Shots & strokes · Serve · Beginner · ~8 min
High serve
A forehand serve that goes very high and lands near the back line, mainly used in singles.
▶ HIGH SERVE technique in badminton — Badminton Famly (YouTube)
More videos: Badminton - Forehand High Serve (Do You Do This?) (Jacobs Badminton) · High serve tutorial 🙌 P2 #badminton (Rackt )
Prescription3 × 20 shuttles · rest 45 s
EquipmentRacket, Shuttles, Badminton court
ImpactLow
FormatSolo
Tactical use & trade-offs
High, deep serves are hard to attack steeply in singles. In doubles the long service line is shorter, so high serves are easier to smash and are used less.
Technique
| Grip | Forehand grip: shake hands with the handle, the V between thumb and index finger on the top-left bevel, fingers relaxed and slightly spread. |
|---|---|
| Preparation | Stand about 1 m behind the short service line near the centre line, left foot forward, shuttle held in front at shoulder height. |
| Contact point | In front of the front foot, below waist height, after dropping the shuttle. |
| Racket face | Open, facing upward. |
| Swing | Long underarm swing with forearm rotation, accelerating up through contact. |
| Body & footwork | Weight transfers from the back foot to the front foot; both feet stay in contact with the floor until the serve is struck. |
| Follow-through | Racket finishes high over the left shoulder; move to base. |
Coaching cues
- Drop, swing, high to the ceiling
- Feet stay down
Common errors
- Serving short
- Lifting a foot during the serve (fault)
- Hitting the shuttle above the legal height
Practice
On your own: Serve a bucket of shuttles to the back target zone; count how many land inside it.
With a partner: Partner receives and returns with a clear or drop; serve and play the third shot.
Volume: 3 × 20 serves.
Safety
- Stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, chest pain or unusual breathlessness.