Badminton“SERVING”

Content

I.DefinitionII.HistoryIII.EquipmentIV.Types of Serv

es

BADMINTONIs a racquet sport played by either

two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it

passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half

of the court.

HISTORY

Badminton was originated in India centuries ago where it was known as Poona. The British army officers were very much fascinated by the game, and so they introduced it in England sometime between 1870 to 1880. the game was not met with

enthusiasm.

However, it started to become popular when the Duke of Benufort launched the game at a garden party in his country estate at Badminton, Gloucestershire where it got its name.

EQUIPMENT

SHUTTLECOCK

Is a feathered (or, mainly in uncompetitive games, plastic) projectile whose unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently than the balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more

rapidly than a ball.

BADMINTON

RACKET

SERVICEIs the shot that starts a play or rally.

When the server is serving even points (e.g. 2, 4, 6), he must stand in the right-hand half of his service court; when the server is serving odd points, he must stand in the left-hand half. In doubles, the non-server can stand anywhere on his side of the net. The receiver must not move until the server has served.

The server must: keep both players apart while serving, as must the receiver while receiving; be within the boundaries of the service court, touching no lines; hit the base of the shuttle first; make initial contact with the shuttle below the server's waist; have all the racket's head clearly below the hand that holds the shuttle at the moment of contact; serve in a continuous motion.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICE

Low Short Serveallows you some flexibility because

you can use either forehand or backhand. Play to your strengths and use the style that you are best at. The low serve will be most effective if you allow the birdie to float just over the top of the net.

This will allow the birdie to land very near to the short service line and will require your opponent to run forward and hopefully miss the play. Although this serve is used both in singles and doubles, the low serve is the most common serve used in doubles.

Long High Serve

When playing singles, consider using a high serve to drive the birdie deep into your opponent's court. Make sure not to use this serve too often, as your opponent will come to expect it and learn to stay near the

back of his court during your service.

You should refrain from using this serve during doubles as well, since the player receiving your serve will likely always stand in the back court during doubles. This serve requires a forehand underarm action and a careful follow through. Make sure you stand two to three steps behind the service line to give yourself enough room for a proper

follow through and to ensure that the birdie stays in bounds.

Flick Serve

Should be used sparingly, because it can be a fairly easy serve to play if expected. Use this serve no more than once every five serves to keep your opponent guessing. Begin the serve the same way that you

would when executing a low serve;

However, instead of gently tapping the birdie over the net, flick your wrist quickly to bring the birdie unexpectedly into your opponent's back court. You can use this serve in either doubles or singles, but it is more commonly used in doubles.

Drive Serve Is an extremely risky serve, but

many expert badminton players enjoy it because of the high reward it can yield. Observe your opponent carefully. If you determine that your opponent has a slow reaction time, it is best to throw in the drive serve occasionally, as you are likely to get the point. The drive serve

is executed using forehand underarm actions.

It should be a quick serve and the birdie should go low over the net and deep into your opponent's court. Be careful and stay on your toes, because if your opponent hits your serve it will likely come back to your side very quickly.