Service Confusion

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Jan_BE, Sep 14, 2005.

  1. Jan_BE

    Jan_BE Regular Member

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    Hey everyone

    I'm kinda confused about my service in single.
    I went to a badmintoncamp in august (with some top-trainers), they told us to serve short in singles.
    Now last night I was playing competition at my club, I played the first single.
    Naturally, I served short, and I lost the match (in 3 games)
    Wenn I got off court, my trainer (she can't coach for ****) asked me why I served short, told me I was ginving it straight away.

    So now I'm confused, the great coach is telling me to serve short and my crappy coach is telling me to serve long.
    any advice?
     
  2. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Search the forums for related questions.

    The low serve has become popular at top level play, because it reduces the attacking options of your opponent. But you need to be able to move very fast, or the receiver will take advantage of your low serve.

    For lower level play, the high serve is still the better serve. Most club players cannot attack like Lin Dan ;)
     
  3. goku999

    goku999 Regular Member

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    the serve kinda works both ways.

    If you serve short, its very likely the back court area behind you is vulnerable to deep drives and lifts therefore you are under pressure straight away.

    As Gollum said, top professionals have very good footwork, leg speed and strength so this isnt a problem for them so they mostly serve short.
    However is your net play is good and you do a short net return you can do deep drives and lifts or a very good net return forcing them to lift the shuttle.

    A long serve would give the opponent the opportunity to do a smash return but at first you dont know how strong they are at smashing. You are under pressure straight away as most singles winners are either cross court drops or cross court smashes.

    Working on better footwork would be very advantageous for serving short as well as serving long.
     
  4. wirre

    wirre Regular Member

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    They are *both* equally right and wrong......you have to put their advice in context with your personal skills.

    Today it seems like the short serve is prefered in MS. Just take a look at the WCH. *But* this is if *you* are trained to do this (footwork, reflexes and shotselection) so you are "sure" to handle all kind of returns. I see all the youngsters in the club in town are learning this at an early age.

    But if you are in the same situation as I am, never got any formal training (=lacking necessary footwork- and shot/racket technic), then I'd say the short serve will only do you harm. Personally I can't cover all 4 corners when serving short. Especially if I stay close to the net, anticipating a short return, I'll be vunrable to fast flicks to the far end. Guess this is what happened to you.

    Of course I do a short serve now and then, just to surprise my opponent, but my "regular" serve is the old fashioned long and high (at least that's what I'm hoping for;) )

    Soo....until you have trained it to reach a level (for your standard) when you know it'll be to your advantage don't do this during competitions. OTOH you should certainly *train* it as much as posssible since it will/would be a good weapon to make less experienced opponents to do easy lifts. Also the opponent wouldn't get the possibility to smash on the return.

    / mats


     
  5. Simp84

    Simp84 Regular Member

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    I think it really depends on what sort of opponent you are facing...
    If your opponent love rushing to short serve then I guess its better to serve high...
    however your high serve has to be super high and super far... or else be prepared to lose your service right away lol~
     
  6. Jan_BE

    Jan_BE Regular Member

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    Thanks guys, I'll have to work on it :rolleyes:
     
  7. i_two_net

    i_two_net Regular Member

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    You should not just follow a coaching tip blindly, for any shot. You need to understand why you are hitting a particular shot. If you don't have an understanding of the rationale behind a short serve and the possible replies you face, or are ill-equipped to cope with the replies, then don't hit a short serve!
     
  8. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Absolutely right. Ask your coach to explain the reasons for his advice. Ultimately, you must learn to understand badminton for yourself.
     
  9. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    Ding! Ding! Ding!
     
  10. Jan_BE

    Jan_BE Regular Member

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    I know, I guess I'm not quite there yet :crying:
     
  11. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    No worries, it's all good. :D
     
  12. Darma Sucipto

    Darma Sucipto Regular Member

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    actually you dont need to exactly follow your coach. which service are you more comfortable to? is it high serve or low serve? if you are more comfortable with high serve, then go ahead. also the same as low serves. the one who is playing the game is you, not your coach. so play according to your comfortablelity. im not saying that your coaches are wrong..haha:D
     
  13. kmodak

    kmodak Regular Member

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    I have found the most effective tactic to "Mix it Up". So even with serves test the opponent with serves in all four elligible corners. This keeps the opponent guessing rather than fall into a pattern of service and return. Find this particularly useful when you are trailing and want to catch up.

    Also serving low from right to left is not advisable. It is better to serve long (right to left side) so your opponent cant catch your deep backhand which is always tricky to return. When serving from left to righ the low serve is more effective since now the opponent has to go over your head to catch the deep backhand which gives you a better chance to block and win the point. Also when serving low from left to right opponent may attack you on the deep forehand side which is easier to tackle.
     
  14. KronE

    KronE Regular Member

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    u can confuse ur opponent by using forehand to long serve..then sometime try to look at ur opponent's eyes and see where hes standing..sometime u can fake him by using forehand and giv him a short serve...i used this trick b4..
     

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