Learning fundamentals is a step-by-step process, and footwork is one of the most important skills you have to develop early if you want to be a good Badminton player. Badminton is the fastest racket sport. So the development of footwork in badminton is more important to get to the right place at the right time to execute strokes properly.
Benefits of Footwork in Badminton
- Shuttlecocks can fly at a speed more than a Formula One racing car. If you don’t develop footwork in badminton, it is very tough to cover the full area of the court within seconds.
- In badminton, footwork helps you to execute shots properly.
- Footwork in badminton helps to preserve your energy.
- You can also produce a wide variety of strokes.
- In badminton, you have to move fast from one end of the court to the other end. So, there is always a possibility of injury. Proper footwork minimizes the chances of injury.
In badminton, you have to beat the pace of the shuttle. After hitting the shuttle, you will get into difficulties if you wait for your opponent’s action and then move to reach the desired location. You can visualize how tough it will be to move from the farthest point to the farthest point of the badminton court repeatedly within seconds. So, to make it easy, you have to minimize the distance to be covered for a return stroke after your opponent’s reaction.
Ready Position or Base Position
In badminton, you should fix a position from where it is easy for you to cover any part of the court. This position is the ready position or base position. After making any shot, you should quickly get back to the ready position and wait for the next shot. You can also refix the ready position depending on your strength, your opponent’s weakness, and the strategy during the match.
Stance
When you are in a ready position and facing your opponent’s serve, you should be prepared with your stance for a better return.
- Your left foot should be slightly forward than your right foot (If you are right-handed).
- Your feet should be farther apart than your shoulders for a better balance of your body.
- Stand on your toes (Not too much).
- The non-racket hand should be open and help to maintain balance.
Footwork in Badminton: Key Points
The focus of footwork is to react quickly and get more time to hit the shuttlecock with more confidence. Another important consideration is to maintain the balance of the body during the match.
- Stretch your legs as much as possible to the extent to make you comfortable. That will help you to reach the target point quickly.
- When you are in the ready position, hold your racket at your eye level. That will reduce the reaction time of hitting.
- Use minimum steps to cover the court area. Like, for the front and back of the court, try to cover the area with 2-3 steps. For the side of the court, it is 1-2 steps.
- For the forehand front corner, first, forward your left leg and then stretch your right leg with a balanced approach (For a right-handed player).
- Don’t overstep. It’s your racket, not you who will participate in stroke-making.
- Make sure that your foot is pointing toward the direction of your approach.
- When returning to the ready position, shuffle with your right leg first.
- For the backhand front corner, first, forward your left leg and then your right leg.
- For footwork on your forehand and backhand side, start with your left leg and end with the right leg. Always shuffle to return to your base/ready position.
- Take your right foot one step back pointing towards the desired location for the forehand backcourt corner and cover the distance with a shuffle.
- For the backhand backcourt corner, turn your body with your left leg stepping towards the direction of the shuttle, and complete the footwork by putting your body weight on your right leg.
If you are interested in the video, you may check the nice visual explanation of the basic footwork in badminton from eHowSports.
Conclusion
As a beginner, you should take things simple. No one can act as an expert from the first day. So don’t overdo things that may get any injury. If you are serious about badminton, you may get help from a coach to make things simple and better.
Do you find it useful? Let me know in the comment section below.
