How do you get better at badminton singles?

As you rise through the ranks and transition from a beginner to an intermediate player, you may find that simply returning each shot to wherever is convenient no longer works as well as it used to.

Tactics are essential in more advanced games, and a good game strategy can allow you to move more efficiently on court while preventing opponents from playing offensively.

The most basic badminton singles tactic that suppresses the opponent’s footwork and strokes is the triangles strategy.

So, let’s get into our triangles strategy guide!

To start off our triangles strategy guide, we need to know: what is the triangles strategy?

Simply put, your aim is to play shots consecutively into a corner of the court. When played properly, it creates a pathway for your opponent in the shape of a triangle.

By continuously forming a different triangle every 3 shots, you force your opponent to run the furthest distance on the badminton court (the diagonal from the back court to the net). This will weaken the opponent’s footwork and reduce their ability to play a quality return.

In the long run, your objective is to tire out your opponent as much as possible. A tired opponent is a sure road to victory.

As you get better at badminton, your ability to aim and place your shots will also increase. You may already be at a point where most of your shuttles are quite accurate during training, but this doesn’t necessarily translate to accuracy during a game. By utilising the triangles strategy, you’ll be able to clearly map out in your head where you want your next shot to go. By knowing exactly where to play your next shot, you’ll reduce doubt and increase confidence.

Playing with more confidence will lead to much tighter net shots and faster drops and clears. This will force your opponent to stretch a little bit more to retrieve each shuttle. While it may not make a huge difference in a rally, the extra distance your opponent will have to reach for will stack up in the long run.

Finally, by manipulating the triangle, you can continuously force your opponent to run the longest distance. The cross-court.

The most important part of our triangles strategy guide. How do you do it?

The triangles strategy is relatively straightforward and therefore, does not need step-by-step instructions.

However, here are some things to keep in mind!

1) Your objective is to make your opponent move around the court as much as possible. So make sure to always place your shot to a corner that’s furthest away from your opponent.

(E.g- if they’re in a back-court corner, place your next shot to the cross-court net.)

2) Don’t play the mid-court (drives, half-court pushes). Playing mid-court shots may give your opponent an opportunity to attack. It also prevents you from forming your triangles effectively.

3) Keep your footwork strong. You should always be moving faster than your opponent if you want to be in control of the rally.

If your opponent is reaching the shuttle faster than you, chances are they’re controlling the rally.

The triangles strategy requires you to be focused and accurate. When facing an opponent that knows their way around the court and can cover the court effectively, you’ll need to be patient. Keep pushing your high clears to the back-court corner, then play a tight net or drop shot to the cross-court net. Do this continuously and you’ll see your opponent moving a little slower each time.

If your opponent is making you run the cross-court over and over again, you must know how to defend against it!

1) Try to move faster. If you can intercept a low clear or lift that’s trying to move you backwards, you’ll be able to press the offence rather than simply scrambling to return the next shot.

2) Place your shots where the opponent isn’t. The best way to force a weak return or break a players flow is to make them run further for each shot.

3) Don’t be afraid to play aggressive. When playing against someone utilising the triangles strategy, you shouldn’t be afraid to be aggressive. A fast drop or a heavy smash will most likely break the triangle since it’s difficult to play a block accurately.

The more accurate the player, the more effective the triangles strategy will be. Keep training! Tighten up all of your net shots and drops. Practice clearing accurately to a corner rather than simply hitting toward that general direction.