drive serves

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by checkthemc, Apr 24, 2005.

  1. checkthemc

    checkthemc Regular Member

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    In singles there are two basic types of serves in singles , the short and high. However some people do drive serves ( very fast around head level ). Whats the best way to receive this serve? There must be a big reason why pros dont use this serve. Whats the big reason?

    In doubles, when you drive serve, you keep front and back position right?
     
  2. Trance

    Trance Regular Member

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    The pros don't do this probably because they're so fast they can't get each other off guard. Even if they drive serve, there is no guarantee where the bird will be reflected back. My guess is that pros serve short or long because they know their opponent will respond with a clear setting their plan into motion.

    The best way to receive it in my opinion is to just block it and hopefully reflect it back directly at the opponent, or to an obvious position where he is not.

    As for in doubles when you drive serve. There is no one way to play. It all depends on the opponents response. If they reflect your drive short then depending on what you do after the serve, as in whether you pop it up and drop it, you'll basically go into either attack or defend mode which comes with whatever position you feel most comfortable with.
     
  3. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    Most club players drive serve because they don't have to deal with a service judge:rolleyes:. When you drive service, chances are high that it may be illegal (or racquet too high). PROs seldom, if not, never drive serves because service is really important. If you drive it too fast and hard, it goes out and you lost a chance to score there. Too slow or high and it'll get the 'smackdown' it deserves. Sometimes when you drive serve, you put additional pressure on your partner cuz s/he has to be ready to answer the split second return.

    As for returning drive service, keep your racquet infront and high so that you could swipe it down or block it away from the server.

    Doubles service should always start on the offensive regardless of whatever service the serve dish out. Server's partner at the back will try to drive back any tap or push beyond server's reach or try to pound on any lift the service produce.
     
  4. checkthemc

    checkthemc Regular Member

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    thanks for the answers but how about forhand drive server? Thats not illegal? What are the most effective answers
     
  5. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Almost all drive serves are illegal, whether forehand or backhand. The only ways to perform a legal drive serve are:

    • To stand well back, to make a shallower angle. This makes the drive serve ineffective, because your opponent has time to react;
    • To be 7 feet tall ;)
     
  6. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    I play singles against a very good old guy (not OAP yet, but old). He always serves forehand and uses a variety of drive, high and low serves.

    I find it awkward to respond to the drive serves. They come very fast and none of the ones I have left have gone out the back yet.
    So, how to reply?
    I have to stand a bit further back and have the racquet up and facing the shuttle.
    Shot options are:
    block to net
    smash to sidelines or body
    clear or attacking clear

    depending on the trajectory of the shuttle and how easy or awkward it is for you to hit, the above options have different pros and cons.

    block to net can be hard to control

    smash (or any fast downward shot) can be a potential winner or loser
    if the opponent can reach the shuttle it might get whipped into a rear corner so you have to be on your toes. You are both in mid-court so this exchange happens very quickly.

    clears are the safest option, and probably the shot you are least likely to mis-hit.

    the pros don't do drive serves because professional receivers can probably kill the shuttle more often than the server gets an advantage.
    You can be sure that if the drive serve gave the server an advantage (at that level) they would use it.
     
  7. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    Chen Hong sometimes plays drive serves in his games, to good effect.

    You may argue it is more of a flick, but it is IMO a drive serve. It is not very often though, I have seen it maybe only 3-4 times in the games (maybe 20) of his.

    Not often used however due to reasons stated above
     
  8. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    Reasons are very well stated. Back then, I was over rely on drive serves (backhand). Then, either there's an argument about being illegal, or, I end up losing more easy points than the opponents. Now, I try to cut down the drive serves, and just use it to surprise the opponent (relatively unexperienced) once a while.
     
  9. Aleik

    Aleik Regular Member

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    Gollum, you took the words right out of my mouth, pal! I was looking at this thread and thought "hmmm, I should probably add some kind of warning about legality", but there you go.

    I've been told off many a time when I was younger about drive serves. I was convinced that my technique was rigorous, but in fact my racket head used to come to a level undiscernably close to my wrist (forget waist height - I was told that I was within the bounds of the law in this respect), which is illegal. It must be something to do with the need supinate the forearm to get the power.

    I still need verification by video some day, even though I don't do it now, because I used to win a few easy points that way. So, advice to a receiver of this serve would be to watch closely for the wrist thing. If you don't want to soud like an arse calling a fault on this serve upon which the opponent may rely, get an uptight anorak like myself to ref the game so that he/she calls it!

    Aleik.
     
  10. SystemicAnomaly

    SystemicAnomaly Regular Member

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    I'd have to agree with Gollum on this. Easily, 98% of all drive serves that I've witnessed (I've been playing the sport for more than 25 years) have been illegal serves according to the wording of the Laws of Badminton. The only drive serves that I've seen that appeared to be legal, were delivered at least 1 meter back from the short service line.

    The serve in badminton was never intended to be an offensive weapon. By design, it is primarily a defensive stroke. You can offset this disadvantage in doulbes by developing a very tight short serve and a well-disguided flick (which, unlike the drive serve, can easily be delivered legally).

    If you come across a player who employs a drive serve (& continues to use it even tho' they've been informed that it is illegal), crouch down for serve receive a bit more that you normally do... this should help. If this player persists in using an illegal drive serve, stop playing with them... maybe they will get the message.
     
  11. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    errrr.....hard to say.....it depends? :eek:

    if the receiver is going to hit the shuttle when it is above net height, the serving side should probably be defending, but you probably don't have time to change position.
    Alternatively, you've done a drive serve to try to catch the receiver out and get a weak reply. If you get a weak reply, you want to attack. If you don't...
    So, I dunno

    After a flick serve, the rear player has time to move sideways to cover the straight shots, and the server moves diagonally back a bit
     
  12. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    A drive serve, just like a high flick serve, is intended to solicit a weak or a defensive response from the receiver. You should maintain the front and back formation, with the server ever ready to pounce on the weak return. To fall back after the serve defeats the purpose of the drive or high flick serve. If the serve gets a nasty response from the receiver, then you are not ready for the drive serve.
     
  13. smash799

    smash799 Regular Member

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    I get really annoyed with ppl who do illegal drive serves (flat racket or some that know, throw the bird and hit at the same time) which produce a flat and fast shot to shoulder or head. If I miss or couldn't hit a good return, they think their serves are so good and ignore my complaints that their serves are illegal. What's the best way to deal with them ? Serve them the same illegal serves ? Learn to be even quicker to take those illegal serves ? I would love to smash those illegal serves into their faces.
     
  14. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Hi Smash799,
    My suggestion is to have your racquet up higher above your shoulder and in front. Stand about 1 meter behind the short service line. My reason is the illegal drive serve will be at a good height for a strong smash. Once you smash them a couple time, they will stop using it against you then you bring in the rule book and show them where in the rule says it is illegal serve. If they do not learn the lessen, don't bother to play with them
     
  15. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Yet if you stand farther back to counter drive serves, your opponent can do a low serve instead.

    It is actually possible to do a legal drive serve, on the backhand, from right at the front. Instead of using forearm supination, you can use finger power to "punch" at the shuttle.

    When I do this, I move the racket on a slightly downwards path, to ensure that my serve is legal.

    Yet any legal drive serve will be less effective than the illegal varieties. Power is not a problem, but there is still a maximum angle that you can achieve if you hit the shuttle below the waist. It will always travel upwards, and if you make it too fast then it will go out.

    It is still a very difficult serve to counter if your opponent is standing near the front.
     
  16. crosscourt

    crosscourt Regular Member

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    But isn't this exactly the kind of serve that caused the controversy in the Commonwealth games? The service judge seemed to find the serve acceptable. Also, Brehaut said that he learned the serve in a training camp in Malaysia.

    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31520&highlight=brehaut
     
  17. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Note my recent change of view regarding drive serves.

    I have not seen the example in question, so I cannot say whether it was illegal.

    Nevertheless, it is perfectly possible to perform legal drive serves on the backhand when standing right at the front service line. They will not, however, be as effective as illegal serves, which travel flatter.
     
  18. crosscourt

    crosscourt Regular Member

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    Sorry Gollum, I hadn't noticed the dates on the earlier posts!

    Personally I find it easier to drive serve on the forehand. I can't get the speed on my backhand but that might just be a question of practice. I use it quite a lot and have found that it works best against taller players as it is difficult for them to smash it back as it is below their shoulder height. I once tried it on someone who was slightly below average height and they were easily able to smash it back to me.

    It's also quite draining mentally because you have to be ready for the return to be hit at speed and so you have to focus on the drive and then also having your racquet up for the return and staying sharp. (mental focus is my weakpoint!)
     
  19. bchaiyow

    bchaiyow Regular Member

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    I agree with Gollum...it is possible but it is done right at the front of service line. Against intermediate players, I use this kind of serves all the time, and yes, I always make sure I do it in a legal way. It is very fast and very effective if the opponent does not know how to handle it. If I am playing advance players, I almost never use this kind of serve, because if you know how to handle it, it is a simple "smash" return...and to the side lines as well. If my opponent can recieve this kind of serve, trust me, I will only do it once. BTW, I am talking about doubles play.

    TO receive it, for me, I stand just a little behind service line maybe between base and service line and squat a little. The squat will help you as this will allow you to return "smash" it.

    bchaiyow

     
  20. jayes

    jayes Regular Member

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    Yes, drive serve can be done legally. However, I find it easier to do legal drive serve doing a backhand than a forehand. As bchaiyow observed, it is quite dangerous to the server than to the receiver. Once I had an opponent who love to drive serve to me in a double game and I really love to watch his surprised face when the shuttle came down much harder than his serve. :D After a few times (I guess he was a slow learner), he did not do drive serve to me anymore.

    Cheers. :D
     

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