The back-court drop (BCD) is an effective tool used primarily during singles play. Beginning at the back court, you hit the shuttle at the slightly forward peak of your swing in such a way that the shuttle just crosses the net and (ideally) hits the floor within 1-2 feet of the net in your opponent’s court. The smash is rather obvious in purpose and application. It is meant as a tool to catch your opponent off guard or to simply power the shuttle past them.

The BCD is truly only effective when used with the proper swing mechanics. The mechanics of the BCD should be nearly IDENTICAL to those of a back-court smash. The advantage of BCD lies in deception. Your opponent should not be able to tell the difference in the swing mechanics of your drop and your smash. This leaves you with the element of surprise and makes defending such shots extremely difficult since smash and drop defense are entirely different.

• For both the BCD and smash, you should be near the back of the court with your dominant leg behind you, chest at 90 degrees to your dominant side, on your toes, knees bent, shuttle slightly in front of you, and racket up.
• As the shuttle falls, bend your knees to provide the spring in your step when you swing.
• Follow the shuttle with your non-racket hand (basically point at it; this will help balance you in addition to ensuring proper follow through and enhanced power).
• When the shuttle is in striking distance slightly in front of you, spring up with your knees and toes (height is up to you; you can make a huge jump or simply switch feet position), lead the swing with your hips by quickly rotating them towards the front of the court (leading with your hips will give you more power in addition to assisting with deception).
• As your hips rotate, so will your upper body. Rotate your arms in a windmill swinging motion, with your non-racket arm beginning the rotation as your racket arm comes up to take its place. It is at this point that your racket should be cocked behind your head ready to snap at the elbow and wrist.
• As your racket arm approaches the falling shuttle, straighten your elbow and SLIGHTLY snap your wrist as you contact the shuttle. This slight snap is the difference between a BCD and a smash.
• After contacting the shuttle, follow through with your racket crossing your body. The follow through is very important as it completes the body mechanics initiated by your legs and hips allowing for a fluid transition back to the middle of the court (your momentum at this point will be slightly forward, which is exactly what you want).

As for the smash…follow the exact steps but instead of slightly snapping your wrist, REALLY SNAP YOUR WRIST!!!

Tags: backcourt, Badminton, defense, drop, how to, mechanics, Smash, technique