Setup for backhand short serve

Well sometimes I know I've hit too much feather because the shuttle 'sticks' to the racket.

 

Great work! Sounds like you have already improved and started to notice some differences. Especially with regard to turning the shuttle to face the racket - thats why I practiced the "gentle" serves so much! Had to learn to control it!!!

But I am not really sure what the answer is to your question about feeling the feathers - I haven't really ever thought about it. What I do feel is a very controlled and smooth pushing action, with a gentle follow through. When I flick, I used a jabbing motion with virtually no follow through (finger power!) - the benefit of this is there is plenty of power but the strings point towards my target so its normally very accurate (unless my strings point the wrong direction - then obviously I aimed wrong).

I think I can relate in some way to what Charlie said too - sometimes it feels like the shuttle contacts my racket for too long (almost sticky) and that normally results in a serve that lands too short. But I don't know whether thats me hitting the feathers or anything else - its very rare though.

 

@MSeeley I find it more of a problem with damaged/used shuttles, and personally but I don't know if this is just me paying more attention to the shuttle or not, but slow shuttles. I have the same problem, if it sticks to the racket it ends up wobbling and going short. It's why I'm less inclined to use a gentle motion and more inclined to use a tap.

 

That doesn't really make a difference for me - not something I have noticed I must admit! Mine is definitely mental as when it does happen, I go through runs of them in a single game. Something about the whole motion doesn't feel quite right; maybe I am concentrating too much on mechanics rather than outcomes (thinking how the shuttle should travel always gives me the best results). But I can serve absolutely fine with slow or broken shuttles; for me its definitely a concentration/feeling/focus thing. I don't like tapping because it doesn't give me enough control, even though I can serve that way if I choose (its like a really gentle drive serve!).

 

I guess it could always be that the times I'm experiencing problems with slow shuttles on serve are when it's quite cold, and maybe I'm just a bit stiffer in that situation. When the shuttle is ruffled or damaged though for sure, it just gives the shuttle more opportunity to snag on the string.

I guess we're quite the opposites about the mechanics thing. My serve is almost completely automatic when it's to the T.

 

Yeah I know what you mean. And don't get me wrong - I have seen some people who can serve great with a tapping motion! But I learnt doing drills at home, and sometimes I would set my target only a metre away on the floor (which is obviously much shorter than the distance to the service line) - when I did those drills, I could never achieve the consistency with tapping that I can do whilst pushing the shuttle. Obviously the situation I am talking about is artificial - I never need to actually do that in a game. But thats the way I learnt to control the shuttle and honed my skills - and so here I am

 

Are you sure it's obvious? You may be worrying too much.

I had this conversation recently with my coach. His view (as someone who played professionally) is that they won't notice it. And if they do, so what? You can now mess with them by tilting the shuttle for a flick and serving low.

(To be clear, we were looking at holding the shuttle at a different angle when you serve low vs. flick, and the difference was less than 90 degrees.)

 

Just adding a few of my thoughts to what's been said.
I'm another person that hold their racquet pretty much level, with the grip only slightly above the head. There is a reason for this. Any variation in timing of the hit causes the shuttle to move within that sideways arc/swing which is always going to be aimed at the net. All my serves are generally going to be low unless I put a scooping motion into my serve.

However, I think most pro's hold their racquets vertically. They can control their low serve by hitting the shuttle at the correct point or flick serve by accelerating their swing and hitting later. There's more disguise but it's harder to maintain a consistent low serve.

If your concentrating on your low serve I'd always advise holding the racquet more flat until you get yourself dialled in then later look to a more vertical hold if you want to disguise your flick more.

 

I don't think this part is true. Take a look at any of the MS players, I've got a video up of LCW and LD at the moment and they both use a more horizontal strike.

However, what you might want to remember is that up until 2005 or so I think it was, the racket head had to be DISCERNIBLY below the handle of the racket during serve, encouraging that more 'vertical' style of serve.

This means that some of the older pros would've learned this style, and would've been more comfortable with it.

 

Hmm, I was thinking more of MD so I'll have to go back and review. Maybe I'm just old too!!

 

I don't watch too much of the MD, but I did notice especially with LCW he starts with his racket more downwards but brings it up as he serves.