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I remember a while ago there was a special doubles match event in Guangzhou, China. On one side was a pair of the best amateur players in the city, while the other side consisted of two former international players and badminton legends. A lot people went to see that match, curious about how this match would turn out. The result was, as expected, victory for the former pros. After the match, one of these former pro players said to the fans, “There isn’t much difference in skill level between the best amateur and pro players in the areas of hitting clears, smashing, and hitting other overhead shots, but in terms of playing up in the net and tactics, there is a much wider gap between amateurs and pros.” As badminton lovers, we all want to know how we can improve our drop shots at the net, and here’s are some ways you can get some practice.
There are two ways you can practice net plays: with a net or without a net. If you want to practice with a real net, then you’ll need a real court and a partner to practice together. If you don’t have these things available then you’ll have to practice by yourself, and below are some methods for self practice:
Method 1: This method can improve both your hand posture and your footwork in net plays. Find a long string and tie the birdie to one end. Tie the other end of the string to the ceiling or somewhere else high up. How far should the birdie be off the ground is dependent upon which type of net drops you wanted to practice. For example, if you want to practice plays near the top of the net, then make the bird at around 1.5 to 1.55 meters. With this method you can practice over and over again without having to pick up the bird every so often, which means more time spent improving your skills.
Method 2: Hit the bird against the wall. This is sort of like practicing with another player. Make sure that your posture is correct when you are practicing with this method and you want your shots to be consistent and of high quality.
Method 3: In an empty court or relatively wide area, practice your crosscourt drops. Make sure every time when you hit the bird that the bird will rise 20-30cm and tumble several times in the air. This is to make sure that the bird will get over the net in a real game.
If you keep practicing and improving yourself, eventually your skills up in the net will grow to a level that you are proud of.