where do you look when you serve?

**kontrabando** · 05-09-2005, 01:03 AM

I think it is important to mention the attention of your peripheral vision...some people think that they are looking at the net but i'm pretty much sure that their peripheral vision is either on the opponent, opponent's feet, opponent's racquet, etc...

**Davie** · 05-10-2005, 06:20 AM

I look down at my position and then the birdie. I then look at where i plan to hit the birdie once ready.

**iain1953** · 05-10-2005, 06:53 AM

After playing for over 30 years, it's now second nature for me to stand in the same place, either side of the service line and serve my short serve, which is tight and accurate. The only place i only look at, is at the T on the opponents side, and make the shuttle land as close to the inside of the service line as i can. The shuttle can be in the air no longer than half a second, maybe less, which does not give the opponent much time to decide what to do.

And that is how i teach my students, and in my opinion, the serve is the only shot in the game were you have the time to control the shuttle.

**Michael K** · 05-30-2005, 05:52 PM

When I am serving I always look first at the shuttle then the top of the tape then the "T". I always stare at that spot regardless if I am playing a short serve to the "T" or playing a flick. I never look at the player except for a quick glance at their feet to see if they are on their toes then decide on wether to flick or not.

**pengu1ns** · 06-08-2005, 01:14 PM

It would depend who im playing agaisnt as to where i look. If im playing a weaker player, i tend to look at the opposite corner that im aiming for, because for some reason they believe it more often than not. If im playing a strong player, i look at the tape on the net, so i can make my serve as tight and as accurate as possible, sometimes looking to the wrong corner.

**delacruzbenjie** · 06-12-2005, 03:03 AM

i try not to be predictable to my opponent so i dont present any mannerisms or habits when playing badminton. sometimes i serve to the forecourt barely clearing the tape, then flick, backhand side, etc. I observe the recieving stance, position and skill level of the opponent before serving, thereby adjusting my serve accordingly.
it is important to be un predictable or for the opponent not to be able to read my next move or stroke in order to be one step ahead.

therefore, i dont look at any one place when i serve because i vary my serve each time.

**winstonchan** · 06-13-2005, 11:44 PM

Feet, so I dont tread on lines
Opponent postures - decide to serve short or long
Shuttle landing place (where I want it to land)
Then the tip of the net the moment I serve

Very predictable heh...?

**zello** · 06-28-2005, 10:48 PM

singles - just the shuttle

doubles - look at opponent's position and racquet position, then at either the service tee or the outside line depending on which way i want the opponent to think i'm serving, then at the shuttle.

Some players watch the server's eyes when preparing to receive serve. So I try to mess with them by pretending to scan around and pick a spot to serve to, then serve a different direction. Or later after misleading them a few times, actually serve in that direction. Lotsa fun

**xyzbadmin** · 07-23-2005, 02:52 AM

never look at the spot u gonna hit....ur apponent will look at ur eyes..a.nd where ever u staring and concentrate on..he will sure prepare to get to that spot...always stare at ur apponent...trick him by looking at one place but hit to another...but never look at the spot that u gonna hit...most player arnt dumb if they r a to c level

**ozphilc** · 07-25-2005, 02:56 AM

I look at my feet first, then the shuttle, then i look at the place where i'm going to hit it, then look at somewhere else.

**JChen99** · 07-27-2005, 09:34 PM

dont anyone look at the tape when u serve? @@

**azz09** · 07-29-2005, 10:53 PM

My Way...

To make serve:

1) Look my feet position
2) Look my opponent position
3) Look birdie then "look" place to land the birdie
4) 80% of my serve will not depend on my "look" target..
5) Try to delay serve/racquet if ur opponent is "rusher type"

To received serve:

1)"Birdie" <---the one & only thing i look..don't care where u stare or else..

**Noob848** · 08-16-2005, 04:11 PM

when i do a shortserve i look at the spot where im going to serve to and then look at another spot and then finally at my oponent and do the serve, that is to confuse my oponent where i'm going to serve.

For a regular serve i visualize the arc in which the shuttle is and where it will land and i quickly do the serve

**adelina76** · 08-25-2005, 07:28 PM

When doing singles serve, I kinda mimick the concentration showed by my idol, Susi Susanti and focus on the shuttle (after doing all the intial things that most ppl do, i.e check footing, where opponent is etc).

Doing double serves, looking at where I'm serving, visualising the serve landing there and then looking at opponent, the net and then the shuttle and then serve

**Loh** · 08-25-2005, 09:53 PM

Talking about doubles, did anyone count the number of times a similar type of serve was delivered during a match at the recent WC Anaheim? Which one dominates?

I have a feeling that irrespective of where and how their opponents were standing, the most number of serves must be the low backhand short serve just around the front 'T'. This is the shortest possible route to reach the other side, thus reducing the luxury of time that the opponent may have in returning the serve. Of course, the pros make sure that the bird barely touches the tape and when it just crosses over, it will be on a downward trajectory to make sure that the opponent can't kill it.

But even then, some such birds did get killed depending on how high the bird was served over the tape and how fast the opponent was in anticipating it. Which means that no matter how good a server you are, there will bound to be occasional flaws! So once a while, you resort to something different like the flick serve to remind your 'dashing' receiver not to charge aimlessly at the net for the expected kill!

**jerby** · 09-04-2005, 11:58 AM

well. I always "stare" at the net tape when i serve doubles. but sometimes (for fun, or intimidation) i make eye-contact with my opponent. not breaking it until i hit the shuttle. this i only do when my serve is going 'good'

in singels i mostly just look at the sticker in the shuttle before i start.

**Gollum** · 09-07-2005, 03:15 AM

I've been practising my sliced wide serve recently. I've found that I need to look at the shuttle when I hit it, because the slice serve is not yet familiar to me.

When I practise sliced serves, I also practise normal straight low serves, so I can make sure the motion looks the same (for deception). So I started trying my basic low serve when looking at the shuttle -- and it became more accurate