It’s best to learn the basics of how to play Badminton before you get started so you can develop the best habits to start with. If you already know how to play badminton, keep reading our list of 9 games like badminton.
Badminton is very portable, with only a couple racquets and birdie, the whole game can easily fit in a drawstring bag and easily be taken to the park or the beach. If you don’t have a set already, click here to get the latest price.
We’ll go through the basics of how to play badminton, how to serve, then the rules for singles and doubles. Up front disclaimer, I really, really love badminton.
How to Setup a Badminton Court
Find an indoor court, or a level area outside on cement, but grass or sand are suggested. There might be some diving in your future and no one wants a cement burn.
The badminton court size for doubles is 44 feet long by 20 feet wide, with the net setup 5 feet tall in the middle. So each badminton side is 22 feet by 20 feet. For singles, the court width is 2.8 feet shorter, so will measure 17.2 in width by 44 feet long.
That’s all you need to know if you are playing a casual outdoor version of badminton. If you are playing an indoor tournament, there are quite a few lines on the court, so we will briefly explain those below.
The badminton service lines explained
For indoor badminton courts, there are a lot of lines on the court. Don’t worry, you only have to pay attention to one set of lines. The lines are to to distinguish the different court sizes between singles and double courts. Being that the court sizes are different, there are also different service and side lines.
– The center line
– Singles side line (The inside one)
– Front Service line
– Back line (The one at the very back)
– The center line
– Doubles side line (the outside one)
– Front service line
– Inside back line (Not the farthest, the 2nd line in)
How to Hit a Birdie
The basics of the game are that you hit the birdie between players using the racquets.  When hitting the birdie, always hit the rubber side of the birdie to achieve the bounce effect.
The 2 most common ways to hit the birdie are overhand or underhand. Underhand, you take the racquet and with a swing through motion hit the birdie from below so it bounces upwards. Overhanded, you wait until the birdie is almost in line before swinging overhanded at the birdie. Underhand swings tend to bounce quiet high, whereas an overhand swing will fly direct in the direction you hit the birdie, often with less arch.
Once you have mastered the overhand hit, you can try and put more force behind your hit, called a “smash hit”. This will send the birdie flying fast and hard towards your opponent, often without an arc. This is similar to a tennis overhanded hit. You can even practice jumping up to get this shot.
After you hit the birdie, always return to the middle of the court. Find movement around the court while staying light on your feet, avoid trying to stay in one place. Focus on small movements around the court so your feet are always light and moving. Think of crab like motions 🙂 .
How to Serve a Birdie
In doubles, the server on the right service court, must serve the player diagonally opposite them. This will be to the player on the right service court on that side of the net. The only player that may return a serve is this player. If the other player hits the birdie instead, the point is awarded to the server.
How to Play Badminton
You win a point when your opponent does not hit the birdie back to you. So if the birdie lands within the opposite court, on the ground, you get a point. Your opponent has the same goal. You will also get a point if your opponent makes a mistake, for example, hits the birdie out of bounds, under the net, or into the net.
The rest of badminton rules:
– Flip a coin or play to see who gets to serve first. The first player serves the birdie.
– You can only hit the birdie once per rally, so you must hit it directly back over the net. If you are playing doubles, it doesn’t matter which team mate hits the birdie, whomever is closest.
– If a player hits the birdie out of the court, but the receiving player still hits the birdie, the game is still in play. Only if the birdie hits the ground is a point awarded.
– Don’t be afraid to exploit your opponents weakness. Have them running all around the court by first hitting the birdie short, then next hit the birdie long. Don’t always hit to the exact same spot so they get comfortable there. Most players are weak on their backhand, don’t be afraid to shoot towards your opponents backhand.
– Master your drop shots. The hardest shot to return is a hard handed drop shot. This is an overhanded hit where you aim the birdie hard and fast at the ground.
Fun Badminton Fact: Playing badminton for an hour is an incredible workout and burns up to 300 calories!
Comment below with any questions on how to play badminton or variations your play 🙂
Keep reading more Badminton Games Lists:
