How to Practice Your Footwork in Badminton

The importance of good footwork in badminton cannot be emphasized enough - it is the foundation of every shot you make and underlies the effectiveness of your overall strategy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Badminton Set

1. Stretch thoroughly before you play or practice badminton.

2. Begin in an alert and ready position, with your eyes on the shuttlecock.

3. Lead with your forward foot when moving in a diagonal direction.

4. Take short, quick steps.

5. Use short shuffling steps to reach the shuttlecock.

6. The last step you take before hitting should always be with your racket foot.

7. Practice your footwork without a shuttlecock.

8. Start in the center position and move in a figure-eight pattern, utilizing the entire court.

9. Start slowly, to get comfortable with the short shuffling steps. Then speed up your figure-eight pattern, pausing as if to hit in each corner of the court.

10. Keep your head and eyes forward at all times. Try not to turn your back on the shuttle.

11. Stay light on the balls of you feet.

12. Bend your knees slightly during all hitting motions.

13. Lunge forward to quickly gain a little extra distance.

14. Practice backpedaling to the baseline.

15. Practice recovering to your ready position after each hit.

Tips & Warnings

• For all power hitting and throwing type swings, your racket leg should be back.
• Turn your hips and legs in the same direction as your nonhitting shoulder when you are backswinging.
• After you hit the shuttlecock, your weight should be on your front foot and your back foot should almost leave the ground.

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on 8/8/2006 An easy thing to do is just to aim in the opposite direction you opponent is moving, to make then shift their momentum and use more energy.

on 1/18/2006 Be sure to follow through when serving, as the shuttlecock remains in contact with the racket for longer and thus less force is applied to your arm.
This is important to preventing injuries and maladies to the arm!

on 11/22/2005 When you are about to hit the shuttlecock, transfer all the strength from your shoulder to the raquet so the raquet moves in a roundabout direction beside the hand.