Q&A for How to Smash in Badminton

Get ready to underhand the smash. Then, see where the shot is coming from. Focus on the birdie and quickly underhand (scoop) it up. If it is coming at your body, cut it with a driving motion before it gets too low. Ask your coach or team members to play a whole raft of these shots at you for practice.

Low. Since the double back service line is closer, there is a high chance of an opponent hitting a smash on the high one. Serve high only once in a while to catch your opponent off-guard. If you know that your opponent cannot retreat quickly, then it might be a good choice.

Make sure you are focused on the birdie, and you are calm. Hit the birdie lightly; if you hit it hard, it is possible the shuttle will go outside.

If the shuttle is really high and the opponent is comfortably behind the shuttle, then there is a chance he might smash. There is no certainty but you need to be ready to receive a smash. Also if the shuttle is high and in the middle of the court, then most probably it will be a smash since the opponent can get a really steep angle and speed which increases the chance of winning the point.

The key to preventing a smash is to keep the birdie low and keep your opponent on his back foot. This will prevent him from smashing the birdie.

Yes. You're only allowed to hit the birdie once; the umpire will call you on a double touch.

Practice your footwork; this will help make you more agile. You can also practice running to increase your speed.

A backhand smash is one which is hit from opposite of your game side. Like if you are a right-hand player, then it is on your left side.

Quickly get aside and pick it calmly, then look the position of the player and plan your next move.

Practice footwork. Work on pivoting your body, stepping with one leg forward, and at the same time hitting a backhand once you land your foot.

Try practicing your footwork with or without a racquet. You'll become better soon if you practice one hour a day.

Do a scissorkick. A scissorkick is when you lean back on one foot and jump, leaning forward and hitting with all your power.

You will have to take over their side and try to hit every shuttle yourself. Either that or call out the other person's behavior and try to make them stop.

You should move back so you can hit the shuttle clearly. After, you should move forward in case the opponent hits short.

Remember, a serve must be difficult to receive. Try to serve it so that your opponent has a hard time getting it, or else he/she will find it much easier to smash it on you. If you're doing a short serve, make sure not to hit it too high (or else it can be smashed easily).

Your partner can improve over time with practice. If he/she does not improve and you're stuck with a weak partner, you could always play singles or choose another partner instead. Otherwise, just deal with the situation and do your best.

Yes, with some practice.

You should return a deep and heavy shot with spin and shape, so you have time to recover.

There are a lot of differences. Tennis is played with a ball, not a shuttlecock. Tennis and badminton rackets are different sizes, and the rules of the games are very different as well.

If you have time, try to lightly tap it over the net rather than whacking it into the air. That would give an opponent an opportunity to smash, and you don't want that.

If you can, try to observe your opponent playing, and analyze their style. Regardless of how much time you have to observe, you can glean information about their style, strengths, and weaknesses. Remember, the more time, the better. Typically, your opponent will have at least one part of their game that is underdeveloped, which you can exploit. However, if they seem to have no weakness or you have minimal time to prepare, then play to your own strengths. Just be careful of your opponent finding out your weaknesses, or you can get in deep trouble.

Just lightly tap it, to one corner of the pitch. But don't do it every time, because your opponent will predict it.

If you are playing for fun, try messing around with your opponent. Hit left first, and then right back at the next shot. That would give less time for your opponent to move around and you are most likely to get the point. If you are playing a competitive competition you might want to do that, move your opponent around the court. Look how your opponent plays. Find their play pattern!

You may be hitting the smash from a little too far back. Try hitting the smash from the front. Try jumping for the smash. Maybe try working on your grip. If you can, get professional coaching if required or watch other people perform the smash.

As long as the shuttlecock hits the opponent's line it is considered a score for you or your team.

Hold it according to your comfort. Some people like to hold it with their right hand but some like to hold it with their left hand.

There is no one answer. Also, the expectation cannot be that you win the point after the smash every time. Thus, placement of smash is situational. But always be ready/balanced to pick the return. There are few things that can determine the placement though. If the opponent has a weak backhand, then maybe on the backhand side. If the smash is really powerful, body smashes are really dangerous. The trick is to keep mixing it up, don't let the opponent guess which side the smash is coming to.