Badminton is trained across the three areas of the court (net, mid-court, rear court), on movement from the base to the six corners and on the attack–defence transition. In singles, court control and patience matter; in doubles, attacking in a front–back formation and defending side by side.
The program is built from the PlanSports training catalogue for Badminton: 55 techniques in 10 families, 25 drills and 10 tactical principles. In the app you pick what you work on today, log attempts and successes per technique, and your coach sees the progress.
Three sessions built from the drills below, from beginner to advanced. Durations are indicative; in the app you swap drills and log each one.
Day 1
approx. 55 min
Day 2
approx. 75 min
Day 3
approx. 59 min
55 techniques in 10 families. For each: what it is, key points and common mistakes. Open a family to see them.
The basic doubles serve: the shuttle pushed short, skimming the net, to land just past the short service line.
A short serve played on the forehand, less common at high level; useful for beginners and in women's singles.
The classic singles serve: the shuttle sent very high and deep, to drop vertically onto the back line.
Prepare a short serve, then a short flick of the wrist sends the shuttle over the receiver towards the back corner. Used in doubles against a receiver who attacks the serve.
A fast, flat serve towards the receiver's body or backhand; an element of surprise, especially in doubles.
A very high, deep clear that gives you time to get back to the base when you're under pressure.
A clear with a flat trajectory, just over your opponent's racket, forcing them to turn quickly to the back.
A soft drop that lands close to the net; same preparation as the clear, but you slow the racket down before contact.
A fast, downward drop hit with slice (the racket face cuts the shuttle), landing just past the short service line.
A cross-court drop played with reverse slice (inward movement), very hard to read.
The most powerful downward shot: body and shoulder rotation plus forearm pronation, with the shuttle hit in front of the head.
A smash with less power but a steep angle and accuracy; leaves you better balanced for the next shot.
A smash hit in the air, for a steeper angle and a higher contact point. It costs energy; used on high, short shuttles.
A smash with a short swing, from the forearm and fingers, played from mid-court or when you don't have time for full preparation. Typical in doubles.
The shuttle in the backhand corner hit with the forehand, with the racket brought over the head and the body leaning sideways.
A smash from the backhand corner with the forehand, usually straight or at the body.
A drop (slow or sliced) from the backhand corner, hit with the forehand round the head; often sliced cross-court.
The shuttle hit with your back to the net, on the backhand, with a fast forearm (supination) and wrist action.
A drop from the backhand corner with an overhead backhand; a shot to escape pressure, straight or cross-court.
An overhead backhand smash on a shuttle that can't be taken round the head; a rare surprise shot.
The shuttle touched softly, taken as high as possible close to the net tape, to drop just over the net on your opponent's side.
A sliced net shot that makes the shuttle tumble over the tape; your opponent can't hit it cleanly until it settles.
The shuttle sent along the net to the opposite corner; effective when your opponent has come to the net on the straight.
A shuttle that comes high over the net is hit short and downwards before it drops.
A shuttle skimming the tape is hit with a sideways "brushing" movement so you don't touch the net.
The shuttle pushed flat from the net to the mid or rear of your opponent's court, between the players; typical in doubles.
The shuttle taken low, near the net, and sent high and deep to the back of your opponent's court.
A lift with a lower, faster trajectory, over your opponent's racket, forcing them to run to the back.
A flat, fast shot at net height, from the side of the body; typical in doubles.
A flat drive on the backhand, with the thumb on the back of the handle.
The shuttle pushed with control into the middle of your opponent's court or between the players, forcing them to lift.
Your opponent's smash returned short, near the net, using the pace of the shuttle; it forces the attacker to come forward.
The smash returned high and deep to the back of your opponent's court, to buy time.
The smash returned flat and fast, past the net player, to turn defence into attack.
A smash at the body is taken on the backhand, with the racket in front of the chest; the attackers' most frequent target.
The racket held as in a handshake, with the "V" between thumb and index finger on the edge of the handle, fingers relaxed.
The thumb placed on the broad back face of the handle, to push the racket on backhand shots.
The thumb on the angled bevel of the handle; used for backhand shots from the rear corners and for some net shots.
Racket face facing the net; useful for net kills and fast drives in front of the body, in doubles.
Switching from the forehand grip to the backhand grip (and back) by rolling the handle in the fingers, between two fast shots.
A small preparatory hop exactly as your opponent hits, for an explosive start.
Approach steps (chassé or crossover step) and a lunge on the racket-side leg, heel first, towards the net corners.
A sideways chassé backwards, the shot with the legs switching in the air (scissor kick), landing on the front leg and pushing back to the base.
Pivot and two or three steps to the backhand corner: either for a round-the-head shot or with your back to the net for the overhead backhand.
A side step or a lateral jump towards the sideline, to defend a smash or for a drive.
Returning after every shot to the base position, slightly behind the geometric centre; adjusted according to where you sent the shuttle.
Movement without a shuttle to the 6 corners (2 at the net, 2 mid-court, 2 at the back), with a shadow shot and recovery to the base.
When the pair is hitting down, the players move into a front–back formation: the back player attacks, the front player covers the net and intercepts.
When the pair is forced to lift the shuttle, the players move sideways, side by side, each covering their own half.
After a good block or drive from defence, one of the players moves up to the net and the pair re-forms the front–back formation.
The server stays at the net after the short serve and attacks a weak return; the partner covers the back.
The receiver stands close to the short service line and attacks the short serve downwards (kill, push or net shot) before it drops.
The front player cuts off the opponents' drives and blocks without getting in the way of their partner's smash.
Flat, fast exchanges in mid-court; whoever keeps the shuttle down and forces the other to lift wins.
In mixed, the woman usually controls the net and the man covers the back; both switch to side-by-side defence only when forced to.
25 drills by kind: warm-up, technical, tactical, physical, play. Duration, volume, what you need, the goal and how you know it worked.
Easy jogging, skipping, lunges, shoulder and trunk rotations, light jumps, sideways and backwards chassé, a few accelerations to the net.
What you need: Empty court.
Goal: Preparing the joints (shoulder, ankle, knee) for lunges and jumps.
Success: No stiffness on the first lunges and smashes.
Works on: Split-step, Movement to the net (lunge), Sideways movement in mid-court
Progressive exchanges: net shots, then drives from mid-court, then long clears, drops and a few easy smashes.
What you need: Two players on opposite halves.
Goal: Warming up the shots across all three areas.
Success: The shuttle consistently reaches the required area.
Works on: Net shot, Forehand drive, Backhand drive, Defensive (high) clear, Slow drop
Short backhand serves to the T and wide, then high serves and flicks to the back line. Every serve that lands on target and skims the tape is recorded.
What you need: A basket of shuttles, targets (cones/shuttles) at the T, wide and on the back line.
Goal: Serve accuracy and consistency.
Success: Percentage of serves in the target area (short serves: under 10 cm above the tape).
Works on: Backhand low serve, Forehand low serve, Forehand high serve, Flick serve (surprise long serve)
Continuous clear exchanges, first straight, then cross-court. The players recover towards the base after every shot.
What you need: Two players at the back of the court.
Goal: A clear that reaches the back line, with correct side-on preparation.
Success: Clears landing in the last 76 cm of the court (between the back lines).
Works on: Defensive (high) clear, Attacking (punch) clear, Movement to the rear forehand corner (scissor kick)
A plays a clear, B answers with a drop, A plays a net shot, B lifts. A continuous circuit linking the rear court to the front.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Linking shots and front–back movement.
Success: Drops land in front of the short service line; lifts reach the back line.
Works on: Defensive (high) clear, Slow drop, Fast (sliced) drop, Net shot, Lift
A lifts, B smashes, A blocks short, B runs to the net and plays a net shot or a lift, and the cycle continues.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Smash with recovery, short block from defence.
Success: Blocks land within the first metre past the net; smashes are angled down.
Works on: Full smash, Half smash, Smash block, Lift
The coach throws/hits high shuttles alternately into the rear forehand and backhand corners; the player plays a clear, drop or smash (called or own choice), recovering to the base.
What you need: Coach with a basket of shuttles at the net, player at the base.
Goal: Overhead technique and rear-court movement, at high volume.
Success: Percentage of shots reaching the target area.
Works on: Defensive (high) clear, Fast (sliced) drop, Full smash, Round-the-head clear, Backhand overhead clear, Movement to the rear forehand corner (scissor kick), Movement to the rear backhand corner
The coach throws short shuttles into the two net corners; the player lunges and plays a net shot, a spinning net shot or a lift, recovering to the base.
What you need: Coach with a basket of shuttles on the other side of the net.
Goal: Delicate touch at the net and correct lunging.
Success: Net shots landing within the first 50 cm; lifts reaching the back line.
Works on: Net shot, Spinning net shot (tumbling), Cross-court net shot, Lift, Movement to the net (lunge)
The player stands at the short service line, racket up, and finishes each shuttle with a kill or brush without touching the net.
What you need: Coach with a basket, throwing shuttles just over the tape.
Goal: Finishing at the net, fast and safely.
Success: Kills in without touching the net.
Works on: Net kill, Brush kill, Panhandle grip
Smashes to the left, the right and the body; the defender alternates the short block, the long return and the counter-drive, as called by the coach.
What you need: Coach or partner smashing from a chair/from mid-court.
Goal: Solid defence on both sides and at the body.
Success: Returns reach the required area (net or back line).
Works on: Smash block, Long smash return, Counter-attack from defence (drive off the smash), Body defence (backhand)
Fast, flat drives, straight, then alternating forehand and backhand, then free. The shuttle must not rise.
What you need: Two players in mid-court, facing each other.
Goal: Hand speed, grip change, flat drive.
Success: Number of consecutive drives below head height.
Works on: Forehand drive, Backhand drive, Quick grip change, Drive exchanges in doubles
Singles played on half the court only: focus on length and the net shot, no lateral angles.
What you need: Two players on the long half of the court (one side of the centre line).
Goal: Depth control: clear, drop, net shot, lift.
Success: Points won through depth and good net shots.
Works on: Defensive (high) clear, Slow drop, Net shot, Lift
Conditioned game: the point can only be won after the opponent has been sent to at least three different corners in the same rally.
What you need: Two players on the full singles court.
Goal: Building the point by moving the opponent around.
Success: Number of points won after moving the opponent into all the corners.
Works on: Attacking (punch) clear, Fast (sliced) drop, Net shot, Attacking (flat) lift, Half smash
The attacker may only hit down (smash, drop, kill); the defender only up (lift, clear) or block. Then they swap roles.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Patience in attack and resilience in defence.
Success: The attacker wins the point without unforced errors; the defender keeps as many shots going as possible.
Works on: Full smash, Half smash, Fast (sliced) drop, Smash block, Long smash return
Net shots only; a shuttle that rises can be attacked with a kill. Whoever sends the shuttle outside the area loses.
What you need: Two players, playing only between the net and the short service line.
Goal: Delicate touch and patience at the net.
Success: Points won with spinning net shots or kills on shuttles that rise.
Works on: Net shot, Spinning net shot (tumbling), Cross-court net shot, Net kill
The defending pair lifts; the back player of the attacking pair smashes down the middle and at the body, while the front player intercepts any weak block or drive.
What you need: Four players: one pair attacks, one defends.
Goal: The front–back formation and the roles in attack.
Success: Points won by the front player from weak returns; smashes without errors.
Works on: Attacking rotation (front–back), Interception at the net (front player), Stick smash, Full smash, Net kill
The defending pair stands side by side and answers smashes with blocks, long returns and drives. On the first good block, the pair switches to attack.
What you need: Four players, or two defenders against the coach + a partner.
Goal: Compact defence and the switch to attack.
Success: Number of rallies turned from defence into attack.
Works on: Switching to defence (side by side), Switching from defence to attack, Smash block, Counter-attack from defence (drive off the smash), Body defence (backhand)
A doubles game in which the coach stops the rally at every wrong formation (both at the back in attack, both on one side in defence) and awards the point to the opponents.
What you need: Four players.
Goal: Making the front–back / side-by-side rotations automatic.
Success: Number of stoppages for wrong formation going down.
Works on: Attacking rotation (front–back), Switching to defence (side by side), Switching from defence to attack
Every rally starts with a short serve or a flick; the receiver attacks the serve, and the server and their partner try to win the third shot. The rally is played up to the fifth shot.
What you need: Four players.
Goal: The first shots of the rally, where many doubles points are decided.
Success: Percentage of rallies in which the serving pair gains the attack after the third shot.
Works on: Backhand low serve, Flick serve (surprise long serve), Short serve and third shot, Rushing the serve, Net push
The woman holds the net and intercepts, the man covers the whole back. The opponents try to pull the woman out of the front with lifts to the sidelines.
What you need: Four players (or 3: woman at the net + man at the back against one coach).
Goal: Roles and court coverage in mixed.
Success: The woman isn't pulled out of the net area; the man covers the back with no gaps.
Works on: Mixed doubles positions, Interception at the net (front player), Stick smash, Net kill
Movement from the base to the indicated corner, shadow shot, recovery. Fixed order, then random on the coach's signal.
What you need: Empty court; the coach points to the corner or calls the number.
Goal: Footwork efficiency and sport-specific endurance.
Success: Corners reached per set with technique maintained to the end.
Works on: Six-corner shadow, Split-step, Movement to the net (lunge), Movement to the rear forehand corner (scissor kick), Movement to the rear backhand corner, Sideways movement in mid-court, Recovery to the base (centre of the court)
Fast runs through the ladder (single step, lateral, in-and-out), followed by a start on a signal towards a cone.
What you need: Agility ladder, cones, partner for signals.
Goal: Foot speed and reaction.
Success: Time per run and reaction to the signal.
Works on: Split-step, Sideways movement in mid-court
Box jumps and lateral jumps, forward and lateral lunges, ankle and knee stability work; plus exercises for the shoulder rotators.
What you need: Plyo box, light dumbbell.
Goal: The jump for the smash, the lunge at the net, injury prevention.
Success: Every rep with a stable landing.
Works on: Jump smash, Movement to the net (lunge)
Games start from tight scores; the players have to close out or save the game.
What you need: Two or four players.
Goal: Good decisions at the end of a game.
Success: Games closed out without unforced errors on the last points.
Works on: Backhand low serve, Forehand high serve, Defensive (high) clear, Net shot
A match under BWF rules (3 × 21, rally scoring). The coach notes unforced errors, winners and the areas where points were lost.
What you need: Two or four players.
Goal: Applying technique and tactics in a match.
Success: Ratio of winners to unforced errors.
Works on: Backhand low serve, Forehand high serve, Defensive (high) clear, Full smash, Net shot, Lift
The tactical principles of the sport and the drills used to train each.
In singles, the winner is the one who moves the opponent over long distances (the court's diagonals) and pulls them away from the base. Combine deep clears with drops and net shots before attacking.
Drills: Singles: four-corner game, Half-court singles (length), Clear – drop – net shot – lift
The smash is played on short shuttles, from a balanced position, and is followed by moving in to the net for the next shot. From the rear court, a fast drop is often more effective than a full smash.
Drills: Singles: one attacks, one defends, Smash – block – lift
Whoever takes the shuttle first and highest at the net forces the opponent to lift. Spinning net shots and the threat of the kill force short lifts.
Drills: The net duel, Multi-shuttle: the net, Multi-shuttle: net kill
When you hit down, the pair goes front–back. The back player smashes down the middle and at the body, the front player intercepts weak blocks and drives. Don't lift the shuttle unless you're forced to.
When you lift, the pair goes side by side. A short block or a flat drive past the front player turns the rally around; whoever blocks short moves up to the net.
Drills: Doubles: side-by-side defence, Smash defence (multi-shuttle)
In doubles, many points are decided on the serve, the return and the third shot. A tight short serve, the flick as a threat and an aggressive return (rush, push between the players) decide who attacks first.
Drills: Doubles: serve, return, third and fourth shot, Serving at targets
In doubles, smashes and pushes down the middle, between the opponents, create confusion ("whose is it?") and reduce the return angles. In singles, a shuttle at the body is hard to defend.
The woman controls the net, the man covers the back and attacks. The opponents try to push the woman to the back with lifts and pushes to the sidelines.
Drills: Mixed: net versus back
The same preparation for the clear, drop and smash (from the back) and for the net shot, lift and push (at the net) stops your opponent moving early. The hold at the net (holding the racket and waiting for their move) completes the disguise.
Alternating slow shots (slow drop, high clear) with fast ones (attacking clear, smash, push) breaks your opponent's rhythm and produces errors.
Drills: Singles: four-corner game, Scenario match (from 17-17)
The criteria your coach grades from 1 to 10 in the app, in four directions.
Create a free account, pick Badminton and "what are you working on today". Log attempts and successes per technique, the watch measures the effort, and your club coach sees the session and suggests the next drills.
I want a 4-week program made for me (AI coach) › Gym exercises for physical preparation ›The content is compiled by PlanSports from the sources above and checked by coaches; it does not replace your coach. The personalised week-by-week program comes from the AI coach.
