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High serve

Badminton / Popular

Use a high serve to start singles rallies with depth and height.

What coaches agree on

  • Start side-on with your weight on your back foot, then rotate your body and shift your weight onto your front foot as you swing through the shuttle.
  • Aim for real height on your serve - a steep, near-vertical drop into the back corner is much harder for your opponent to attack than a flatter one.
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  • Keep your grip relaxed through the swing and squeeze it firmly only at the moment of contact to maximize racket-head speed.
  • For a singles high serve, stand a pace or more back from the service line, near the center of the court, rather than right up against it.

Common mistakes

  • Dropping the shuttle straight down, or releasing it at the same moment you swing, causes mistimed or missed contact - toss it slightly forward and let it fall before the racket comes through.
  • Contacting the shuttle above the waist sends it straight up instead of forward and deep, and is also a fault.
  • Lifting or dragging your back foot during the swing is a common fault - keep both feet grounded until after you've struck the shuttle.