Q&A for How to Win at Badminton

Show aggression by shouting as you approach the shot so that your opponent thinks that you are going to hit a smash, but at the last second you hit the drop shot.

You should wait until the shuttlecock comes double your height and jump move, arm forward with your racket.

Make sure you're not positioning your racket so it faces straight at the net; instead, tilt it slightly upward so the shuttle can go over the net. With enough practice, you will eventually be able to land your serve across the net.

Stay steady and try not to swing the racquet around after your shot, because this will give you less time to react to a fast return.

There is a trick called placement. You make your opponent tired by making him/her move across the court a lot.

If the person is right-handed, then it is difficult for him to return; backhand shots are hard to master.

You rarely want your opponent to feel confident when playing. Instead, try and make him doubt his game. If he is nervous or doubtful, then his standards will drop dramatically.

Do smashing exercises. The way you hold the racquet in a backhand position could greatly affect the game. Don't grip the racquet too firmly or too lightly, just the right amount of pressure. To execute a backhand smash perfectly, practice. Lunge, then hit.

If they don't know this during a game, politely tell them. If they don't listen, get a coach or someone else to explain it to them.

Shadow badminton will help you to stretch your legs, which will improve your footwork.

Ignore the trash-talking. He/she is trying to get in your head. If the comments are hurtful or derogatory, you may want to find a different opponent.

Use your wrist power, not the torque of your arm. And wait for the shuttle to be at just the right place for hitting. Focus is the key when smashing. Just hit it hard using your wrist.

Try bending your knees lightly and holding your racquet in front of you. Most of the time it's easier to use your backhand. When the shuttle approaches, try not to hit it hard, just let it bounce of your racquet so that the shuttle will land just behind the net. Lastly, practice a lot.

If it is single, you can hit it straight but if it's a double, then hit it diagonally.

You need to hit the birdie correctly and serve faster so that the bird goes a long way. Practice a great deal more and do so with an experienced player who can help you and give you plenty of tips.

At beginner's level, you normally do the normal serve (the forehand serve). At an advanced level, all players do the backhand serve, because we more often play short serves with the backhand serve so that the other player gets forced to push the shuttlecock to the backline. You don't need to do the backhand serve, but most players do it.

The senior is going to try to take advantage of you with continual smashes, drop shots, and making you move around a lot during a point. The best thing to do is play safe until your opponent makes a mistake. Stay on the defensive side, wait for him/her to falter and give you an easy chance to smash, something like that. If you are more sure of yourself, you can try to take more risks and smash at them more often.

Try different types of shots and angles, and see what they are the worst at. That will be their weak point.

Hit it with momentum and make sure it won't fall outside. Practice until you see the desired results.

Breath in and out keep on telling yourself "you got this." Just try your best in winning the game.

Do wrist exercises and practice hard. Make sure you are holding the racquet properly.

If it's a singles game, it's one player against one player. If it's a doubles game, it's two players against two players.

You just need to work on these two positions- the hitting position and the recovery. For intermediate players it is easy to hit a smash on a high shot. You need to bend the shuttle downwards, that can be done by bending your racket at the right angle so that it reaches the other side. This shot is more commonly referred as a tap. If you apply more power in this shot it will result in a smash shot which is not so easy to defend. You can also increase the power of your smash by jumping high and applying force on the shuttle downwards. If you are not able to apply force, place the smash at a place which is not within the reach of your opponent.

If you don't have energy you should not try to hit a smash. The best option at that time is to give a drop.

A body smash is a great way to throw your opponent off guard. It’s harder to move next to the birdie, so the only option they have left is to drop it.

Yes. You can improve your footwork at any age. However, to do this, you have to have confidence in yourself, and practice.

To find your opponent's weakness you may need to try different shots at him/her. For example, if your opponent is not a good runner then based on his/her position you can place the shot at a place which is away from your opponent's reach. Most people are not good at judgement skills so you can hit a shot near the away line, this way they might leave a shot. It basically depends on your placement skills and your opponent's agility.

You need to get in physical form. Keep jogging every 2-3 days for 30 min. You will need to retrain your basics like footwork, backhand etc. and practice.

If you really want to win then the best choice is to watch professionals play to watch how they catch it and then practice on your own.

Shadow practice is the art of practicing your shots without the shuttlecock. This is extremely helpful for improving your action.