Badminton is a delightful and engaging sport that anyone can enjoy. Becoming a badminton coach and spending lots of time teaching beginners made me realize how popular badminton is becoming. To help new players get started, I decided to write this article on badminton tips for beginners.
Whether you’re a novice or have some basic game knowledge, this introductory guide will help you become a better badminton player. In this blog post, I will provide six badminton tips for beginners, covering everything from essential equipment to game strategies. So, grab your racket, lace up your shoes, and let’s embark on your badminton journey.
Badminton Tips For Beginners #1 – The Right Equipment
First, let’s talk about the essential equipment you need to get started with badminton. Assuming you already have a court and net to play on, you’ll first need a good badminton racket. Choose one that is lightweight and comfortable to hold, making it easier to maneuver. Beginners should generally look for rackets with flexible shafts, which help them generate more power as they develop their technique.
For more information on choosing a badminton racket, check out my article here: How To Choose A Badminton Racket
A badminton racket isn’t all you need, though. Comfortable and supportive badminton shoes are equally important. They offer the grip and stability required for swift movements on the court. Investing in quality shoes will not only enhance your performance but also prevent injuries.
It’s hard to go wrong with any court shoe from brands like Yonex, Victor, Li-Ning, and other companies that specialize in the sport, but I will always recommend trying the shoe on before buying.
Once you have a court, net, racket, and shoes, all you need are some friends and shuttlecocks to play with. For beginners, nylon shuttles are generally good enough. The Yonex Mavis 300 badminton shuttles are a great, cost-effective option to get started with.
Badminton Tips For Beginners #2 – Learning the Rules
Badminton, at its core, is a simple game. Don’t let the shuttle drop on your side unless it’s out of bounds. It does get a little more nuanced, though. Most badminton games are played up to 21 points. You get a point when you hit the shuttle to your opponent’s side within bounds, and they fail to return it.
Each side of the court has a service box, and the central line separates the left and right service courts. When your score is even, you serve on the right side and vice versa.
In singles, we play with the inner sidelines and the far backline, while in doubles, the bounds are categorized by the outmost lines. The exception in doubles is during the serve, where we use the front-backline instead.
Familiarizing yourself with these dimensions and markings is crucial, as it will help you navigate the court effectively and strategize during games. To keep this article more concise, I recommend checking out the two articles below that are dedicated to explaining the rules and regulations of badminton:
Badminton Tips For Beginners #3 – The Proper Grip Technique
Of course, anyone can start playing badminton when they have the right equipment and understand the rules. But badminton is much more fun if you can keep a rally going, and that will only happen if one develops the proper technique.
First, we need to learn our fundamental grips. Your grip is essential to your badminton game, as it directly influences how you control your shots.
For beginners, the first grip to learn is the forehand grip. To achieve this grip, hold the racket handle as if you were shaking hands with it. Your thumb should come across on one of the flat, wide sides of the handle while your fingers are on the other. You’ll notice that you make a V shape between your thumb and index finger. The edge of the racket head should line up with the middle of the V.
Use the forehand grip for almost all of your shots except for those at the front of the court to your left if you’re right-handed and right if you’re left-handed. In these cases, you’ll use a backhand grip.
Remember to keep your grip relaxed; a tight grip can hinder your flexibility and power. Your fingers should be able to move the racket freely in your hand. Practice your grip and make sure it feels comfortable before you start playing.
Badminton Tips For Beginners #4 – Mastering Basic Shots
Once you learn the basic badminton grips, you must learn how to play basic shots. This section will be split into two parts. The first is overhead swings, and the second is underhand.
The overhead swing is the fundamental swing everyone should learn. This swing is very similar to throwing a ball, except you have a racket in your hand. You will use this swing to play all your clears, drops, and smashes. Start with clears, and once you can consistently hit the shuttle well, learning to drop and smash is simply a matter of adjusting when you hit the shuttle, your racket head contact angle, and how fast you hit the shuttle.
The second swing is the underhand swing. This one will be used for any shot you play below your chest. The first few shots you should learn are net shots and lifts.
Net shots are a simple matter of starting with a loose grip, following the shuttle with your racket, and then using your fingers to guide the shuttle forward. Lifts are the same, but you hit the shuttle faster and upwards to get the shuttle into the backcourt.
Badminton Tips For Beginners #5 – Developing Your Footwork
Proper footwork and positioning are essential in badminton, especially as you begin playing players who can aim their shots. Good footwork enables you to move swiftly around the court and be in the proper position to make effective shots.
There are three movements to get good at, and they are shuffling, running, crossovers, and lunging. You will be using a combination of these movements in your footwork often. To prevent this article from being thousands of words long, I won’t be discussing footwork too much, but in general, the key is to stay on your toes and always be ready to change direction. Keep your knees slightly bent for better balance and agility.
Badminton Tip For Beginners #6 – Learn From the Pros
To further your badminton skills, consider watching professional matches and tutorials. Learning from experienced players can provide valuable insights into techniques, strategies, and game analysis. You can find countless resources online, like video demonstrations from top badminton players.
If you have a little more money and time, consider finding a reputable badminton coach as well. Having a coach will drastically increase the speed at which you learn how to play, as a good coach will quickly point out your errors and give you strategies to optimize your technique and gameplay.
Of course, finding a coach, reading articles, or watching videos isn’t a fix-all strategy. You’ll have to test and implement the things you learn to reap the full benefits of this badminton tip. Practice, practice, practice!
The 6 Badminton Tips For Beginners To Help You Get Started
As a beginner, your journey into the world of badminton is just beginning. Start by getting the right equipment, learning the rules, and mastering basic techniques, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled player.
Remember that practice makes perfect, and with dedication and persistence, you can enjoy the thrill of badminton while continuously improving your game. So, get out on the court, apply these badminton tips, and have a smashing time as you develop your skills in this fantastic sport!
Thank you for this insightful article.
I used to play badminton as a kid in elementary school. Back then, I knew nothing about the game – it was just fun to swing the racket and play with my older brother and his friends. In fact, I never knew that the thing you hit is called a shuttlecock until I read this article!
Being good at badminton takes some serious cardio though, I’ve seen videos of some extremely long rallies on the internet.
Absolutely, the rallies can definitely get really long. When your skill is good, and you’re playing against equally skilled players, this sport is a fantastic sport for getting fit.
A great guide! I love how you laid out the important steps into sections. Your article was easy to read and the flow was engaging.
I’m not an experienced badminton player but your suggestions were great, from the types of equipment & shoes to your footwork and forming shots. I feel like I could say ‘yeah, I know a little about badminton’ if someone were to ask 🙂
Thanks so much for your great content!
Glad it helped. Thank you for commenting!
Yet another educational article written by someone with great love of the sport badminton. Very well written and highlighting tips for beginners. Full disclosure, my interest in badminton is growing as I read these post. Thank you for both the tips included in this article and the interest it has sparked.
Michael
Thank you for commenting!
Wow, What an amazing post. Thank you for posting this, I’m fortunate to come across it. My favorite game is badminton. As a child, I used to play with my father and am not a professional player. However, I got to know some rules that were unknown to me after reading this post. Almost all the things you need to know when playing this game are covered in this post.
After reading this awesome post, I am eager to find a badminton court so I can play again. Thanks a ton.
Glad I could spark some interest. Thank you for commenting!
Hey, just found this and it’s really cool.
those grip and footwork tips are awesome! Honestly, feeling pretty stoked to hit the court and unleash my newfound skills, my badminton buddies are not going to know what’s coming. I won’t tell them my secret source though haha. Have a good one and thanks for the tips
Let me know how it goes!