Singles – Strategies & Tactics – Return of Low Serve

Featured Image: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin

Previously we discussed the high serve and how we can play a return which keeps you in control of the rally. Now we will talk about the low serve.

The Low Serve

The low serve, is seen mostly in the men’s game but also frequently in the women’s game. It is played short and to usually to the opposing service line. There’s much more detail in my other article linked above.

Return of Low Serve

Given that the low serve passes just over the net there are only really two options available. A net shot or a lift. We will discuss the net shot first. If the serve is loose, you can (and should!) attack the shuttle. For the purposes of this article, we will assume that it is a good low serve.

Return of Low Serve – Net Shot

A net shot is the best option if you want a better chance of controlling the rally. You should be cautious that your opponent will anticipate your net shot and aim to play a tight net shot in reply. If they manage to achieve this, it is possible they will gain the advantage.

This is because when the low serve is struck, it doesn’t fall at the trajectory which allows you to spin the shuttle. Rather, the cork is pointing towards you and angled slightly down. It’s easier to apply spin to the net shot when it’s being played closer to the net and the shuttle is falling almost vertically.

Still, there are certain advantages to playing the net shot which makes it an effective return of serve.

Advantages

1. Prevents a lift which might give the attack away to the opponent.
2. May gain the lift, giving you the opportunity to attack.
3. Can be deceptive in how the net shot it’s played.
4. Stretch the opponent by playing the net shot cross court.
5. Might get lucky and hit the net cord!

You also need to bear in mind your own relative strengths and weaknesses. When playing a net shot as your return of serve, you need to ensure that you are able to move into the rear court from this position. If your footwork is not adequate to achieve this, you’re simply playing to your own weakness. Your opponent will notice this and lift your net shot to the rear court.

Direction Of The Net Shot Return

Where you return the serve as a net shot, where you play it depends somewhat on where the serve is directed. Most of the time it will be played to the T on the service line so we will base this article

Remember that the best return of serve is one that gives you the advantage in the rally, or at least limits the opponent’s ability to create an advantage.

To The Middle

Just like the high serve, by returning a net shot to the middle you limit the opponent’s angles. It’s pretty difficult for the opponent to apply movement pressure at the net if you return the serve to the middle. If they attempt to play to either side of the net, it’s risky because you could potentially kill that shuttle. Even if you didn’t kill it, a lift might be enough to apply movement pressure to them, forcing them into the rear court. Therefore it’s likely that they will play a lift, as this creates a better situation for them. This is something you can anticipate. In theory, this is the ideal situation.

However, while in theory, this is a good plan, in practice it’s not seen that often. Think about the server position for a second. They want to be closer to the net than the rear court because a lift allows them time to move backwards. So at high levels of play, the server will be aware that this reply of serve might give the receiver an advantage. Therefore they will want to meet this return earlier. Because of the difficulty of spinning the shuttle on the return of serve, this gives them a little more time to take the shuttle earlier. Also, the fact that, if they serve straight and the return is a straight net shot, the server doesn’t have to move too much to react to it.

So this shot is best used when you use a variety of returns of serve! Just like every other shot in badminton, you do not want to become predictable with your game. If you played this return of serve every time, the opponent will eventually just move forward to kill your reply. Variety is the spice of life, but also the key to a successful return of serve!

To The Sides

Another option is playing the net shot to the sides of the court. Not necessarily to the tramlines but definitely biased to either side of the court. Playing to the tramlines might be a decent choice but you should always bear in mind three things.

1. How good are you at moving into the rear court?
2. How good is your backhand or how good are you at compensating?
3. What’s the error percentage of hitting the shuttle out?

Playing to the tramlines doesn’t always stretch your opponent because they are serving from the middle of the court. However, the opponent now has the advantage of playing the shuttle to the opposing rear corner, forcing you to move the full diagonal of the court. This might put a lot of pressure on you, particularly if you are weaker moving into the rear court or the area where many people have a problem, the backhand side.

Return of Low Serve – Lift

The lift is a neutral shot. It doesn’t give either player a significant advantage. However, there are some advantages:

Advantages

1. Forces the opponent away from the base position into the rear court. They are unlikely to be able to put and significant pressure on you if the lift is good.
2. Gives you time to set yourself in your base position and prepare yourself for the opponent’s shot

Lifting To The Middle

Like the high serve, lifting to the middle cuts down the angles of reply of the opponent. The reduced angles mean that you should, in theory, be able to cover almost all shots from the opponent. However, it does not mean that you will be able to. Some shots are simply too good, despite the lack of angle available to the opponent. Many professional players are capable of creating angles out of nothing. But, these are high error percentage shots and it is rare that these shots are played effectively and successively.

One-shot you should be aware of when lifting to the middle is the straight smash to the body. It can sometimes be awkward to defend against and the opponent has the best possible option to follow up in this situation. They simply have to follow the shuttle straight down the middle of the court.

Lifting To The Corners

Lifting to the corners is another option you can use. This forces the opponent the furthest distance they can travel into the rear court from their base. Opponents may not be so keen to attack from this position if the lift is good. This is because playing an attacking shot reduces their recovery time and this opens the court for an effective counter-attack. So in effect, this shot can limit the opponent’s ability to create pace or win the advantage early in the rally.

However, lifting to the corners creates more angles for the opponent to play into. We will discuss further the angles of shot available in badminton singles because there are several components to it and perhaps a little more complicated than it sounds. For now, just be aware that strong level players may be able to exploit angles created by playing into the corners of the court.

Finally, you want to have good length and height, no matter which direction you choose to play. Many players think a shallow lift is better because it gives the opponents less time and less height to attack the shuttle. This is a fundamental error. Most players of a decent level will be able to jump from their base position and intercept the shuttle if played too shallow. There’s no need to lose the rally as soon as it begins! Make sure you have enough time to recover and prepare for your opponent’s response.

Conclusion

A clear better option is when you notice that the opponent is weaker at covering one half of the court than the other. For example, they might be weaker at moving into the rear court than the frontcourt or vice-versa. Therefore you would manufacture the rally to your advantage. In the example above, playing a lift might give you more of an advantage than the net.

Finally, don’t become predictable with your return of serve. if you play the same return of service every time, the opponent will recognise this pattern and will move quickly to meet the shuttle earlier having predicted your shot.

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