get really good at this since it requires technique, reaction speed and stamina, but trust me, it's worth it!

 

Well at least the roof will be a limit Can we assume that the higher the shuttle go the more speed it will get on the way down, is that good or bad?

 

From the perspective of the player who made the lift it is good, because it gives his opponent less time to hit the sweetspot, or to perform a technically correct stroke.

However, due to air resistance/small mass i assume the final flight speed of the shuttle can be estimated not to change too much after very high/high lifts.

 

Your high serve has to go to the back line, if it goes midcourt then you won't have enough time to get to the drop shot. I've lost tonnes of points in my single matches due to this and its all because of my serve not going back enough. There is also the footwork, the split step is very important and so try get into the habit of split stepping everytime your opponent makes a shot.

 

Wow Peter Gade you look so different and you have changed to left handed

OP you serving to the middle line at back service line helps as well. It cuts down their angles

 

The Peter Rasmussen (not Gade) drill is my favourite footwork drill, and is part of my weekly routine. Always does the trick

 

LOL ofcourse it's Peter Rasmussen, when I hear Peter I always think of Gade lol, because he is just so awesome.