If you’ve read the previous blog posts, you’ll be quite familiar with the singles service returns in badminton. Now since the service rules are a little different for doubles, the way to go about receiving the serve is also slightly different. Read on to know about these nuances and what Abhijeet Naimpally has to say about it.

We’ll first cover the doubles low service return – its stance, position and technique. Get into the ready stance near the front service line area with your non-racquet foot forward and with a basic grip. You have the flexibility to lead with either leg depending on convenience and stance. It’s basically up to you to decide whether to keep the non-racquet foot or the racquet foot forward.

Irrespective of which you choose the important thing to keep in mind is that you need to engage the shuttle before it starts dipping downwards. This gives you the chance to go on the offensive from the get go. If you delay the return or make contact with the shuttle too late, you’ll end up playing a defensive stroke, giving up any hopes of an early advantage.

It’s not enough to know the right technique behind a service return. Practising it to perfection is the key in badminton. Nothing can replace the hours of hard work you need to put into it in order to execute flawless and effortless service returns. There are two exercises to improve your doubles low service return.

In the first exercise, engage in a 1 on 1 practice with multiple shuttles. Basically, your sparring partner tries out different serves, one shuttle at a time, and you practise returning the serves. It’s also important that you improve your accuracy with the service return. The next exercise will help you do that. Place boxes or mark all corner areas near the net and rear court. Try to give a targeted service return. Ensure the shuttle falls in the boxes or the areas marked.

If you’ve been reading this blog from the start and following the exercises mentioned in the posts, you should be seeing significant improvements in your game by now. The number of hours professional players put into perfecting their game is truly mindboggling. But however little or lot you practise, know that every session counts. In the upcoming post, you’ll learn another doubles service return technique known as the doubles flick service return. The flick is a sort of surprise serve and requires good preparation and anticipation to receive it.