To get started, you need to learn one of the most fundamental techniques in badminton – the serve. Even the longest rallies have to start from somewhere. A skilful serve can be a game-changer, often helping you win a point right off the bat. Here’s what Abhijeet Naimpally has to say about the forehand high serve.

Forehand High Serve

This should be targeted at the diagonally opposite rear court area or service box on your opponent’s side of the court. This serve is particularly useful because it ensures your opponent is pushed back to the far end of the court. It thus gives you enough time to react and respond to your opponent’s stroke, since the shuttle has to travel the entire length of the opponent’s court, before it lands in yours. Let’s break down the serve into its most basic parts, starting with posture.

Posture and Grip

Begin in a side stance with a basic grip. The right way of holding the racquet is easy if you picture it like a friendly handshake, with your thumb pressed against the wider surface of the racquet grip. Do not hold too tight as it can affect the flexibility of your wrist. Next, you need to get the position right before you execute the serve.

Position and Technique

Begin weight transfer from your back leg to the front and drop the shuttle to the side, in front of you. Bring the racquet downwards from an elevated position and use the momentum to swing it forward. Strike hard under the shuttle and complete the follow-through with the racquet, high and long, towards your opposite shoulder.

Perfecting Your Serve

Now that you know how to execute the forehand high serve, a simple exercise will help you improve it further. Place a few shuttle tubes together, making a box and forming your target. The objective of the exercise is to make the shuttle fall inside it. Keep at it until it almost becomes like a reflex action, easy to execute on the go.

Regular practice will ensure your serving technique is top-class and effortless, helping you dictate the outcome of many a game. Read our next blog post to learn a second technique for serving, known as the front low serve.