Many beginner badminton players feel nervous during doubles service, especially the backhand net serve—either sending the shuttle too high and getting smacked directly, or hitting it out of bounds. While they might勉强 control the forehand net serve, they just can’t get the hang of the backhand version. Actually, the backhand net serve is a key skill for gaining points early in doubles games. Even total beginners can master a consistent net serve with the right method, laying the groundwork for subsequent attacks.
First understand: Core role of doubles backhand net serve¶
Compared with forehand serves, backhand net serves are more covert and stick closer to the net. When standing in the left service court, a backhand serve is more natural than a forehand one, and can disrupt your opponents’预判 rhythm. A good backhand net serve makes it hard for opponents to immediately rush the net and smashes, forcing them to only return a soft shot. You can then instantly seize the net initiative.
3 basic preparations: Get the details right first as a beginner¶
1. Ditch the forehand grip¶
The backhand grip is completely different from the forehand one. Forcing a forehand grip will only make your movements more awkward:
Treat the racket handle like a doorknob, align your tiger’s mouth with the side of the handle, and press your thumb lightly against the wide inner surface of the handle. Let your other four fingers naturally wrap around the handle—don’t grip too tightly, leave some room for your wrist to move. Gripping too tight will stiffen your wrist and prevent flexible power generation.
If you are a left-handed player, just reverse the left and right adjustments.
2. Stand in the “golden position”¶
Stand inside your own service court, close to the center line, about 30cm (roughly one step’s distance) away from the front service line:
- Standing too far back: You’ll be prone to hitting the shuttle too high, and may even exceed the doubles back service line and make a fault.
- Standing too far forward: You’ll easily fail to clear the net, directly gifting your opponents a point.
3. Maintain a stable shuttle hold¶
Use your left hand to pinch the base of the shuttle’s feathers with your fingers, hold the cork facing down, and raise it to the height of your right waist and abdomen (for right-handed players). Don’t hold it too high or too low:
Holding it too high means you won’t find a proper hitting point during your swing. Holding it too low limits your power room, making the shuttle too short or even netting.
Break down the movements: Master standard backhand net serve in 5 steps¶
No need to memorize complicated jargon. Follow these steps and you’ll quickly get the feel of it:
1. Ready stance: Stand with your feet separated front and back, with your front foot close to the front service line. Bend your knees slightly, lean your body forward, and shift your weight to your front foot—this allows you to quickly start rushing the net right after serving.
2. Relaxed backswing: Lift your elbow slightly, keep a small gap between it and your body, let your wrist hang naturally, and point the racket head at the ground. Don’t lift it too high, otherwise your power generation will be distorted.
3. Core hitting motion: This is the key step! Never swing your big arm. Only use the power from your wrist and fingers: Gently “scrape” the bottom of the shuttle cork with your wrist forward, and at the same time, tighten your fingers around the racket handle to softly push the shuttle out. The force should be gentle, not a hard smash—this is how you make the shuttle fly close to the net.
4. Follow-through and recover: After hitting the shuttle, let the racket frame naturally follow the direction of your force for a short forward swing, then gently bring it back to the front of your body. Don’t raise the racket immediately, this will help you better control the landing point.
5. Quick return to position: Right after serving, hold the racket in front of your body and adjust into a defensive stance, ready to receive your opponent’s return. Don’t just stand there staring at the shuttle.
5 common beginner mistakes to avoid¶
- Over-gripping the racket: Many beginners grip the handle so tight they’re afraid the shuttle will fly away, but this completely immobilizes their wrist, leading to either netting the shuttle or hitting it too high and far. Remember, you only need to grip firmly enough to hold the racket steady, leave some room for movement.
- Using your big arm to power the shot: You might try to “swing” the shuttle over with your arm, which will either send the shuttle flying way too high or straight out of bounds. All the power for a backhand net serve comes from your wrist and fingers. Your big arm only maintains your stance and should not actively generate force.
- Overly repetitive landing points: Only serving to one spot on your opponent’s court, and they’ll quickly predict your serve and get ready to smashes. Alternate serving to the two front corner spots on your opponent’s court to disrupt their rhythm.
- Sending the shuttle too high over the net: If your serve clears the net by more than 20cm, your opponent standing at the net can simply reach up and smash it directly, putting you on the defensive right from the start. During practice, aim to make the shuttle brush the net, with a height no more than 10cm above the net.
- Forgetting to quickly return to position: Stand still watching the shuttle after serving, and you’ll be too slow to react when your opponent returns the shot. After a doubles serve, you must immediately move forward to seize the net initiative.
Beginner practice tips to get started quickly from zero¶
- Practice the movements first, without a shuttle: At the beginning, don’t use a shuttle. Stand in front of a mirror and repeatedly practice the backswing, scraping motion, and racket recovery movements to find the feel of wrist power. Spend 5 minutes practicing every day.
- Fixed-point aiming practice: Find a partner, or draw a circle on the ground targeting the area near the opponent’s front service line. Serve continuously to aim for the circle, first make sure 8 out of 10 shots land inside the circle, then switch to another landing spot for practice. If you don’t have a partner, you can practice against a wall, treating the wall as your opponent’s service court.
- Simulate real-game衔接: Ask your partner to stand at the opponent’s net position, practice rushing the net for a smash right after serving, to feel the rhythm of serving and transitioning, and gradually build the habit of quickly returning to position after serving.
- Prioritize consistency over precision at first: Don’t chase fancy variations right away. First make sure your serves don’t go out of bounds and don’t fly too high. Once your consistency improves, then adjust your landing points and serve speed.
The backhand net serve is not as difficult as you think. Beginners don’t need to pursue a perfect landing spot right away. First master the basic movements steadily, ensuring every serve lands in the opponent’s service court and flies close to the net, and you can gain enough initiative early in doubles games. Practice for two or three days, and you’ll be able to hit consistent backhand net serves easily, no longer fearing mistakes during the service环节!
