How to Play the Badminton Jump Smash

This is definitely not for beginners. I highly recommend you master the Basic Smash before learning the Jump Smash.

Why Play the Jump Smash?

The Badminton Jump Smash is the most powerful shot in badminton.

A Jump Smash is a Smash performed in mid-air.

Why Perform the Jump Smash?

• To create a steeper angle.
• It is more powerful than the normal smash.

Step by Step Tutorial

1. Get into Position and Adopt the Forehand Grip.

• Move quickly and get BEHIND the shuttle.
  
• Adopt the Forehand Grip.
  
• Stand firmly and maintain good body balance.
  
• Ideally, your body should face sideways. Both your feet should also point towards the side of the court.
  

DO NOT tense your body muscles. A common mistake among casual players is that they tend to subconsciously tense their body muscles while doing the badminton jump smash.

Tensing your muscles will restrict the mobility of the muscles. Therefore you won’t be able to perform a maximum swing.

2. Raise your Racket Arm and Non-Racket Arm

Stretch out your Racket Arm as far back as possible. At the same time, raise you Non-Racket arm to counter the weight of your Racket Arm.

In your ready position, you should look like this…

3. Jump into the Air

• Use your Racket Foot to push your body up into the air.
• Relax your body. Do not tense your muscles.
• Take a deep breath. Extend your chest to the widest extend possible.
• Stretch out your Non-Racket Arm.
• Gently bend your legs to the back. Remember not to force this move. It should happen ‘naturally’. When your body have full balance in the air (by stretching out your Non-Racket Arm) and as long as your body muscles are relaxed, you’ll naturally lift your legs for more power.

This is what you should do…

4. Hit the Shuttle at the Highest Point Possible

Time your jump! Ideally, you want to start your swing at the peak of your jump. This should also be your highest contact point with the shuttle.

Remember I say get behind the shuttle? Hitting the shuttle from behind will naturally direct the it downwards.

As you swing your racket forward,

• Retrieve your Non-Racket Arm back to the side of your body.
• Explosively contract your Abs as hard as you can. If you have strong abs, your smash will be hard.
• As you contract your abs, lift your Racket-Foot forward. Again, this will happen naturally if you contract your abs as hard you can. The purpose of doing this is to increase the speed of your swing; kick in explosive power into your stroke.

Another picture to help you understand!

5. Follow Through, Land, and Maintain Body Balance

After you hit the shuttle, Follow Through with your swing.

Shuffle your Racket Foot forward while in the air. Your Racket Foot should be placed in front as you land onto the ground.

Maintain body balance and recover.

How to Use the Jump Smash to Win Rallies

DO NOT use the jump smash unless your opponent returns a poor quality shot.

A poor quality shot means the shuttlecock flies high in the air and will land somewhere at your mid-court. A decent opponent will hardly give you those kind of shots.

So play smart and create chances for yourself!

Disrupt your opponent’s footwork by playing a variety of shots. Badminton Clears and Drop Shots are good choices for singles.

Another thing to keep in mind…

You should ONLY use the jump smash when you’re prepared and when the shuttlecock is still high in the air.

The best time to hit the badminton jump smash is when you manage to force your opponent to Lift the shuttle high up to you.

Before hitting the jump smash, you MUST:

1. Be standing at a firm position before taking the shuttle
2. Have good body balance before and after you do a jump smash
3. Be VERY QUICK to return to your base.

Important Tips/Advice

The Badminton Jump Smash requires a lot of practice. At the beginning, It’s not easy to correctly time your jump. It’s also common to lose balance when you’re not familiar with the technique .

Practice is the only way to perfect your jump smash. Make sure that you get the sequence right. Aim – Jump – Stretch out your Non-racket arm and lift your legs – then swing!

You might want to brush up your Forehand Strokes technique.

At the start, don’t jump too high. Try the jump smash with short leaps into the air. Train on body balance and focus on the correct technique.

Gradually increase your jump height over time as you get better at this technique. But make sure you have good balance.

Want more tips? You might love this page on 6 Essential Tips to Hit a Powerful Jump Smash.

Happy Smashing!

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