Returning the return of a low serve (single)

[Rob3rt]

I find the opposite. I have played winners from the latter.

That's a difficult question, because the forehand low serve and flick are less common nowadays, which means more deceptive because we are not used to see it as much (anticipation). But from a technical point of view the flick with a backhand is more deceptive because using the fingers is quicker and more powerful than using your wrist (forehand serve).

 

[LenaicM]

Easy fix - just become better at the thing that is most fundamental to badminton, and that everyone is trying to improve already! a.k.a. footwork.

By pushing to develop his game solely with the backhand serve, you are asking OP to run before he can walk.

You say many amateurs can't high serve accurately - if they served half as many times as they did backhand serves in doubles, you can guarantee the quality of high serves would be better.

Anyway, it's either:
1) backhand serve and get good at covering 4 corners quickly
2) high serve and get good at defending

Given the fact that most players get smashed at very often in doubles compared to having to cover 4 corners, the defence improvement is probably easier. That and playing a block to net also requires a lot less learning (and difficulty) than learning how to quickly cover 4 corners under the high pressure that amateurs often attack short serves with.

As always, it's best to be able to do both, but if you're looking at improving soon, the high serve will be a lot easier to pick up, and you'll then become fast enough to handle backhand serving.

Well that's a lot of pros for the forehand high serve and actually I should start working on it. Yet I'll still add two extra advantages about working on low backhand serves:

- On the longer term, It will also improve the overall footwork ability of the player

- Some of those footwork exercises can easily be done alone and off-court through shadow drills such as the one I described in my previous post thus add an extra training session outside of the club schedule. Always beneficial.