How do you deal with someone who serves from the corner?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by vipjun, Oct 16, 2010.

  1. vipjun

    vipjun Regular Member

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    How would you play someone who serves forehand and stands wide instead of at the T.

    The Triangle on top represents the server.
    The bottom triangle represents some of the positions i take.
    The lines represent the majority of the serves he does. Each color is associated with the serve i am most vulnerable to and him more likely to hit corresponding to the color of where i am standing.

    wideserve2.jpg

    I believe standing at the T(Red triangle) is most effective in order to cut the possible angles. However i am not able to cut the angle of first red serve all the time(to my backhand corner). It is more of a drive than a flick or high serve and very fast. Pretty difficult to run back and hit this shot if I am standing at the T. My only chance to hit this is if I jump diagonally to the left and cut it off (Red arrow).

    If i do that too often two things happen,
    1. I will start to get a flick serve instead of the drive to the corner which is just off the reach of my smash if i jump diagonally.
    2. It gets really tiring on the legs to keep trying to cut the angle by this jump method.

    Its pretty difficult to tell whether the serve to my backhand is either a flick or a drive because the only difference is really the height angle.

    If i move back more then my front is very exposed to the short and wide short serves.
    Standing in a more neutral position i can hit the serves back but i want to be able to attack it instead of getting to it late.

    Also, after playing a few games I tend not to stand at the T and be aggressive because my legs are not as fresh as when i just started playing in the day.

    So how do you deal with this service? where would you stand and how would you deal with this service?

    Feel free to use blank canvas if you want to illustrate.
    badmintoncourt.jpg
     
    #1 vipjun, Oct 16, 2010
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2010
  2. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Very simple.
    We also have someone in our group that serves like this.

    Solution?
    Stand at the green triangle, and aim to return fast down the middle.
    He and his partner will never have a chance.
     
  3. vipjun

    vipjun Regular Member

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    Thanks for the suggestion Visor.

    If you stand at the green, are you able to get to the wide serve to your front right corner fast enough to hit a good return?
    Thats more my issue for not wanting to stand back because the guys cross court serve drops down almost immediately after it passes the net but is also traveling extremely far and quick. It looks like it would land short normally but somehow its got enough zip that it lands in.
    Almost like a tennis forehand action than a push action. (theres been times where we question if this serve is legal because of the racket head action, but since its just practice games and no judges we don't make it a big deal since the guy isn't too good, just his serve is annoying.)

    From the Green Triangle i'm not able to cut the angle earlier so i have to hit it when it reaches the corner which causes me to be outstretched quite a bit. I know i can probably work on this a little better.
     
    #3 vipjun, Oct 16, 2010
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2010
  4. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

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    The best thing you can do is get a buddy and just practice returning this type of serve over and over until you are happy with your stance and responses. Once you are accustomed to your nemesis' serve, it can't surprise you anymore.
     
  5. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    From the green triangle, you can still get to the green serve. Even though it'll be low when you get there, just dab it over the net there.

    The server and his partner will be too far away to be of any threat.
     
  6. nprince

    nprince Regular Member

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    This kind of serve return was discussed many times in the past. Searching through the archives will help you a lot. Also Gollum has written an excellent article in his site-Badmintonbible.com. The following points may help you.

    You are successful with your reply if you are able to get the shuttle below the net level. It is very much possible to a wide serve. Please keep in mind that the wide server and his partner are very vulnerable to any good reply. It is virtually his partner who has to cover the whole court for your reply to his serve.

    You need to stand at the green triangle facing server. Any low serve near the net should not be a threat as you will be able to meet them near the net and push it to the empty court area or drop near the net. Please watch where his partner is standing.

    And to the serve marked in red, you can easily cut it by jumping to the left service court and playing an around the head hot. it will not be tiring on your leg as either you are winning a point with least effort or you are achieving advantage in the rally. Hence be aggressive and take your chances. If you are successful a couple of times, the server will be forced to change his tactics.
     
  7. MSeeley

    MSeeley Regular Member

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    I would generally agree with the people who have already posted. Stand at the green triangle. You may not get to the green serve very early, but you have to understand that from this position, your opponents are in all sorts of trouble. The servers partners backhand is exposed to a simple straight push or drive. Who will get the straight net shot? Virtually nobody is in time to get there. From receiving that green serve, a fast cross court lift will also put your opponents in a LOT of trouble.

    My answer to your question is: stand at the green triangle (good diagram!!!) and don't worry that you can't "attack" all of the serves. If you stand on the green triangle, and expect that green serve, you WILL get there. The server is sacrificing a good tactical position in the hopes that you won't pounce on his stupidity! Once the rally gets going, they will be in such trouble, they won't bother with that serve again.

    Matt
     
  8. wristworks

    wristworks Regular Member

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    Simple solution: normally, you receive serve by standing with your left foot in front of your right foot. If your opponent indicates that he's going to serve this way, simply switch your feet with your right foot in front of your left food.
     
  9. vipjun

    vipjun Regular Member

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    Wrist.. yea i do feel leading with the right foot or even side stance could work, thought i wasn't sure and stuck with the standard left foot lead. His flick over my head really isn't that dangerous because theres more distance between us for me to get back..will try leading with right foot next time.
     
  10. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Splendid diagrams! :)

    I recommend standing at the green triangle, or even farther back. Crucially, you should also change the position of your feet: the feet should be lined up pointing to the wide low serve (so a somewhat sideways stance, with the right foot out in front).

    This makes it easy to attack the red-line serves with a round-the-head action. The green-line serves are much less of a problem than they seem: the geometry makes any low serve to the T slow and loopy, while the wide low serve just takes too long. Your feet are lined up so you can reach the wide low serve quickly. Your opponents are also very badly positioned to cover your returns to these serves.
     
  11. DanhNguyen5.3

    DanhNguyen5.3 Regular Member

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    stand where is the green traingle is but alil more to the middle and alil more back, then your perfectly fine
     
  12. ERTHK

    ERTHK Regular Member

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    Aim towards your opponents' backhand and their empty spaces

    First of all, serving from the corner is an unorthodox style or tactic which will commonly be used by players who don't know much about badminton.

    Only those who are unfamiliar with the game of badminton will attempt that kind of serve (because it's just a plain stupid & tactically wrong way to serve)

    I have met players who served that way & I have punished them severely.


    There are many ways to counter that kind of serve as mentioned by previous posts, I will just pin-point out some of my thoughts to vipjun:

    1) Ask your partner to move slightly to his left side & allowing u to stand closer & cover the center of the court.

    2) If you are right-handed, stand with your right leg at the front. U can play round-the-head or backhand stroke easier that way.



    For Green serve towards your far front corner, you will only need 2 steps to reach it.

    1st step with your left leg & then 2nd step with your right leg and you are there.

    Because the shuttlecock has to travel furthest for green serve, you shouldn't have any problem reaching it.

    Once u reach it, just do a simple forehand straight net return & your opponent will have a very hard time reaching your return from far corner.

    001.jpg



    For Blue serve towards the 'T'
    , you will take 1 step with your left leg to reach it.


    Once u reach it, u will need to use your backhand & guide the shuttlcock towards your opponent's backhand front or center court area.

    It's basically the same return used against the green serve - only this time u play it using your backhand stroke instead of forehand.

    002.jpg



    For Red serve (either drive or flick towards your backhand side)
    , you will need to use the RTH stroke & guide it towards your opponents backhand center or back court area.

    If u cannot use RTH stroke, u will need to use backhand stroke. Use your backhand stroke to guide your return towards the same area.

    003.jpg


    Remember, if your opponent purposely trying to exploit your backhand side, u can also do the same against them (provided that they are also right handed)

    The placement of your returning shots are crucial in this case.

    Thanks for reading & sorry for the long post.
     
    Maverick88 likes this.
  13. vipjun

    vipjun Regular Member

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    Thanks for the great illustrations! since i've posted, the person has not been to the club much, and i have gotten a chance to try out the advice of all the BC members. Will update once i get the chance, but seeing how i was initially standing incorrectly i should have a much better return of service now.

    Thanks everyone for the advice.
     
  14. TheGrave

    TheGrave New Member

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    Very good topic! Such serves are done mostly by low-level amateur players who consider themselves very smart. This is until you punish them 4-5 times and normally the stupidity stops over. If they persist too much do a couple of full power drives in their faces, this usually calms them down :)
     
  15. Rob3rt

    Rob3rt Regular Member

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    Lol :D :D :D
     
  16. TheGrave

    TheGrave New Member

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    Aggression against annoying players is a MUST. We are all out there to enjoy the game after all :)
     
  17. Espírito Santo

    Espírito Santo Regular Member

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    Indeed very good discussion topic. In my badminton group, we have such player as well, he like to drives his serve to those angles and he think he is very smart by doing so but his drive serve is definitely a fault serve (before the point of contact his racket is pointing upward). We usually don't bother about his fault serve due to is a recreation games.

    I will counter his serve by driving back the shuttle low and hard using "brutal force" and is either aiming at his body, his face or his arm :D.
     
  18. Charlie-SWUK

    Charlie-SWUK Regular Member

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    The most important thing is to make sure your partner gives you enough room to attack these serves. They leave the court wide up.
     
  19. TheGrave

    TheGrave New Member

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    Don't start me on fault serves. We have a smart-ass grandpa who makes a slight STEP forward sometimes by lifting his frontleg in an attempt to misguide you. Besides that he probably steps outside the serve field most of the time. I can't get tired taking no effort points from his stupidity. I'm amazed how few people actually know the serving rules in badminton.
     
  20. bbmars

    bbmars Regular Member

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    Ha....ha.. I am surprised. My dad used to make that kind serves once in a while and sometimes at certain frequency. He is not any amateur like you said. He was at national level playing in national tournament. Only different was that he was due to his age then, he wasn't selected for the national team (now 82 yrs old). So perhaps, you guys may not have met anyone of that standard. I do that kind of serves once in a while especially when playing mixed double. My lady partner does that too once in a while (formerly from China provincial training team). I used to be an advance player, but now has aged into my 50s
     

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