| Playing with the right tactics is the key to victory in a | | | | your rear right court is awfully empty and uncovered, |
| badminton doubles game, not only for the | | | | neither by you nor your partner. Hence your opponent |
| professionals, but also for the social players. The | | | | could just make an easy defensive flat push to this |
| following write-up introduces some of the tactical Do's | | | | area and it will cause massive difficulties for you to |
| and Don'ts for badminton doubles games, which are | | | | return the shot. This will be made worse if your smash |
| useful to the social players especially, to increase the | | | | is weak or if it is not sharp enough. |
| chance of winning the game. | | | | The only time when you should execute a cross court |
| The absolute objective of each modern badminton | | | | smash is when you want to surprise your opponents, |
| doubles game is to get into the attacking formation as | | | | or if you are very confident that at that particular |
| much and as soon as possible, i.e. front and back | | | | situation, a powerful cross court smash will win you the |
| formation (assuming that both competing sides have | | | | point (for example, if you see both your opponents are |
| roughly similar level and standards of play). Most of | | | | defending closer to the middle court). Even |
| winning points in modern games are scored from the | | | | professional doubles players employ cross court |
| attacking formation. | | | | smashes cautiously. |
| In order to get into the attacking formation, whenever | | | | The 'safest' area (for most cases) to smash at is to |
| you place a net shot from a defensive position (side | | | | the middle of your opponents' court (between both of |
| by side), you must continue to move forward to the | | | | the opposition players) or just execute a simple straight |
| net and your partner must be able to observe that you | | | | smash. The reason that these are safe is that if your |
| are moving forward and he/she should get into the | | | | opponent tries to perform a cross court push now to |
| rear court to anticipate a lift from the opponent. Your | | | | your rear right court area just now, it must travel |
| role at the forecourt net position now is to anticipate a | | | | diagonally through the middle and that would have |
| return net shot from the opponent, so that you could | | | | been covered by your partner at the forecourt. In |
| pounce or tap at it as soon as possible to kill the | | | | addition to that, diagonal travel has a longer distance |
| shuttle. This is how we get from defensive into | | | | compared to a straight push, hence giving you more |
| offensive or attacking formation. | | | | time to recover and return the shot. |
| The most common mistake that social players commit | | | | Protect your and your partner's backhand area, |
| is when they are blocking a smash or flat drive to the | | | | especially if both of you are weak at this area. Many |
| net, they do not move forward to the net to 'follow | | | | times a social player executes a shot without actually |
| through'. This opens up the opportunity for the | | | | considering the consequences to his/her partner. For |
| opponent to return a soft shot to the net, causing both | | | | example, assuming that you are your partner are in a |
| the players need to rush to the net to return the shot | | | | front-back attacking formation, with you being at the |
| and most probably lifting it. An opportunity to get into | | | | forecourt, and your opponent executes a soft net shot |
| the attacking formation is hence wasted, and even | | | | to your backhand side. Being the forecourt player, it is |
| worse, causing difficulties to own selves. | | | | easy for you to make a flat straight push down the |
| Vary your play. It is very frequent to see a lot of social | | | | line back to your opponents. However is that the best |
| players getting into 'habitual play' where most of their | | | | shot selection? For most cases, it is not, especially |
| shots are like 'pre-programmed'. For example, when | | | | when both your opponents are in good positions. The |
| the opponent makes a smash, the player would most | | | | reason is that your opponent could just do the same |
| probably make a soft straight block to the net. An | | | | to you by pushing or lifting the shuttle straight to your |
| even more prevalent habit is when the opponent lifts | | | | backhand area (with the shot just high enough to go |
| the shuttle, the player would most probably smash it | | | | beyond you). Hence this catches your partner at his |
| with all the energy that he/she has. This causes all the | | | | her backhand area, which both of you are weak at. |
| shots to be very predictable and making it easy for | | | | The final consequence of this is a weak half-court |
| the opponent to anticipate it. | | | | return and your opponent would then kill it easily. |
| Many social players believe that by smashing with all | | | | In badminton doubles game, the safest area to hit at |
| the energy that he/she has, the point could most likely | | | | your opponents is always the center area (between |
| be won. While power is an important ingredient to | | | | both your opponent players) because not only that it |
| modern badminton games, it is the mind of the player | | | | causes confusion to your opponents, it also reduces |
| which will win the point. For example, if you know that | | | | the possible angle of return and hence making it easier |
| your smash is weak, there is no point for you to keep | | | | for you to return the next shot. |
| smashing, instead try to hit an attacking lob shot once | | | | Smash at the best angle and position. If you observe |
| in a while to catch your opponents off-guard, because | | | | that your opponents tend to defend far at the back, |
| they will be most likely be defending closer to the | | | | then do a half-smash with sharp angle to catch them |
| forecourt because they know your smashes are | | | | off guard. On the other hand, if they tend to defend |
| weak. Even when you decide to smash, you need to | | | | closer to the forecourt, execute a flatter powerful |
| smash with your mind 'turned on', i.e. smash with | | | | smash so that it is hard for them to defend. For most |
| different power and different angles all the time. | | | | social players, the hardest area to defend is the right |
| Remember that the hardest smash does not always | | | | shoulder or the right hip area. So try to smash more to |
| win you points. In many situations we see that a point | | | | these two areas to increase the chance of winning |
| could be won even by doing a half-powered but acute | | | | the point. Having said that though, your opponents |
| angle smash. | | | | could have figured that out if you do it too frequently |
| Avoid cross court smashes for most of the times. A | | | | and hence you must always vary your smashes. |
| cross court smash is definitely interesting to watch, | | | | Stop showboating. Many social players like to |
| especially in professional singles game, as it is one of | | | | showboat when they play, especially by executing |
| the most lethal and stylish shot to play. However many | | | | cross court net shot. Again this could be the effect |
| social players tend to employ this shot frequently in | | | | from wanting to emulate the professional singles |
| doubles game. Cross court smashes are the 'sins' in | | | | players. How many times cross court net shot is |
| doubles, for most of the times. The reason is that your | | | | successful in winning points? For most cases, it is very |
| opponent could make an easy defensive straight flat | | | | rarely, especially for social players where skills could |
| return to the other side of the court that neither you | | | | be lacking. In fact even worse, most of the shots are |
| nor your partner is covering. For example, you could | | | | badly executed and hence causing errors or open up |
| execute a cross court smash from your left rear court | | | | the opportunity for the opponent to make a simple tap |
| (with your partner covering the front position) to your | | | | kill at the net. |
| opponents' left court. Bear in mind that at this position, | | | | |