Returning Singles Short Serves

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Heong, Jan 28, 2008.

  1. Heong

    Heong Regular Member

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    hello everyone,

    does anyone know what is the best way to return a short serve in singles?

    should i drive it back? lift? net?
    usually a singles server stands in the middle of the court, so would a net shot be more effective??


    thanks for your help!:D
     
  2. westwood_13

    westwood_13 Regular Member

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    It really depends. A net is great to put them out of position, but you must consider that you are out of position yourself and are especially vulnerable to a cross-court net, lift, or especially drive if they get there in time.

    Usually (keep in mind this is women's singles), I block to the net or hit a high lift to the baseline if their serve is very good. This way, I have time to recover.

    But most of the serving in women's is long, so really, I'm not much help, sorry.
     
  3. kuan84

    kuan84 Regular Member

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    I reckon if your footwork is good and you can get the bird around shoulder's height...go for net rolls (get the birdie away from your opponent). If you can't get them at that height...lift to base line (resets the pace).

    Hope that helps.
     
  4. stumblingfeet

    stumblingfeet Regular Member

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    An effective short server has the ability to attack or put pressure on the serve return to the net. This ability requires a lot of speed and skill; as the one returning the serve, test this skill early and often!

    You're actually in a stronger position. Remember that the serve has to land past the service line, which means you don't have to move all the way up to the net, and you have the angle with which to play a flicked lift. So, the main two choices are the deceptive net shots to either front corner. I think there was a video with Niels Kristian Kaldau a while back showing this technique. If you think your opponent is overly aggressive on the serve return return, then flick it. Only when these options don't work do you go with the high lift.
     
  5. hiroisuke

    hiroisuke Regular Member

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    There is no best return, but there are some points to remember, some of which have been mentioned. Some opponents will tend to be more aggressive at the net, making drops unwise, while others will hope for or prepare for a clear or drives, thus they will stand back. Others will lean more towards the left or the other.

    Note these tendencies after you start playing them or if you have already seen them with these habits before. If they like attacking the net, drive or clear it past them. If they back up instinctively, fool them with a drop.

    But most importantly, they may begin to notice that they are making these mistakes and will readjust. Thus, it becomes necessary to perform various different shots. Don't keep with the same shot every time; variety keeps their rhythm off and prevents them from making guesses towards what shot you might hit next. Vary between drives, drops, cross drops, flicks, and clears.

    Timing is also important. If their serve is too high and/or too slow, making it easy to attack, take advantage! Quickly move in, but with enough time to land on your feet and execute a shot properly so that you don't botch the shot, messing up your chance. There's no need to always smash or push it down; instead, drive it quickly past them, flick it aggressively, or drop it sharply. These shots give your opponent little time to respond, thus putting yourself in a good spot to press the advantage, dictate the rhythm of the rally, and improve your chances to win the rally.

    If you are late to the shuttle, don't always panic and clear. Occasionally, it is possible, if you notice the opponent backing up in expectation of a clear, to drop it and surprise them. However, it is usually best to clear it back to buy yourself more time to recover. Still, it is best to vary the clears too: to the corners and the middle, but don't always hit to the same place.

    Timing, observation, and variety all contribute to better returns and even in overall terms, help with all the aspects of your badminton game. Playing quick shots pressures your opponents to make hasty decisions and often make mistakes, playing a slow game may throw them off from your quick game, giving you more time to think about your shots if they make a decision on where to move too quickly. Watching your opponents' tendencies and habits as well as their position can help you determine where to hit shots and what kind of shots are best to exploit their weaknesses and make life easier for yourself when they hit weaker returns. Variety throws off your opponents by making all sorts of shots possible, making it virtually impossible for them to predict your shots and slowing down their reaction time, which means they will be less likely to be able to attack you as well.
     
  6. Athelete1234

    Athelete1234 Regular Member

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    You can try occasionally faking a netshot, then at the last second going for a shallow lift to their backhand corner.
     
  7. Smichz

    Smichz Regular Member

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    First,determine what's ur opponent weakness n what u r superior in.Attack on which part he's weak on,n make him return to what u're good at.Depends on both of u,terms of who is fast or slow,tall or short,powerful or weak,the return may vary.
     
  8. t3tsubo

    t3tsubo Regular Member

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    when practicing, always expect a short serve. That way you can take it as high as possible and wont waste time moving forward as much. If they do a long serve, you have plenty of time to move backwards and can still pull off any shot in your arsenal. The only counter to this would be a good backhand flick serve, but thats quite uncommen and the worse it would leave you with is a bad clear.
    the best advice i can give you is to take a short serve as high as possible, and hit it where your opponent will have the most trouble returning it. Figuring out where that is is a problem you have to solve.
     
  9. Temasek Green

    Temasek Green Regular Member

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    Yup this one is awesome,Heong just give some practice on this, and once you mastered it, you'll addicted to it. =+1
     
  10. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

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    What happens when he serves like an attack clear it when you have a mentality of going forward?
     
  11. TedFong

    TedFong New Member

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    If that were to happen either duck ! or be ready to eat birdie ! :D
     
  12. robc06

    robc06 Regular Member

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    I have had trouble with returning a short singles serve for the past 07 year. Often I tried to net roll and hit the net. (Ive improved my net rolls in the off season!!)

    And Im keen to know what peoples prefered method of return is.
     
  13. hiroisuke

    hiroisuke Regular Member

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    1) Don't go for the netroll. The likelihood of pulling it off in a game is less than 50%. Make your drops sharp, but don't go looking for the netroll, it won't happen very often.

    2) Don't have a preferred return. Mix it up to keep your opponents off balance. If you have certain tendencies towards certain returns, your opponent may begin to make note of it and preempt your shot the next time you try it.
     
  14. Athelete1234

    Athelete1234 Regular Member

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    I'm now thinking that for singles, a short serve is best done with either
    a) tight straight netshot
    b) deceptive cross netshot that's very tight (so it doesn't get killed)
    c) shallow lift to backhand corner
    d) high lift down the center

    You can try faking one of the 4 and doing the other, but don't rely on netshots that catch the tape, or net kills; they're risky and often put you in a bad position if they get returned.
     
  15. robc06

    robc06 Regular Member

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    I like the straight push down the line off a short serve. As long as its fast enough so that the server cannot react and cut it off.
     
  16. Elixau

    Elixau Regular Member

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    I would lift it, or... Kill lift it if it's a little to high.
     
  17. Heong

    Heong Regular Member

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    thanks everyone for ur help!


    btw, does anyone know whether a backhand short serve or a normal high forehand serve will be better in singles?
    cos i see many players of state lvl in my country use a backhand short serve rather than a high forhand serve.
     
  18. Athelete1234

    Athelete1234 Regular Member

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    If you're not at a stage where you can effectively return fast drives or shallow lifts off of your short serve, always go for the high serve to give you time to prepare for their stroke. If you have a good flick serve that is difficult to predict or return, then you can stop people from rushing you, but the shallow lift or tricky netplay may cause trouble. So in general...

    If you're intermediate or lower, use a high forehand serve.
    If you're advanced or higher, then you can use a backhand serve in moderation (you need a good flick serve), but generally you'll find that high forehand serves are best.
     
  19. Heong

    Heong Regular Member

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    im mid intermediate though.

    maybe i should change the way i serve for every rally.

    thx Athlete!
     
  20. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

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    Ever since I was a beginner I never felt safe serving high. Even if it reaches the baseline. XD
     

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