I love playing doubles since I like attacking. Singles is boring to play in competitions, so I don't really enjoy that. And Mixed, I don't ever get to attack since I'm a girl and I don't get as many shots. But it is still okay.
I love to play doubles becuase of the stratagy involved and the communication/chemestry needed with your partner. I always find I play the best doubles with my brothers becuase we can predict what the other will do, kind of like twins. It's a talent that a good doubles team can gain, but comes naturally to us. In singles if you're in trouble, you can hit a big lift or a defensive clear and you'll be okay, but in doubles you must select your shot a lot more carefully.
Singles. You are by yourself. The whole court is yours. There's no one to help you if you make a mistake, either a shot mistake or mishit. In this sense, it's a lot more challenging. Slightly loose shots are OK, if you maneuver your opponent well, you can still force them to play a defensive shot. In doubles, be it mixed or level doubles, your shots have to be precise, otherwise, someone hovering at the back or at the front will kill it. You have to be much more decisive as well. There's no time for you to think maybe I should net, I should drive, push or I should lift. If there's a reason why I like doubles, it's because of the precision and decisiveness.
i enjoy singles most _by far_ its much more challenging, there is no excuses if you lose, you lose all by yourself. (i hear too many excuses from badminton players!) i like fighting with myself if i play badly and managing to get into the game and may win after a first set loss i like the much bigger physical aspect of singles, you can wear an opponent out (or get worn out). I like to feel my physical limits, which happens often in singles but never in doubles. i like the longer exchanges (more shots in one rallye) with the much bigger tactical side to it, doubles to me feels rather "simple" (i dont know much about mixed, i guess its even more tactical) doubles is played soooo much..everywhere...all the time...(because ppl are lazy and like to play doubles more and of course there can be 4 ppl on one field instead of 2) if i would have an ambitious partner on my skillevel to play doubles with regularely - i guess i would enjoy doubles much more than i do right now
In the order of how I like them... Mixed I tend to enjoy mixed more than mens doubles because of the tactical aspect of the game. You hold out on giving your opponents a chance to attack as much as possible. Then there's a lot of flat and soft pushes to land midcourt on the sides plus a good mix of crosscourt on every type of shot (drops, smash, drives, blocks, net play, etc.). You also have to choose the right shots to play and where to aim them to give your lady partner the chance to make plays and set your team up. And of course the old tactic everyone knows to get your opponents to reverse their formation and bring the woman to the back not because she's weaker but because she's more deadly in front. I have big respect for women and men who can play good mixed doubles. Regular Doubles The default game in any club which can have its pros and cons. I find that having fun here depends largely on who you're playing with. I would much rather play with a partner who knows how to rotate and move around the court even if he doesn't have perfect strokes or shots compared to a player who has all the shots but prefers to stay side-side for most of the game. Thankfully, I don't get to play with those types of players very often and when paired with someone who doesn't know how to rotate, it's mainly because they never really learned how to when just playing social badminton. Singles I don't get to play singles very often due to playing mostly with social clubs but I have had the chance to play this more these last few months. It's quite challenging obviously and for someone like me who has played doubles and mixed for 90% of the time, it's mentally exhausting as well since you're not just playing against your opponent, you're also fighting against your own playing style, habits, personal fitness levels, and even muscle memory to find the wide singles line when you've always aimed for the boxes at the far corners.
I prefer singles by far. You're on your own and have to work out your own strategy and tactics, changing the play when necessary. I find that played regularly it's much better for fitness than club doubles. Trouble is, in places I play people think you're from another planet if you offer them singles!
I prefer singles. It sounds silly but a large part of it is to do with the shuttle. In doubles in England, most people just play socially. Maybe a few good teams, or a few people who have chemistry together, but for most people it's just the social game. They want to use what's familiar to them - plastic or slow shuttles - it's a social game to them. Singles? You don't have three people demand to use bad plastic shuttles with torn up skirts 'because it's what they're used to', rather than that nice pristine feather shuttle you've got in your hand 'because they don't play on feathers'. Yuck. Then there's the whole 'social tactics' thing that's already been mentioned - people that haven't learned to play the tactics. It's all just a bit of a messy pain in doubles. Singles is nice and straight forward. No faffing around with who's serve it is, no random side switching, easy to agree on things, and the people that are willing to play singles have usually taken it a step further - they've usually either had some training, or they want to improve. That usually makes for a much more interesting game. So for me, doubles is the 'it's a social session and we want to get as many people on court as possible' thing.
Single is more easy to enjoy because in doubles if you don't find partners that are your level or better, it is boring to death. But single is also quite agressive, is feels like trying to push someone's head under water, sometimes I don't enjoy this agressivity.
Oh you can get that in doubles too - I've had partners do a bad drop that's been killed, and then they've given me death glares as if to say I should've prevented it.. I also find it more relaxing to play singles, because you are just playing for yourself; like that example above, if you play a bad drop in singles and it gets killed, you just suck it up. If I play a bad drop and it gets killed near my partner, I'm profusely apologising for my mistake. That kinda feels bad. I'd rather not apologise for my mistakes.
Singles I rarely play it, and when I do I find it difficult as I tend to hit to the double tramlines and must be more patient on building up. It involves more clears and less downward shots. It also challenges the footwork and my defence more, especially after doing short defensive shorts. But it's a challenge that I enjoy. It also requires better net shots which is frankly my weakness as I tend to lift or drive the shuttle back. Doubles depends on your partner and opponent, weak, same level or better. Of course it's enjoyable if the level is same, instead of 1. being the back player who takes 90% of shots, 2 being the statue in the front and don't know what's going on, 3 hitting easy shots because whenever you go for a smash it's immediately a point 4. being the punching bag of the opponent and made to run everywhere Mixed doubles is also a pain as I'm used to level doubles, just ca't get the mindset right.
