How do you hit the shuttlecock when it’s about to hit your neck or your head? Should I use a backhand?

by Samuel

(Chandler’s Ford, England )

Question: How do you hit the shuttlecock when it’s about to hit your neck or your head? Should I use a backhand? (I’m very good at badminton and I’m just a beginner)

Answer
Hi Samuel, it depends on your height.

Height matters in this scenario.

The neck and upper chest area is actually a WEAK SPOT for tall players.

Tall players usually find it difficult to defend smashes when it’s heading to this weak spot.

Compare this to short players, they can easily duck (or squat down) and return the shot.

Tall players encounter difficulty squatting low and will usually feel uncomfortable doing so.

It’s really difficult to return quality shots while a tall player is in such an uncomfortable position.

Assuming you are a tall player, if a smash is coming towards your neck/head area, you can either:

• Squat down and hit an overhead forehand stroke.

  As I’ve already mentioned, it’s not recommended for tall players to do so. No matter how low a tall person squats, it’ll still be difficult to get the right angle to perform the overhead forehand stroke (compared to a shorter player).

  Therefore when defending smashes, I highly recommend tall players to adopt the badminton defensive stance and stay as low as possible.

  At least when the shuttle is coming to your neck area and you decide to return it with a forehand stroke, you won’t need to squat down much since you’re already low.

• Move your head sideways (to your forehand area) and hit a backhand. Yes, you are right about the backhand.

  Just a note, if you decide to return the shuttle with a backhand, move your head towards your forehand side to create space for a backhand.