The shot that’s least expected, but can cost you a game- A drop shot!
Known as the deceptive shot in badminton, a drop shot is a soft badminton shot. It is usually played from the back end of the court. The cock travels steeply to the fore end of your opponent’s court changing the entire pace of the game!
A good badminton drop will have the shuttlecock passing just above the net before reaching the front of the mid-region of the court. This holds true for both slow and fast drop shots.
This naturally disrupts the entire pace of your opponent’s game by bringing him/her near the net and disrupting their footwork, hence giving you an added advantage.
Albeit this is an extremely effective strategy, achieving the same would not be that simple.
[pullquote]It’s not easy to produce top quality Drop Shots, and it does demand a lot of practice. When trying to produce the perfect Drop, there are plenty of risks involved. [/pullquote]
The shuttle might get caught by the net and you’ll lose a point or the shuttle might pass over too high above the net.
The key to a great drop is to hit the Drop when your opponent expects a Clear or a Smash as your next move.
This deceives the opponent and you can then expect your opponent to return a weak shot, anticipating the return of the shuttle to your midcourt.
So how does a beginner understand how to play a great drop shot?
To play a drop shot, one must understand the types of these shots that the opponent might play, or that you can perform.
[pullquote]Typically there are three types of drop shots- overhead forehand, overhead backhand and slice drop shot. [/pullquote]
Usually, once the first two are perfected only then can you move on to perfect the slice shot.
Overhead forehand Drop Shot:
Although it is said to be performed with a soft touch, when hitting the drop, one should not simply ‘touch’ the shuttle with the racket.
It should be gently performed with a proper Overhead Forehand Stroke, but with a full arm swing!
Overhead backhand Drop Shot:
This is a steep shot played from the back-end of your court to reach the fore end of your opponent’s court. To perform the backhand drop, one must move into position and take on the Backhand Grip.
When you swing the racket, it should be in one smooth and continuous motion. This means that there should be no stopping after starting the backhand swing.
Perform this Overhead Backhand stroke by using wrist action to direct the shuttle downwards.
Slice Drop Shot:
The slice is an advanced technique and is usually used as an offensive shot.
In this type of shot, the shuttle drops steeper, making it harder for the opponent to retrieve.
This is a shot that deceives your opponent into thinking this is a soft drop. But in reality, it is played firmly. The opponent will think the shuttle is heading towards one direction while it’s sent in another direction.
Most of all, in a sport like badminton that requires skill and precision, practice is the key to achieving all techniques and bagging that win!
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