Returning Tight Net Drops

the only way to return those nicely would be dropping it back. A clear from there is a smash in ur face for sure since the position of the bird and net makes it impossible to clear it to the back line. So unless you are really confident about being able to return a smash like that dont clear it. Just becareful about having ur racket touching the net. It is possible to drop those back and if sucessful it would be a nice drop taht just tumbles over, just like the one you had to face just now.

 

wow, alot of pros cant even do that, hit the net every time and let it tumble . well, you can always play more aggressivly and put alot more pressure on them so they'll either : play crapier drops, or they will drop less frequently. if you cant return the drop with a better qaulity drop, id just be prepared to sprint to the the net if it is a drop and take it earlier, right on the net tape and tumble it back.

 

orrrr, lift it as deep and as low/ fast as you can into their backahnd side, would be harder to play an around the head or forehand smash from there.

 

my suggestions :

1. if this situation occurs, drop it back, but if it's a really well placed drop on their part, then put your return drop to a side so it doesn't have to be a perfectly on the net, it can be off a little.

2. if their net game is stronger than yours, STAY AWAY FROM THE NET. when you would drop, put it near the short service line by the sides, or clear.

 

Don't panic!

If there's no one at the net covering your return, then just stay cool.
We all worry about hitting the net, but this concern can make you freeze and play no shot at all.
Assuming the drop is a straight shot and not cross court, then I would try and play either:
1. A tight net shot - racket arm and leading leg forward, point your foot at the shuttle and keep your head level with the tape, other arm out for balance. You could either play a "stabbing" motion shot with the racket face (from back to front), or a "scooping" motion shot (a U shape from left to right, or right to left). Racket MUST be at the height of the tape, not hugely above or below! Racket facing the ceiling and play shuttle in FRONT of you, not from the side.
2. This one's a bit trickier - you could play the "brush" shot. Again, take the shuttle at the level of the tape or slightly higher, racket facing the tape or opponent's court, lightly brush across the tape from left to right or right to left. This one takes a lot of practice. Get a friend to stand at the "T" and throw a shuttle towards you, as tight to the net as possible - you're looking to play the brush shot just as the shuttle arrives at the tape, so have your racket up and ready in position.
Hope this all makes sense!
Best Wishes
Derek

 

A drop shot can't go up. You must be talking about a shot that your opponents make at the net. A drop is made from the back of the court. In Korea, we call the net shots "hairpins" because of the shape of the trajectory of a good one, like you describe above. If a "hairpin" is really good and actually touches the tape and comes straight down, generally you have to wait for it to come off the net and then try to hit it as high as possible and hope that the opponent messes up the kill. If it doesn't hit the tape, you generally have a tiny window of opportunity to take the shuttle early and get an angle on it so that you can put it to the back of the court. If it hits the tape and falls straight down, you do still have a slim chance of tumbling it back or putting it cross-court just over the net but that takes a LOT of practice.

 

Very tight, tumbling net shots are rally-finishing strokes. Your question is like asking: "My opponents play steep net kills. How can I return them?"

The answer is: you can't. Just like the net kill, you should think instead about how to prevent your opponents playing this stroke, or at least forcing them to play a lower quality version that you may then retrieve with a high lift.

There are two main situations that this can happen: after you played a drop shot, or after you played a net shot.

If it happens when you played a net shot, then your opponent was already in position to play the net reply. Either play a net shot directed away from him, or play another stroke.

If it happens after you played a drop shot, then you did not put enough pace on the drop shot. Most drop shots should land near the short service line. If you play a slow, tight drop that would land near the net, then your opponent can take it near the net tape and play a devastating net reply. If you play a fast drop instead, he will not be able to take the shuttle near the net; he will have to take it much lower down and farther away.

Slow drops are only useful when your opponent is out of position at the back of the court. In this situation, he will not reach the shuttle in time to play a good net shot. But in an ordinary situation, he will be able to take it at the top of the tape.

 

Yr chances to successful reply such tight/tumble net shot is 50-50. I suggest;

1. Rush forward for a net kill or normal push/clear to backcourt. That is when the shuttle is just come over to yr court side & above the tape (Dont wait the shuttle drop below the tape).

2. Just simply tumble/slice it back or send to crosscourt. But it is too risky.

3. If the shuttle already falls further down below, i suggest u do a crosscourt hairpin net shot. If u go for clearing, it will be a halfcourt return and will be end up with a smash by yr opponent. If u r thinking for clearing, make sure the shuttle not fall below net height (as per item 1).

The other way is try to prevent him from making the shot. Change yr playing strategy. Dont play at the net often.

Good luck.

 

Rubbish, absolute rubbish, there are no shots which are imposible to lift to the back line, you just need to have to confidence and skill to do it. I am of course talking about halls such as High Wicombe or Milton Keynes, in a low ceiling sports hall the only option is to cross-court drop.

 

I've seen Peter Gade play an extremely tight spinning net shot off Lin Dan's low serve. Lin Dan was standing right by the net and tried to lift it, but he failed and hit it into the net.

If Lin Dan can't do it, I'm willing to bet you can't either

Very tight spinning net shots can make it impossible to lift the shuttle to the back. The top men's singles players use these regularly to force either a short lift or a desperation crosscourt net shot.

Respect the rally-ending potential of spinning net shots

 

Oh, indeed, i even use them in doubles, and Lin Dan meerly hit the shuttle at the wrong angle, which was a bit unlucky on his part. But really there is no shot that you can guarantee that won't come back (when the other player hasn't played a stupid shot and they are not grossly out of position - u know what i mean, a net kill when your opponent is at the net on the other side will do it, but failing that no shot is un returnable if the player is in position).
This is nicely illustrated by Lin Dan who managed to dive for about 3 shots in one rally i think.

 

Indeed, no shot is "unreturnable". But some shots place limits on the quality of your opponent's return, no matter how skilful he is.

For example, an extremely tight tumbling net shot can limit the length that your opponent can achieve on his lift. If the shuttle is almost hugging the bottom of the net, then no player in the world will be able to lift it to the back.

 

I'll agree to that.

 

You can try tumbling it back again or if you don't have the confidence, just cross-net. The cross-net doesn't have to be perfect. Just get it over the net. That way, your opponent can't control you.

 

You can cross court the net shot, or do a straight net return. Thats what I would do, I don't like clearing the shuttle in doubles, however in singlees, I draw the player into the net and flick over his head, mostly to the backhand corner.

 

drop to sides seem to be the best choice for me

but i think it depends on how fast u manage to get to contact the shuttle. if it's too low u gotta drop to sides. if u can contact it while it's still at mid net level more variations or even feints can be done. if u can contact it high, u can even clear it easily or return a tumbler( careful not to touch the net though).

don't worry about returning steep tumblers as they can't happen all the time. bottomline is, practice hitting the shuttle early.generally as long as u take the shuttle early u can return steep drops with yet steeper ones=)

 

The key to returning a tight tumbling drop is to not rush in to hit the return. Follow the trajectory of the dropping shuttle as it falls toward the ground. The tumbling will decrease as it falls. The bird will become more stable and therefore easier to hit. It is also easier to hit it after it clears the bottom of the net. The geometry of a drop shot is such that it is closest to the net near the tape and further away as it falls. That will give you a little bit more angle to work with. Following the path of the bird with the racket head allows you to aim it better. When the shuttle clears the bottom of the net, I'd hit a cross.

 

Absolutely agree.

The reality is that the non-elite pros, say someone outside the top 20 world ranking, is likely not as fast as LD/LCW and will reach the same tumbling shuttle a fraction of a second slower than them... no wonder that they can't return it like LD/LCW can.

Having watched a bit of badminton recently, and to cite a 'non-elite' players example, Ronald Susilo vs Juergen Koch in R32 of SO 2006. Juergen is a huge muscular player and very hard hitter, but he was slower to reach the shuttle and was repeatedly forced into short lifts off tight net shots by Ronald. If he had all the time in the world, of course I'm sure that Juergen had the muscles and strength to flick the net shot to the rear court

In such a case from what i saw from the games, the success of your return of the tight net shot depends on whether you reach the back court but whether you buy some time by deceiving your opponent as to which desperation shot you're playing so that he attacks it late.