So I played a local tournament last weekend. 6 long serves in one game went out of the back (tipped shuttles were still landing 5-10cm past the rear tramline). Going long around 20-40cm!) I reverted to a short serve in the later games. So question: is it best to adjust the power of serve, angle of serve, maybe aim at the doubles line/out of court, or simply move backwards/forwards a bit to adjust for the long serve? I tried all of them, clearly without good effect before I gave up on it. In future it would be useful to stick to one method, knowing that it will eventually work. Or perhaps I should practice serving with different speed shuttles?! After all it is too much to expect correct speed shuttles in lower tournament levels! Bonus question: does shuttle speed really affect short serves? If yes, how should one adjust for faster/slower shuttles?
I would suggest adjusting the speed yourself (unless you are playing with an umpire) by tipping every 4 or 2 feathers of the shuttle, by bending the tip of the feather outwards to slow it down. If it´s too slow you can bend it inwards. Here's a video about it: If you are playing with a umpire, that's tough luck. If you are doing long forhand serves, I'd prob to make the flight path higher or take a step back from where you usually serve
These were tipped every 2 feathers (total of 8) and still flying past the rear service line. Untipped they were flying almost half a metre out the back. In any case, sometimes we have to play with significantly faster or slower shuttles - it just happens in lower grade tournaments when there is no alternative shuttle (normally it is too slow though...). Would be useful to learn how to adjust if serving long/short in the high serve style or the short serve style regardless.
Since it's always beneficial to be able to vary vary the angle (and power) of a serve, I'd go with that. Here, we're sometimes forced to play in halls with rather low ceiling, it's necessary to be able to do it the other way around (or maybe for too slow shuttles) anyway. If it's always long by the same distance, just adjusting where you're standing might be easier though. Anyway, I like the question and I'd like to hear some other opinions as well.... edit: I don't think this is limited to different shuttle speeds, but also some other things that might force you to change your habits slightly.
Usually half a step forwards or back is enough to adjust. Otherwise, short serve is just more consistent.
In these conditions, I either hit significantly harder and higher than my "normal" high serve, or I use a less powerful flick serve variant. If my ultra power high serves go in then I can forget about it. If I need to revert to another serve technique e.g. a half power lifted serve, I will simply accept that I won't be getting an advantage using a high serve today. In such conditions where I can't control the shuttle as necessary, I accept I am simply not skilled and practised enough to play that type of shot with these shuttles on this day and settle for simply starting the rally safely. I find the serve easy to resolve - its my normal rallying clears that really stuff me up because if my serves are all out, my clears are probably out too. And as a side note: shuttle speeds are a minefield. Different speeds are different between brands, and their recommendations for the temperature of hall are sometimes nonsense! I agree you should be able to clear full court with a slow shuttle... but I wouldn't recommend playing a game with that shuttle. Clears are easy and are meant to be easy... the skill is keeping the shuttle in, not reaching the back line with a shot!
I do high serves in Doubles. When? when I am tired and making more mistakes than usual. Or when I am on a loosing run, could not do anything as I need some time to adjust my play. This usually happen when my partners is under attack. I can't help it because we have no better choice of partnership in tournament for my company. My strokes are much stronger and I am more attack oriented while my partner plays a steady game. Most time stronger opponents will exploit our partnership weakness pinning him to the back of the court and then catching him with the slightest mistakes. You will be surprised, sometimes, opposing players don't know how to take my high vertical drop serve near to the 1st tramline. Players have problem adjusting to the serves. I mean high serves, really high. Most general badminton court, my serves can hit the ceiling. Learn that kind when I 1st started as a singles player back in school. Then when I switched to be trained as a doubles player, I hard use it. I used it sometimes to switch play and also to take some time off, gives us more breathing space. Change in tactic and see what happen. I try to stay at the back so I can control the game. However, given my age, I can't no longer hold out long. Worse is, I can't even string a series of 3 smashes due to my arm injury, kind of weak. Times likely this, often, we gain control of the match until I faded out with my strength.... bye bye with my game. happened many times... I usually step back ward enough for my high serves to hit near the 1st tramline. You need to practice and adjust yourself. Last Saturday, I managed to control my high serves from the left side of the court by adjusting the way I stand. On the right side, its almost certainly 99%, but on the left, its disappointing 60% at best. You need to work on this, but I know from my peers, none serving like the way I do. My last competitive game, playing previous year champion of the civil servant game, I told myself and wanted to proved to my partner our standard aren't very far from the champion team. We won our game, but out overall as we don't have the depth to counter them. Just don't have enough quality players to match them. Opponent were lost didn't know how to counter my high serves. I won 6 points in a row. from losing during the entire game to come abck and won the match at the last 2 points. 21-19. We lost the 2nd game as I was tired... easily, 11-21. However, I realised that they tried to play those shots I did to them during the 1st game. But they never had any chance as we lead all the way from start to end wining 21-15. I stopped my high serves as they are doing high aerves to us but didnt work on us.
Ha..ha.. That's what you think. If any strategy which helps you to gain advantage when your opponents are unable to settle down quick enough... that's good and works. I am surprise, some above average players, which I didn't expect it, not able to handle such serves. Perhaps, their basic hasn't really been there all this while... or perhaps, they have not met anyone just like I do. You will also be surprised, vertical drop lob isn't as easy you what you think like when you are taking a normal lob. your timing is crucial, or you either miss it or mishit. This is what my friends told me when they play against me when I switch to high serves to change my strategy for whatever reasons. I had never told them why I do it. People think I am crazy to do high serves in man's double. If I am playing against someone whose standard is above me, especially players of national level caliber, base on assessment, If I know it won't work, I definitely won't use it all. Why do I want to give my opponent the opportunity to smash especially my partner who tend to be weaker in stroke quality
