Racketlon Badminton Tips
HITTING STRAIGHT OR CROSS-COURT: A QUICK FIX
Being a good badminton player on the Canadian Tour, I get a lot of pressure from « rackathletes » to tell them a few advices that can improve their badminton game drastically. 
In Racketlon, we generally want to get our points as fast as possible, but also to reduce the points you give. A short 21 point game doesn’t favor the fancy trick shots maker or the sniper who aim for the lines. In Racketlon, the first key to become a better badminton player is to diminish the number of mistakes, no matter you or your opponent’s level. In other words, play safe. This is easier said than done: developing a mistake-free game means committing to practice regularly a minimum of 3 times a week. This is the long term path to take for anyone who wants to become really good, however I promised you a short term fix in this article. If you want to improve quickly, you can optimize the strategy and mentality you’re using; especially that from my perspective table tennis and squash players are hitting without intention when they arrive in badminton. By using a good strategy, you will improve significantly your level of play. I already see some table tennis and tennis players applying the general concept of playing safe, i.e. sending the bird cross-court all the time and wondering why they’re losing the rallies. While it’s true you have a greater court length when you cross, it is not a good option in badminton for many reasons. In most other racket sports, the player will intercept your shot only after the first bounce. In between the flight of the ball and the landing, your opponent either isn’t allowed to hit (table-tennis) or it is unsafe to volley and better to wait (tennis and squash). Understand that if you have a greater court distance (bigger margin of error) and the ball will travel a longer time (thus giving you more time to position yourself), although have you ever imagined what would table-tennis look like if you could hit the ball before it lands on your side of the table? The shuttlecock is light and there is virtually no spin possible imparted on it, making it easy to change directions with a snap of the fingers. 
Rather think “locking up the court” just as every good squash player will tell you; play tight straight drives close to the wall. When there is a “loose” ball, you dispose of it with a good cross-court. This squash strategy is also the basics of badminton. To improve quickly, one must concentrate on hitting straight until the opponent is far out of position. And since the drop shot is a much better option in badminton than in squash (easier to change direction and the net is high), you have more options to vary; and that is the whole point of the game. Mix straight drop shots and straight clears close to the line, changing clear heights and your drop shot’s speed. If your opponent plays cross-courts, capitalize on it and reach the bird quickly to play it straight (smash is the best!). So practice closing the angles, vary your shots and don’t open the court unless you have an opportunity! I guarantee you will defend your court better, decide faster on the court and make fewer mistakes. “Would you like more badminton tips?” First of all, drop a comment, to do this press on comments and register an account if you haven’t done it yet. The process is really fast and it will motivate me to write more! Also, click on the button on the top right of the page called “Subscribe to RSS feeds.” This will inform you as soon as new articles are written on the website. *excuse my frenchglish 🙂
By Jeremy Easterbrook
