Intermediate player, relatively tall...and slow. I have a question that I couldn't find the answer to on other threads. One of my main struggles in the game is moving to the back court quickly during a rally. I'm sure this is a common problem, but recently i've discovered i can move back much much quicker if i adopt a ready position that keeps my left (non-racket) foot forward. From what i've heard from technique discourse, this is not recommended...normally the split step would be advised to begin with the racket foot slightly ahead of the left. However, i am wondering if the stance technique i have started to adopt would be generally good at neutralizing my weakness in ability to move to the back of the court. I know that when receiving the serve, the left foot is forward to respond to flick serves easier...the shoulders and body is already turned in the required direction to hit an overhead that goes deep. When i try to use the right-foot forward ready stance, i find that turning my shoulders really slows me down, whereas with left foot forward im already turned in that direction, as with the serve reception, making things a whole lot easier and quicker. How am i disadvantaging myself with this technique? If i should change to the standard technique, what should i do differently to stop those attacking clears from sailing right over my head before i can even turn my body? Thanks!
Hello! Good questions! You are right - general advice is that for receiving serve it should be non-racket foot forwards, whereas during a rally it should be racket foot slightly forwards. The reason that it is advised that racket foot is slightly forwards is that it provides the following benefits: Easy round the head footwork (1 step) Easy forecourt movement (2 steps) Easy midcourt movement (2 steps) Racket shoulder forwards meaning defence is better on the backhand side and at the body, as well as good on the forehand side. Easy to move forwards and backwards and side to side It does have one drawback: Slower to the deep forehand corner (turn + 2 steps = 3 steps total). As you can see, it allows for full court coverage and full defence, but with a slight limitation for the deep forehand corner. Non racket foot forwards brings these benefits: Easy forehand corner footwork (2 steps) Easy forehand defence Average body defence Easy movement forwards as long as it is not too far away (1 step max) Easy to move forwards and backwards and to the forehand side It has these drawbacks: Poor coverage of the backhand corner (turn + 2 steps = 3 steps total) - so poor that it is normally taken with a backhand. Poor movement to the front court if further than 1 step away (requires 3 steps) Poor movement to backhand side - a disadvantage for singles, but less of a concern for doubles Poor defence on backhand side Summary: In my view, racket foot slightly forwards gives the best court coverage and defence, whereas non racket foot forwards makes it easier to attack with limitations on defence (particularly for singles). Thus from my view, racket foot slightly forwards is the better option for "normal" rallies to avoid leaving easy scoring opportunities for your opponents. It sounds like you still need some help however as to how to move back quickly for those shots. My advise would be to learn how to turn very quickly on the spot to get your hips lined up in the correct direction. Your goal is not to move quickly, but to set direction quickly, and then move. I am happy to give more tips and advice on drills etc if required. Good luck!
A perfect reply as usual from MSeeley. Adding a bit of my own experience because this is literally what came up in my last coaching session. I habitually run into a left foot forward split step after a rearcourt stroke. Typical sequence is scissor, land on right foot, step forward to split step with left foot forward, or if I cleared it, do an additional split step with feet square. Problems with this sequence: Square split is very defensive - after a rearcourt shot, I should be potentially eyeing up a quick kill, or even a backward jump-out interception - both difficult with a square stance. Square split is also slow - the only time I'd get this full sequence is if I clear it. That's okay, but not normally. Landing on the left foot to split is therefore what I kept doing in harder games, where I had less time. The problem is now that it takes me either 1 huge step to reach the net, or three small steps. 1 huge step is a lot of momentum to keep under control, and 3 is plain slow. That is the main reason that my coach told me to chasse into a right step forward split step instead of running through on my left after a scissor. With respect to rearcourt movement, I find the round the head movement much easier to initiate with the right foot forward - I'm forced to turn, so the right foot lands further back, allowing a better round the head position. With the left foot forward, there's a very strong temptation to bring the left foot back, thus moving the momentum in such a way that the backhand becomes the favoured shot, rather than the round the head. The forehand rear corner is harder. I'm working on that, but it's not significantly different from my left foot forward, because my footwork to this corner is a bit erratic atm.
Your footwork will always vary depending on which shot you hit, but these are some general guidelines: - if you hit a shot to your opponent's rear forehand corner, split step is right foot in front of left - if you hit a shot to your opponent's rear backhand corner, split step is left foot in front of right - if you hit a downward shot from the rearcourt, split step is right foot in front of left - if you hit a upward shot toward the net, split step is right foot in front of left To learn excellent footwork, and badminton in general, Lin Dan and Lee Hyun Il are the players to watch. Numerous professional players and coaches have rated their footwork as top-class and near perfection. Lin Dan Lee Hyun Il
