Can we change how we serve?

Discussion in 'Rules / Tournament Regulation / Officiating' started by opikbidin, Oct 21, 2014.

  1. opikbidin

    opikbidin Regular Member

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    This is what I think after I hear many about other net or racket games (tennis, table tennis, squash, volleyball, etc) rules being incorporated into badminton, particularly the scoring system.

    (there was a BCer who said he played badminton with volleyball, tennis, table tennis, etc scoring becaus ethat was what his friends know)

    and then I think, how about we change the serving. Why we must serve like the current one (staiying on the service box, the trajectory must be upwards, must be below the chest, etc)

    I think from Table tennis, tennis, and Volleyball, they serve from outside the court. Usually, they throw the ball first and then hit it downwards (although they can hit it upwards)

    why not change the serving in Badminton too. Here is my thinking:

    1. Serving is from outside the court (or behind the baseline)
    2. The serving is similar to volleyball, you can either throw the shuttle up and then hit it (either a smash or a clear) or just lift it.
    3. The contact point of the shuttle and the racket should be no further than the long service line for doubles.
    4. During the serve, the server must not touch the court.


    This will make the server have the advantage (which many complain because serving is usually disadvantage in badminton, compared to others) and CAN (if they choose to smash or drop as the first hit) make the play attacking and excting from the start.

    what do you all think?

    basically it's my thinking because I just find it a bit strange that our serving seems so different than the others, and it is a disadvantage to the server.

    I mean, imagine in tennis or volleyball where the server stands near the line near the net and must hit the ball upwards very carefully so it is close to the net and the opposition is ready to pounce.

    either that or hit it high and give the advantage to the receiver.
     
    #1 opikbidin, Oct 21, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2014
  2. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    Rather than that sort of drastic change to our beloved sport, if they want to change the serving rules such that serving in doubles is not so disadvantageous they could:
    a) have another line back from the service line which the receiver cannot advance over until the server has struck the shuttle.
    ...or, more simply ....
    b) eliminate the back doubles service line rule. That would make the receivers take a step back.

    No offense to anyone with ideas for badminton, but I can't imagine a more undignified serve than a tennis like overhead from out of court. It would look too much like picnic park badminton. ;-)
     
  3. |_Footwork_|

    |_Footwork_| Regular Member

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    Current rules are ok, BWF should not change anything. (that includes the scoring-system...)
     
  4. fauci

    fauci Regular Member

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    I second Footwork;)
     
  5. amleto

    amleto Regular Member

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    which many complain because serving is usually disadvantage in badminton
    [citation needed]
     
  6. opikbidin

    opikbidin Regular Member

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    Well you can see Volleyball matches, they serve from out of the court, jump high and slam the ball downwards

    I don;t know about dignified, but those serves that can be hit hard and downward, causing the opponent to backoff and defend is the ideal serve.

    Even if it is allowed, I rarely see athletes at the highest level serve underhand in volleyball or tennis.

    and I think Tennis is a pretty much dignified sport.
     
  7. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    Not saying that tennis and volleyball aren't classy sports. :eek:
    Just saying that type of serve isn't badminton. Neither are bodychecks or free-throws, for that matter, although hockey and basketball are great sports too.
     
  8. opikbidin

    opikbidin Regular Member

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    another reason why I advice this serve is because smash and smash defending is the ultimate pleasure of Badminton.

    "How to smash" is the most common question. The smashing and smash defending in a match is a spectators meal and their joy. It is the most interesting part of the match.
     
  9. opikbidin

    opikbidin Regular Member

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    I'm sorry, I got the impression from this thread.

    But this thread also has stated facts where the receiver usually wins the rally.
    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...in-badminton?p=2284448&viewfull=1#post2284448

    I and you can do some research on who wins the rally, the server or the receiver. If the serve is neutral, it should be near 50%, but if the serve isn't neutral, it will deviate hugely from that.
     
  10. |_Footwork_|

    |_Footwork_| Regular Member

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    Serving sure is a disadvantage. But this ain't a problem for the sport of badminton!

    It's not a bug, it's a feature!
    ;-)

    It's the same in volleyball. No problem at all.
     
  11. opikbidin

    opikbidin Regular Member

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    It is a problem if badminton become less popular, become dominated by certain countries, and isn't inserted in the olympics.

    Vollyball...have you really watched a high level volleyball?
    the serve in a high level volleyball is mainly hit downwards using an overhead serve. I have seen matches where the server go backwards untill the border-wall, throw the ball high, run then jump very high and hit the serve downwards hard, AND IT RESULTS IN POINTS.

    honestly, if Volleyball doesn't allow the team to handle the ball three times, and must immediately pass the ball like other net sports (badminton, tennis and tennis table), the receiver of a hard overhead serve will always be at a disadvantage because they must always lift the ball and always be attacked.

    There is a reason why most players in most situations (not only serving) the net games (tennis, table tennis, volleyball, badminton) prefer to hit the ball/shuttle downwards.

    If the ball/shuttle is lifted and high at the air, will a badminton/table tennis/tennis/volleyball do an overhead and hit a smash/spike/whatever it's called or hit a clear/lift/underhand hits?

    you can serve by hitting underhand and or hit the ball upwards (you can hit an overhead clear) when you serve in tennis, table tennis and volleyball, but all mainly use overhead and or downward trajectory.
     
    #11 opikbidin, Oct 24, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2014
  12. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    I like this statement. :)
    Serving is a high-pressure part of the game. The tension of the serve at a critical point of a match is one of the enjoyments for the audience.

    If statistics showed that the server loses 80% of the time in rallies of two or three shots then I would agree that badminton has a problem. But that is probably not the case.

    As for the smash being the best-liked part of the game, that is probably true. But do we need to start every rally with one? Too much of a good thing?
    Hockey fans like goals (and beer). But games with more than 10 goals are actually rather tedious. (And games with more than ten beer are absolutely horrendous! :-0 )

    Anyhow, just my 2 cents.
    (It's nice to have a calm thoughtful debate, no matter the topic)
     
    #12 Fidget, Oct 24, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2014
  13. |_Footwork_|

    |_Footwork_| Regular Member

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    All I'm saying is that there are games where the server has an advantage (tennis, table-tennis) and others, where the returner has an advantage (badminton, volleyball).
    That's alright and need not be changed.

    (and yes: despite the fact, that you smash-serve in volleyball, it's a HUGE disadvantage to serve. Despite some aces and outright winners, the server loses the vast majority of points...).
     
  14. Capnx

    Capnx Regular Member

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    you can't just compare badminton serve to tennis or volleyball b/c the latter two are BALL sports whereas badminton is SHUTTLE sport. when was the last time you tried smashing BEHIND the baseline and that was advantageous let alone you having to throw up the feather bird up yourself? it's gonna give a ton of time for your opponent and would actually give more of a handy cap b/c of the longer time the shuttle has to travel just to cross the net.
     
  15. alien9113

    alien9113 Regular Member

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    Conditions on Earth simply don't support the upward throwing motion of a shuttle. Halfway through it will flip and you will be hitting the feathers instead.

    Have you tried throwing a shuttle up and smashing it down? How accurate can you get? It's going to become a major server disadvantage. Not to mention how error prone it is. I don't see why the audiences will even bother to watch a game that ends with serving? :rolleyes:

    The reason why tennis, volleyball and table tennis have a throwing action because these balls have substantial weight and will drop down vertically, allowing a downward striking action.

    A shuttle has weight, but not substantial enough until you can throw it upwards and strike it downwards accurately.

    If you notice in the warm-up sessions before every match begins, the pros don't throw the shuttle that high for the pushes and drives. It's just slightly above their comfort level and then they push/drive the shuttle to their partner.
     
  16. opikbidin

    opikbidin Regular Member

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    We can change some rules and the court.

    We can use the second furthest line so the players don't serve from behind the baseline, if it's still too far, we can just move the line forward or have another line that is the border for serve.

    We can also allow shuttle to be hit by the racket upwards first not thrown by hand.
     
  17. Apache249

    Apache249 Regular Member

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    There is no reason to change.
     
  18. alien9113

    alien9113 Regular Member

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    Not logical in terms of strategy. Please look at singles players and see where they prefer to stand.

    If they are to serve high and upwards from so far, then the next shot will be very hard for them to return. A simple tight dropshot will end most games.

    What's a sport if it doesn't require you to move around?

    It's another major server disadvantage.

    The proposed changes don't make sense unless netting and dropshots can't be used as a reply. Or the court becomes smaller.

    Badminton service is as it is today because of limitations and strategic issues. To change it, it has to fit those criteria.
     
  19. lordrogue

    lordrogue Regular Member

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    could be interesting to get rid of the doubles service line. Other than that, no.
     
  20. Capnx

    Capnx Regular Member

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    I'm sorry, but you're suggesting more than just the rules to the service (position and technique), but also court size and border and other aspects of the game. Why not just invent another game that's similar to badminton but not badminton? Sports like squash, racquetball, and Basque pelota are all very similar but different sports. so maybe instead of changing the badminton rules for service, court lines, court borders, you can invent a whole new game? :)
     

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