What's the benefit of doing a backhand serve? I do it mainly because most of my friends can't do it properly. But seriously, why use it instead of a regular serve?
Matt14500, You might wanna do a search on backhand service on the general and technique forums. This issue has been discussed before.
Singles, I never use backhand serve. Not good enough at flicking to use it well. Doubles, I always use it, just because im used to it.
he's asking why. i know why for both singles and doubles but i won't reply unless he's told me cos i can't be bothered typing up both reasons when he only needs one
Well, I usually play doubles. I normally don't use a backhand serve in doubles incase I screw up. I still haven't mastered that serve yet.
Yea, the flick serve is very essential in doubles. If you want short serves, then it could help a lot more than trying to do the singles form. I've pretty much mastered it, but I of course sometimes don't hit it hard enough. I need to work on my use of strength. Anyway, it gives you the choice of hitting it short or long. Though, this does depend on your snap of the wrist for the long. Using a singles serve, it may lead you to hit the shuttle out, if you're serving long, and it's not as accurate for shorts. Also, it gives you more options for deception. And of course, they can't smash it at you as readily.
Oh, and I was talking about it from the doubles perspective. It kind of helps in singles. Lin Dan uses the backhand serve a lot in singles.
bachand serve its easier to serve high, right up to your waist level to the highest allowed limit for serves. This is better so that the birdie wont be too high from the net. a forehand serve its harder to hit the birdie that high and most of the time this makes the bird follow a more capricious path, and isnt as consitently flat and low to the net as a backhand serve. Most new-age badminton coaches coach backhand serves for short serves, and forehand REALLY HIGH serves for long serves. And also in doubles you can flick it and completely screw the reciever up.
the reason people serve short in doubles is cos it gives the flatest trajectory so it's less susceptible to being hammered into your face. for singles, it's a lot more complicated. short serve in singles, backhand, is because it is played closer to the net, and at high levels, this is crucial for two reasons. one, you don't give the attack away from the start. a high serve gives the opponent many different ways to attack, and against someone of Lin Dan's calibre, a high serve is inviting him to smash the crap out of you. this is especially important as he can produce winners anywhere infront of the doubles service line. so any high serve which is hit slight short, you're dead. two. it's closer to the net, so you can lunge forward should they play back to the net. this allows you more of a chance to dominate the net area early, and in modern day singles, the net is where it's won or lost. a tight net shot gives you the short lift to kill the shot, rather than the need to rally long, which may not work against someone of better stamina than you. by being closer to the net, you can assert your dominance and (hopefully) beat them at the net and win. the problem with short serving in singles is the opponent gives you less time. you need to be ready for either, a decpetive net return, a flat drive and a low lift. this means it's very hard to master and use against top players. even in pro games, we see Lin Dan, Taufik or any other person occasionally getting completely tricked and losing the point straight away. however, all this (for them) is better than losing point after point from being smashed at. as for beginner/intermediates, use it occasionally, but stick to the high serve, it's where you'll lose less points than serving short.
