Useful singles tactics in Badminton

Want to improve your singles tactics and don’t know where to start? Here are some effective ways you can!

The game of badminton is quite technical. In the game of singles, you are alone and need to cover the court yourself. So, you won't be relying on your partner like you would in doubles.

To play a good game of singles, you must be quick on your feet and think fast. To win a rally in singles, one must be very strategic in the way they place their shots. Accuracy and good judgement go hand in hand in a game of singles.

In badminton singles, you need to adjust your game depending on how your opponent is playing. Being able to adapt and adjust is an essential part of singles.

Keeping this in mind, here are some strategies and tactics that will help you in singles:

Always return to the centre

As you are playing alone, it's important that once you hit a shot you start moving back towards the centre. From the centre of the court, it is easy to reach all the corners of the badminton court. If you find that you're not able to reach your opponent's shots easily, it's probably because you aren't returning to the centre after playing a shot.

After hitting a shot, immediately start moving towards the centre in preparation for the next. This ensures you have smooth movement and good court coverage, which are essential in singles.

Make full use of the court

When it comes to claiming points in singles, making your opponent move all over the court gives you a better advantage. Displacing your opponent is very important to gain points. Pushing your opponent to the baseline and then suddenly bringing them to the front and then again pushing them behind or sidewards is going to tire and displace them. This allows you to create an opening and gain points.

Read your opponent’s game

You must be attentive to the way your opponent plays and what their weaknesses are. You should be able to analyse and understand what kind of game they are playing.

Once you understand their weaknesses, you need to capitalise on them to gain an advantage. Use the element of surprise to catch them off guard. 

Cover your weaknesses

There may come a point during the match when your opponent realises your weak points. When this happens be aware and ensure that you don’t allow them to play shots that are hard for you to return.

An experienced player will try and take advantage of your weak spots and try to utilise them. Make sure you don’t let them play these shots.

Footwork

An important element in the game of singles is footwork. Your base position, that is the centre, once established is from where you will be able to move to all corners of the court. It’s not easy to always come back to the centre after hitting a shot. 

This is when footwork comes into play. The reason court movements and footwork are practised is so a player can move fluently and return to base position effortlessly during the match.

To achieve this, the split step is very important. The split step is a technique of widening your stance to be prepared for the next shot that comes. This involves slightly bending your knees while keeping your feet shoulder-width apart and then jumping slightly off the ground, landing with your knees still bent. This split step allows you to move and rapidly change direction and helps in fluid footwork.

Other tips in Badminton singles to keep in mind

• If possible, play using deception. However, this should be practised before a match. This is a skill that takes time to develop, but when accomplished, can be very useful during a game of singles.