Badminton

Badminton is a sport played on an indoor court with a shuttlecock and rackets. The game is played in the format of singles or doubles or mixed. The Sport is popular amongst many countries in Asia but is also popular in some European countries. There are a wide variety of shots (similar to tennis and squash) that can be played in badminton such as: smash, drop, net, clear, drive and lift. These range of shots account for certain situations with different desired outcomes. Here is a quick run down of these shots.

The smash is an offensive shot used in badminton. The aim is to hit the shuttle with a lot of force and power in a downward gradient. This shot can be used when the opposition lifts or clears and the shuttle is high up in the air so that there is time to play this shot. Players generally smash in an attempt to win or end the rally. 

The drop shot is a semi-offensive alternative to smashing. The drop shot is used: if the back court player is out of position to smash, to keep the opposition moving up to the net or to slow down the pace of the rally. Similar to the smash, the drop shot is hit with a downward but slower trajectory so that the shuttle drops inside the space of the service line forcing to play a defensive stroke.

The clear is the most basic defensive shot in badminton. It is used
to get players out of trouble or to allow for time so that they may recover back into a correct defensive position. However, the clear can also be used when attacking as an offensive shot against inexperienced players to catch them off guard. This is effective because the opposition may not expect a clear and therefore may be only able to return the shuttle mid court which sets up the offence to attack in a better position.

The lift is an underarm swing performed near the net aimed to propel the shuttle to the back of the court. It gives a very similar outcome to the clear, the difference being that it is performed when the opposition drops or nets the shuttle. When there is not enough time to kill or drive or net the shuttle back, the lift is required to keep the rally in-play. 

The drive is a fast and furious badminton shot that is exchanged horizontally across the net. One of the main reasons to hit the drive is to increase the pace of the game. It can be considered a nothing shot as the aim of a drive is not the win or lose the rally but to wait until the opposition decides to lift or clear the shuttle.



The net shot is used to create opportunities and dominate the front of the court. It is a very important skill to help win badminton rallies. A good net shot can force the opponent to perform a high lift/clear, so that you can play a winning smash. There are a few different net shots that can be played. They are called a normal net shot, a tumble and the cross court net shots.



Badminton is quite an easy sport to learn. It requires a certain level of hand eye coordination and upper strength to hit the shuttle and athleticism to move around the court. I believe it can be an enjoyable sport for amateurs to play.


(Written by Nathan Lam)