When you are getting ready for the serve, you must choose a position that allows you to cover all the different possible serves. In particular, you need to be ready for both low and flick serves.
These videos require Adobe Flash Player, version 10.1 or newer.
(You currently have version )
Please download the latest version from Adobe.
These videos require Adobe Flash Player, which is not installed in your browser.
Please download Flash Player from Adobe.
Please log in or subscribe to watch this coaching video.
Alternatively, why not watch some free sample videos?
How far forwards?
The farther forwards you stand, the more effectively you can attack low serves. Yet this also makes it harder to cope with a flick serve.
The general principle is that you should stand as far forwards as you can, while still being able to play effective flick serve returns. If you cope easily with flick serves, then you’re standing too far back! Force yourself to move farther forwards.
Some players also worry about drive serves, because standing farther forwards gives them less time to react to this shot. I recommend that you do not allow drive serves to influence your receiving position. With more experience, you will get better at fending off these serves (and later on, I’ll teach you some ways to cope with them).
It may not be wise for you to stand as far forwards as the professionals do. Nevertheless, you should challenge yourself! Try standing slightly farther forwards than you feel comfortable with, and see what happens.
Differences between singles and doubles
In doubles, you can safely stand closer to the service line than in singles, for two reasons:
- A doubles flick serve is not allowed into the back tramlines.
- After your shot, your partner can help you cover the court.
You are also compelled to reach the low serve early in doubles, because the server is fully committed to intercepting your net shots, drives, and pushes; if you take the shuttle late, these shots will become ineffective as the shuttle is travelling upwards and you have allowed the server too much time.
The best doubles players stand very close to the service line; the men in particular place their front foot just behind the line. In singles, they stand farther back: about 1–1.5 metres behind the service line.
How close to the middle?
Standing closer to the midline will help you return straight serves; standing farther away from the midline will help you return wide serves.
In doubles, the service court is wider than in singles. You might expect, then, that singles players would stand nearer the midline; but this isn’t always true. Here are some average distances, based on my measurements of professional games:
| Forehand service court | Backhand service court | |
|---|---|---|
| Singles | 77 | 88 |
| Doubles | 68 | 109 |
You can see from these data that players stand wider when in their backhand service court. This is because they need to protect their backhand against a wide flick serve (see below).
Covering the straight low serve
The closer you are to the middle, the easier it will be to attack straight low serves to the T area. To understand why, let’s take an example:
- You are playing doubles, and receiving serve in your right service court.
- You are standing one metre away from the middle line.
- The server serves low, straight to the T (your backhand side).
In this scenario, it’s extremely difficult for you to direct your return towards your right side. For example, one of the best serve returns here would be an angled push to the midcourt tramlines, directed towards your right. But in order to play this shot, you need to get your racket on the left side of the shuttle to play a backhand — and you can’t reach this, because you’re standing too far wide of the middle line.
You can play the same shot to the left instead, using a forehand action; but this is heading towards the server. And because he knows you cannot hit towards your right side, he can anticipate a return straight or towards your left side. In other words, he can be ready for your shot.
Now let’s take the same scenario, but change your receiving position to be nearer the midline (about 70 cm). This time, you will be able to reach around to the left side of the shuttle, and play a backhand shot directed towards your right. So by changing your receiving position to be nearer the midline, you gain more options for returning a straight low serve.
The change from 100 to 70 cm might seem small, but it can make all the difference. It’s the difference between a shot that’s just beyond your reach, and a shot that is within reach.
Covering the wide flick serve
Moving away from the midline is necessary mainly because of the wide flick serve. If you stand very close to the midline, this is the serve that can do real damage.
You should always try to return flick serves using a forehand action, because backhand returns are much weaker. This is why you need to stand out wider in your left service court: you need to protect your backhand from a wide flick serve.
Of course, standing wider makes it more difficult to play forehand returns to a straight low serve. Thankfully, this isn’t as big a problem as it was in your right service court with a backhand: because of your receiving posture, it’s a little easier to reach out to your forehand side.
Secondary considerations
If you stand very near the midline, you may also have trouble with wide low serves, especially to your backhand (in the left service court).
If you stand very wide, then a straight drive serve could be a serious problem: the shuttle may be completely beyond your reach!
Copyright © 2008–2012 Mike Hopley. All rights reserved.
This work is registered with the UK Copyright Service.