Master the Badminton Serve: Low, High, Flick and Drive

Every rally begins with a serve, and it is the only shot where nobody is rushing you. Waste it and you hand over the initiative; master it and you dictate the point from the first contact. Here are the four serves worth owning.

The low serve

The doubles staple. Brush the shuttle so it skims just over the net and drops onto the front service line. Done well, the returner can only lift or net it — either way you attack next.

The high serve

The singles workhorse. Send the shuttle high and deep to the back line, pushing your opponent behind them and buying yourself time to reset in the middle. Depth is everything; a short high serve is a gift.

The flick serve

Your surprise weapon. It looks like a low serve, then flicks quickly over the returner's reach to the back — perfect when an opponent creeps in to attack your low serve.

The drive serve

Flat and fast, aimed at the body. Risky, but effective as an occasional shock, especially against a returner standing too square.

Keep it legal

Modern rules require the whole shuttle to be struck below 1.15 m from the floor, with the racket head clearly pointing down. Grooving a serve that is both effective and clean means it holds up under pressure.

Then put it to work: track your matches with Badminton 360 and watch how many more rallies you start in control. Free.