My son 14 years plays badminton for his school. What should be the correct foot positioning after a net drop for singles and the best method to get to the 4 corners. Does this differ for forehand short serves. pl advise
A short serve has to go past the service line, making it much easier to return than a good drop shot. This allows you to generally take a slightly more offensive position (closer to the net). After a net drop you should return to a ready position in the middle of the court. I suggest standing a bit closer to the net as you have much more time to move on a clear than you do on a drop shot, so a smaller distance lets you react faster.
Please clarify "net drop". Is this a net shot to net shot. Or an overhead dropshot played from the rear court to drop over the net thus if permitted to land would be somewhere near the service.
as always: IT DEPENDS... the better the net shot, the further you stand to the net (waiting to kill the weak reply from your opponent at the net). the worse your net shot, the more you have to get into a "neutral" position, i.e. the basic position in the middle of the court. if the netshot is VERY poor, you should think about turning away or hiding behind the net in order not to be hit in the face by the shuttle...
This is very situational and requires some experience to use the correct stance at the correct time. When you made a good straight net shot for example you don't need to move much back to your base position. Just be ready to pounce on any weak net reply with your racket foot forward. Also bear in mind that there also could be a lift coming from your opponent so take care of the back of the court as well.
