Play Objective
The objective of the game is to score the maximum of points till it is won.
No point gifts, no extra rallies to get a better workout for oneself, no extensive breaks in between.
If one plays against a much weaker opponent, such player may not even sweat a drop.
Unless one plays in quarterfinals/semifinals/finals at big international tournaments, there may not be much of a large live audience watching.
It is important to win without spending too much energy, to preserve body functions for the long run, and having enough energy left to win your last game for the day (sometimes that last game may pose your greatest challenge against the strongest player).
Game Psychology
To win, one wants to quickly get points without ever trailing, if possible establishing a score advantage of at least 5 to 10 points, all the way till finish.
Starting each game with the determination to win, is key.
Most players who think they will lose, do not win. Most players who start out thinking they will win, but trail by more than 10 points, tend to lose the set.
Many players who win the first set, and take the second set for granted without putting much effort in it, can end up into a 3rd deciding set. A third set tells any opponent, winning the entire match is possible. A third set can create fear of losing, even to the weaker player. If a player puts extreme efforts trying to win the second set in the row, that is typically a sign there is not enough energy left in the tank for a third set.
Body language and eye contact are extremely important: If the opponent is a much stronger player than you, with an overly attack strive and is prepared to exert great energy into the game, relax your body posture and give a few points away at the beginning without showing any concern, to 'disarm' your opponent (he/she will relax too, which will give you opportunity to score when the opponent's drive to win becomes temporarily 'dormant'). However, watch out when the bear wakes up again, so do not try to gain many points in a hurry unless you are absolutely sure to finish the game in your favor.
When an opponent asks for the score, that is usually a wake-up call sign. E.g. concern about the score, means fear of falling too far behind, and losing 'accidentally'.
If a player knows it will be hard to get into any rally after his/her serve because the opponent returns serves fiercely each time, the player may become so nervous for the serve to become sluggish, inviting immediate defeat (worst case scenerio: the serve does not even pass the net). If that happens more than 3 or 4 times during a game, the opponent will pick up on that fear and build on it, to win quickly with confidence. In a situation like that, serve only in a slow, precise manner that never invites immediate attack returns. Adjust the serve to where the opponent stands - further away from the opponent and serve to the side depending on whether the opponent is left- or right-handed.
Watch the eyes - your opponent's eyes, and control your own ones:
They can tell all the game story - fear, frustration, anger, calm, composed, self-confidence, euphoria, pain, disgust, confusion, awe, surprise, submission, superiority, tiredness, exhaustion, disorientation, amount of stamina left in the tank, belief, insecurity, and more.
Players who can read eyes and facial expressions well, will adjust their strategy accordingly. That starts already before the game, during warm up, or prior games during training and competitions. A very brief simple conversation before the game, will already give you a good hint of what kind of player determination you are going to face. Nevertheless, there are a few world class players who look rather shy and tired in private, but will win on the court no matter what weather and opponent - so the timing/context of such interpretation is key.
Distractions (some may not be deemed very fair) to 'disarm' and 'cool down' determined winners can involve:
falling to the floor during rallies when sweating - and hence mopping the floor to remove the sweat,
reaching out for the towel when sweating,
changing birds frequently,
picking up feather residues on the court,
retying shoe laces,
changing racquets,
drinking more fluids,
getting line judges,
re-adjusting knee and elbow straps,
getting blisters on hands and soles bandaged,
picking up the bird on the floor 'unsuccessfully' 3 or more consecutive times,
screaming pride loudly after each point,
briefly addressing the audience in between, et cetera.
Less honorable (not advisable) strategies involve faking temporary injuries to create artificial breaks in a game.
Some players show up with so many bandages at the start, one must wonder if any limb is still functioning. Others show up in long sleves and long compression pants to conceal pre-existing injuries.
Strategy is Half the Game
Very little time is spent on strategic thinking / concepts during most coaching. Yet, it can help 'underdogs' to win. There are various scenarios:
Singles games:
During warm up, one can spot and 'test out' the opponent's
foot work
general agility
stroke technique, and
overall body health condition (weight vs height, eye sight, existing injuries, knee bandages, et cetera).
For instance, if one finds out the opponent is barely able to execute a backhand stroke, then that's the winning ticket: Determining whether the opponent is left- or right-handed (assuming he/she can play using only one hand), and then just hitting on the backhand, is an extremely easy way to win a game quickly.
If the opponent has repetitive trouble re-balancing the upper body after certain shots during rallies, use those instances to your advantage to score easy points.
Sometimes there is a certain serve that opponents have trouble returning, which is the easiest way to score quickly, without wasting any precious energy in rallies. Find out what that serve is like, by alternating your serves - especially when you are in a comfortable lead of at least 5 points.
Smash only when you think that will finish the rally in your favor: Either to destabilize the opponent to finish with a second shot right after, or to shortcut an otherwise cruelling endurance rally that you know would cost you precious energy to win the game and further down the line, win the entire tournament (even if it finishes only the following day). If you need to smash and can perform precision smashes, smash to the furthest side line of where the opponent stands, and/or the opponent's backhand side, or aim for the middle of the opponent's upper torso if the opponent does not stand in the back of the court. In any event, keep track of where the opponent stands and moves to on the court, at all times, and adjust your smashes accordingly. If you have to jump while smashing, make sure you land quick enough to move / change direction, if the opponent is able to return your smash. Usually opponents play a drop when defending, or return the smash as high as possible toward the end of your court, if they are confident enough to retrieve another round of smashes of yours, to tire you out.
Keep hitting the bird to make the opponent move constantly, without giving a chance to rest during each rally.
For that, you need to
stay in offense
hit low flying trajectories
aim for heights below the net to not provide any opportunity to put you into a defensive mode, during and right after each serve.
The opponent may be a great smasher, but if no smashing opportunity is provided, that skill will remain unused. Find out and remember what the best skills of your opponent are, and hit rallies such that they can't use such at all.
Doubles Games:
Coordination with your doubles partner is imperative:
You both play to win together.
Supporting each other is key. When the partner is drawn into one corner of the court, you cover the rest of the court, and vice versa. You are constantly on the move. If your partner is getting smashed at all the time, step in and smash yourself to stay in the offense instead of getting trapped in constant defense mode.
Be pro-active. Do not let opponents feast on any technical / coordination / endurance weaknesses. That should start right at the beginning of the game, not in the middle or toward the end.
Mix up your position on the court if the opponent constantly picks the weaker player and scores each time. You do not have to insist on a permanent side-side, or front-back doubles player constallation.
If both players have similar capabilities, side-side makes sense by default - especially in smash defense situations.
In attack mode, if one player is much better at smashing, and the other is much better at playing in the front, front-back is preferable.
Taller players like to play in the back - they have to jump less high for smashes, but they need to be able smash well and have a strong backhand.
If the taller player cannot smash hard enough, side-side may be better, or even having the shorter player cover the back if he/she is an excellent smasher with great tireless jumping capability. Usually, shorter players prefer playing in the front - their low point of gravity and lower weight allow them to react much faster in close-to-net drive rallies.
When playing doubles, a discouraged doubles partner can spell doom - the opponents will 'zoom in' on that player, in order to extract an easier win.
If one player appears to lack a critical skill, honing in on that skill gap will also result in a quicker win. To avoid getting trapped into such situation, delegate your doubles partner into a specific court quadrant, that does not expose that skill gap (like a missing backhand skill for instance), and 'fill in' yourself when necessary / possible.
After the competition, train with your doubles partner to help fixing the strategy and/or skill gap permanently.
Precision is Everything
Precise shots are very important, and will assist your strategy, but precision needs to be maintained at any speed:
If playing too fast, and precision goes astray, slow down and find your sweet spot.
Adjust the speed to the opponent's abilities: Always play faster than the opponent is able to move.
If someone hits extremely hard smashes, but there is 40% to 60% risk of hitting out each time, smashing can waste energy with meager returns.
If someone likes to play fast drops, but the drops end up too long or too high, or into the net 50% of the time, drops can be self-defeating.
If your serves are out more than 5 times in a game, that can undo your efforts beyond serves and translate into losing the game.
The vast majority of players have weak backhand skills - they may play backhand, but with little to no precision, low pace, and no strategic direction.
In some instances, all it takes it to let them execute imprecise backhand strokes that land out 'automatically'. They may try to circumvent the backhand by moving around, but if you place your shots fast enough, they won't have time to, and have no other choice than returning by using their weak backhand.
Precision suffers often when getting out of balance due to wrong footwork: Starting and finishing with the wrong leg, putting in more steps than necessary, and being pulled by gravity due to a certain less favorable body weight/height ratio while trying to cover the court from one end to the other, will ultimately result in lower precision shots.
I have seen players who were the faster runners, the better smashers, with the better endurance, but their lack of precision shots ended in self-defeat.
Precision is learnt by practicing - not just occasionally, but regularly. Not just 1 or 2 minutes, but at least 10+ minutes at a time.
Precision training requires
precise feeding (a partner who feeds well),
not changing the racquet brand/model too often,
a constant same string tension,
a pristine (no ruffed feathers) bird,
a non-slipping rubbery grip,
and most of all: patience, even when failing many many times during practice at the beginning
If satifactory increase in precision remains still alusive despite the above, then you need a coach advising you, what you need to adjust to reach greater precision in your shots.
Use your phone camera to video yourself during training (sometimes a player may not move/play as thought/imagined). If you see yourself on video the first time, do no get discouraged. Instead, use what you see to adjust / correct your physical movements / technique / strategy.
Right Equipment
The racquet, shoes, wrist band, and apparel, and the birds are important in badminton.
The racquet: Beginners can typically play with racquets for 50$ and up. Intermediate players 100$ and up, and advanced players 150$ and up. Shop around online, before making a decision, borrow a racquet from another players to try it out before your buy one. Understand the differences in grip sizes, and weight categories, and string quality (the best string to play with may not be the longest lasting one). There are vendors that sell the racquet for at least 1/3 more, and there are certain times of the year when substantial discounts are offered. If you purchase a discontinued model at a much cheaper price, you may want to buy at least 2 or 3 of the same, because if you break one 2 or 3 years later, you won't find the exact same one again on the market. Changing a racquet brand/model means, you will incurr some adaptation time, and you will gain and/or loose certain shot capabilities due to the difference in racquet weight, head shape, shart flexbility, grip size, string quality, et cetera.
Vendors' advertising is tricky: Some vendors claim the racquet to be 'very light' which may not be the case today vs 20 years ago, or only if comparing to today's tennis or squash racquets.
In Badminton, 'Super light' means between 55 and 65 grams. 'Light' is around 70 to 80 grams. Any racquet above 85 grams, I would not call 'light'.
Some players like heavier racquests (80+ grams), and others prefer lighter racquets (< 80 grams). Very few players have ever tried super light racquets (it takes more power to propel the bird faster, but they can allow for extremely fast defensive shots).
Racquets between 55 and 60 grams are more likely to break (especially where the grip meets the shaft). Some super light racquets (under 60 grams) are not even allowed to be used in international tournaments.
How long the string will last depends on:
the hours played,
the storage condition of the racquet,
the gym temperature and humidity,
the string age,
the string brand/model,
string tension (especially if over 24 lbs; if too tight with a flimsy string, it can break within less than 10 minutes),
quality/condition of grommets,
whether the string is wiped against sweaty skin
the frequency and speed of smashes
not ruffling feathers against the string during certain strokes,
hitting the sweet spot of the string surface
Some racquets are more head heavy or shaft elastic than others - find out what fits your skills best.
Do not keep playing using a racquet for decades, that does not let you grow your skillset and abilities over time (examples: racquets that are over 90 grams in weight, string tensions under 20 lbs or over 32 lbs, slippery lose grips, et cetera).
Shoes: Make sure the shoes are not too big or too small or not too narrow, otherwise your footwork will suffer and you will develop leg/foot issues.
Badminton shoes are different from tennis or running shoes and protect your feet much better during badminton games.
Badminton shoes under 60$ tend to provide less stability and assume lightweight players.
Shoes over 80$ should typically last at least 1 to 2 years if playing 3 times per week.
They will fall apart concerning the insert soles (which can be replaced in most shoe models), the outer rubber sole (check how much profile is left toward the edges), and the heel cushioning (if moving a lot on the court, while carrying extra weight). The shoes may still look good from above, but if the soles no longer provide court floor traction, it is certainly time to replace them.
Worn out shoes can be dangerous for your feet/knees/hips and spine.
Apparel: Should be light and stretchy to never tear open during play, and allow for free wide-spread movement of all 4 limbs in all directions.
If you play tournaments and have to wait hours for your turn between games, make sure you have more than one shirt and shorts with you.
The shirt should be breathable if the gym temperature is hot. A cotton shirt that is totally sweat during the game and not changed in an air conditioned/ cool temperature gym, can lead to a stiff back, which can impair the start of your following game, till you resume sweating again (by then you may have already lost the game).
It is important the legs do not get cold between games after sweating, during the games, otherwise your leg muscles will stiffen up. So you may want to wear breathable long pants between games - especially during tournaments.
The socks should not be too thin to avoid blisters. You do not want to wear double-socks at hot gym temperatures, as that will cause you headaches from overheating, causing your feet to sweat excessively, filling up your shoes full of sweat liquid which will destabilze your footwork at each extention step. It may even wet the floor and make you slip on your own sweat. Some professional players have more than one pair of shoes and socks with them and change them between games, to keep their feet dryer. Many wear slippers after each game to air their feet and prevent excessive sweat accumulation in their shoes, while waiting over an hour for the next game during competitions.
The wrist band should be wide enough to not constrain normal blood flow in your arm, and big enough to keep your arm sweat from dripping into the wood under your racquet grip. You may need more than one wrist band during competitions. Always wear the wrist band on the arm you play with.
Footwork
Your badminton footwork skill determines
whether you fall / slip / trip
how you fall / slip / trip if you ever do
how much energy you spend to cover the court in all 4 corners
how dependent you are on strategy, shot precision and speed
whether you get any backpain over time
how much stamina you need
how fast you can cover the court (e.g. 2, 3 or more steps at a time)
the position you are in to stay balanced for the next exchange
the ability to change direction in a fraction of a second when the opponent fakes shots
the agility to shift from defense to attack mode and vice versa
how prone you are to leg injuries
how long your shoes will last
how many foot blisters you get during a competition (if any)
how many foot/leg cramps you may experience during and/or after games (some even in the middle of the following night during sleep)
the odds of needing more time to loosen up stiffed leg muscles in consecutive games
the coordination capability with your doubles partner
Badminton footwork is different from tennis. Proper badminton footwork is one of the cornerstones to enjoy the sport for long years without consequent injuries.
The badminton footwork technique is not complicated, but which leg you start and end with, depends on whether your are left- or right-handed.
Here are some footwork 'secrets' - read them carefully - internalize them, and practice them till they become second nature to you when moving on the court:
If you are right-handed and move to the front of the court, you finish with your right leg when you hit.
If you are right-handed, and you are pressured to run to the back of the court, you finish with your left leg when you hit.
If you are left-handed and move to the front of the court, you finish with your left leg when you hit.
If you are left-handed, and you are pressured to run to the back of the court, you finish with your right leg when you hit.
If you are right-handed and move to the left of the court, you finish with your right leg when you hit.
If you are right-handed, and move to the right of the court, you finish with your right leg when you hit.
If you are left-handed and move to the left of the court, you finish with your left leg when you hit.
If you are left-handed, and move to the right of the court, you finish with your left leg when you hit.
If you move side to side, you point your toes of the foot you finish with to the side you are moving toward, not to the front or back of the court.
If you move to the front, you point your toes of the foot you finish with to the front, not to the side of the court.
If you move to the back of the court by running backward, you point your toes of the foot you finish with to the side, not to the front of the court.
If you move to the back of the court by running forward (turning your back to the net), you point your toes of the foot you finish with to the back end of the court, not to the side of the court.
If you know you have enough time to retrieve a bird, always run backward keeping your face toward the net, not running forward toward the back of the court with your face turned to the back of the court (which would prompt you to play an overhead backhand which is the most challenging standard shot to perform in badminton, while no longer in a position to be able to track the opponent's position anymore).
You can cover the entire court sideways from left to right comfortably in 5 steps, and if pressured in only 3 steps.
You can run from the middle to the front of the court with just 2 steps, and from the middle to the back of the court using just 3 steps.
Some tricks during footwork involves
pivoting your foot in certain situations when changing direction during rallies,
when you perform the last step before stopping, do not bring the second leg forward to align, but instead, leave that leg back there and shift your torso into the other direction - that will save you one extra step (e.g. less energy and faster...) each time you change direction during a run rally.
when turning from one court side to the other, always turn toward the net to keep the opponent in sight and plan your next target spot,
slowing down with each last step (otherwise you may need additional steps to re-balance yourself, which will cost you too much time and energy in a rally),
while running backward, balancing the upper torso forward to not fall backward,
bending the knees with each last step in fast rallies (your spin and hips will thank you over decades),
staying grounded unless you are absolutely sure to apply a winning smash,
no loud forcefull elephant steps (your knees will wear out faster over the years) - smooth cat-light steps instead,
landing right with your foot soles (heel first),
applying pressure in your toes to maintain balance
lowering your body point of gravity, the faster you need to run.
If you ever see a the bird so far from you, that you are absolutely sure you will not be able to retrieve it, or if retrieving, your shot will yield in a sure second return defeat, you may not want to run at all and save that precious energy to win the next point instead.
Even more importantly, it may save you from injuries in the short run and/or long run.
Players (that includes world class players) who are always hell-bent on returning every shot and stretch/run to the extreme, wear out faster during their lifetime, and have to stop completely due to various subsequent immediate injuries (most top world class players do before 27 and 30).
Arm Technique
Your badminton arm technique determines
the energy you consume to propel the shuttle where you want it to go
the speed and deaccelaration of the flying bird
the direction of flying bird
how long the bird will last before having to be replaced
your need to run on the court
whether you will experience any pain in your arm, shoulder, spine, or legs
the precision of your shots
your and/or the opponent's confidence to win the game
your shot predictivity
your defense skills
your attack skills
the duration of the game
how long your string will last
how long your racquet will last
potential racquet or - worst case scenario - even body clashes with your doubles partner
The movement of your racquet and the quality of your shots depend on:
your footwork
upper body balancing
how much time you have to hit the bird before and during your racquet swing
your vision - tracking your opponent, focus on exact net height, exact court dimensions/lines
your torso rotation during the shot execution
your extending / rotating upper arm
your bending underarm
your wrist movement / flicking
your fingers and palm of the hand wrapping around / holding the racquet grip
how heavy the racquet is
how flexible the racquet is
whether your racquet grip size fits your specific hand size
whether the racquet grip is non-slippery / rubbery
whether the string stays intact when hitting the bird
The combination of all the above is the secret to play very well for a long time, with minimum/no subseqent injury/wear out.
The above underlined points are the most important ones to master in badminton. A good badminton coach can guide you in that context.
Shot visualizations via video and/or live simulation by an experienced coach, are the most effective means to learn such.
On a side note, remember that if your shots are too predictable, they will be less effective. Very predictable shots allow the opponent to start running earlier to return such, which means your shot then needs to be faster, more precise and more difficult to get to distance-wise.
Shot predictability emerges by watching the upper and under arm movements, and detecting any lack of shot variety in the player's skill arsenal or play preference (some players always hit in the same corners, and/or always smash and/or drop shot a certain way, et cetera).
The wrist and finger movements are much harder to discern and can act in a smaller fraction of a second, leaving the opponent less to no reaction time.
Faking shots (world class players seldom apply such during final games with very large audiences, out of unofficial, unspoken courtesy/respect/and show business event rules) through last-moment wrist and finger movements help to
tire out opponents,
cause them frustration / confusion / insecurity, and
challenge their agility to change footwork direction on a dime.
Beyond Skills and Determination
Some players have better
technical skills,
stamina,
precision, and
more powerful smashes,
but still lose games, due to
inadequate strategy,
misestimation during return shots,
feather coating getting on sweaty fingers during serves and manual feather adjustments, before rubbing eyes, eventually causing burning eyes
slippery flooring,
blinding ceiling lights,
excessive distracting surrounding noise,
temporary disagreements (and subsequent frustration) on what the score is,
line misjudgements,
worn out birds without timely replacement,
unusual bird speeds (because of bird quality, different bird speed category, and/or humidity/latitude),
slowing/speeding effects of gym air flows (usually closer to ceiling heights),
self-anger (you know those 'perfectionists'),
shock/frustration of trailing score-wise,
over-confidence (paying less attention to 'details'...),
loose string,
raquet weight and balance (e.g. string broke on first racquet during game, second racquet used is not the same model/brand; or: you usually train with a different model/brand),
worn out or flimsy racquet grips (slipping, drenched in sweat, causing hand blisters),
worn out shoe soles,
shoes being too heavy,
too drenched in sweat,
worn out inner shoe soles,
blisters on feet soles and toes,
worn out inner foot heel cushioning (rubber foot against plastic or even metal stabilizers),
ankle strains,
achilles tendon rupture,
achilles tendinitis,
tennis elbow,
plantar fasciities,
temporary or permanent leg injuries (jumper's knee, shin splints, cramps),
wrist strains,
rotator cuff tendinopathy,
back pain,
birds or racquets inadvertently hitting skull / face /eyes during doubles,
et cetera.
Most of the above can be prevented, and should be taken care of properly when it occurs. Medical treatments range from ER and/or doctor visits, to home remedies, with appropriate recovery periods.
Continuing to play with some of the abovementioned injuries, can aggravate such.
Some preventive measures are:
enough sleep at nights,
sufficient nutrients and fluids,
adequate clothing (not too warm, not too light, not too tight),
when using bandages/straps applying correct pressure to such (not too tight),
having at least 2 same racquets with same string tension,
suffiicient distance from doubles partner during smashing,
protective eyewear,
towel to dry off sweat,
replacement shirt,
warm up before game start,
holding shuttle at its head instead of touching feathers
et cetera.
There are players who will try to explain their losses away by claiming,
I'm too heavy,
I'm to small,
I don't have endurance,
I lack muscles,
I can't even do 20 push-ups,
I cannot even run 15 miles,
I cannot lift 100 lbs,
et cetera.
The truth is, when strategy is right, in most games, none of the above means a sure loss.
There are world class players who are 'small', who do not lift 100 lbs, who are not long distance runners. There are even a few world class doubles players who would be considered 'overweight' in the badminton world, but still win (usually their lighter doubles partners make up for much of the running needed). It is striking however, that during world class games, one does not see body builders and players over 250 lbs on the court. So body weight over 250 lbs can be a serious disadvantage during highly competitive badminton.
Nevertheless, badminton can be played and enjoyed at any age over 5 and below 400 lbs of weight, when it comes to leisure/hobby games.
If you have any doubts due to health concerns, consult your doctor first.
Have fun!