Badminton drills for beginners are easy training exercises that allow novice players to grasp fundamental skills and strategies. These practice routines focus on building fundamental techniques such as footwork, grip, and striking the shuttlecock.
This method allows new players to develop a strong base before progressing to higher level play. Most beginners’ drills employ easily-accessible equipment such as rackets, shuttlecocks and court lines that can be found in most local gyms throughout the U.S.
Each class usually starts with some short stretches and warm-ups. From there, we jump right into basic drills that help you learn basic shots, basic serves and basic footwork.
Regardless of age, youth to adult, these are the drills that coaches and trainers recommend for beginners. The following pages outline beginner-level drills that you can practice on your own or with a partner to further develop your abilities and build confidence in your game.
Getting Started: Your First Steps
Entering at the ground level may seem daunting, but it’s the most effective way to truly grow. Beginners benefit the most by first getting down the big rules. Every tennis match begins with a serve, and in classic games, only the serving team can score points!
Familiarity with the court arrangement goes a long way as well. Federal regulation calls for badminton courts in the U.S. To have uniform lines. Understanding the limits for singles and doubles helps you stay disciplined and focused as you practice.
Getting familiar with the scoring system—matches to 21 points, rally scoring—establishes unambiguous objectives for each practice.
Choosing the proper racket is important. Light, easy-to-handle rackets with a comfortable grip go a long way, particularly when learning drives and push shots. A proper fit will go a long way towards reducing wrist strain and improving overall control.
Setting small, clear goals helps keep progress in check—like hitting 10 shots in a row from one spot before moving on.
Why Badminton Rocks for Newbies
Badminton provides an immediate return on investment. Your hand-eye coordination will increase as you learn to follow every shuttle and respond quickly. Because of the game’s fast pace, players develop agility as they sprint short distances to quickly change direction.
Socially, local clubs around Los Angeles and many U.S. Cities offer friendly doubles matches, helping new players learn and connect. Perfect for an intense cardio workout! It works for casual players and elite players alike—everyone can play together.
Essential Gear: Don’t Overcomplicate It
Don’t Overcomplicate It. Required gear includes an adult-sized beginning racket, a tube of shuttlecocks, and court shoes for indoor play with good grip. Wear athletic clothes that give you plenty of mobility.
Some people wear them for wrist support, but there isn’t much specialized gear that you can’t find at your local sporting goods store.
The Crucial Badminton Ready Stance
Set up in an athletic stance with your feet about shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and racket in front. This ready position enhances your reaction time and is one of the essential badminton skills for improved balance and preparation for any shot.
Gripping Your Racket Right
A relaxed forehand grip is essential for all shots. A basic grip should be consistent across the board. Experiment with both forehand and backhand grips to see which is more comfortable.
Avoid tight muscles—if your grip is too tight, then your reaction time is decreased and mistakes are made.
Footwork: The Unsung Hero
Effective footwork is central to badminton, dictating how players get to the shuttle and react in the heat of the moment. Although shots receive most of the attention, it’s usually intelligent footwork that gives birth to each victorious point.
Students that develop their footwork early on create foundational habits that will carry them through and continue to improve their development over time. Elite athletes will dedicate 30% of their practice to footwork. That’s how important it is.
Why Smart Movement Wins Games
Smart footwork equals no unnecessary movements, more energy saved, and more gas left in the tank over the course of games. Moving well allows you to be in position for each shot and not rushed or off-balance.
Research indicates athletes that train with shadow drills – a training exercise that involves no shuttlecock – can increase their movement speed, quickness and agility by 20%. Effective footwork is about being able to read your opponent, allowing you to make contact with a smash or drop shot before it is even landed.
By returning to the middle after every shot, you dictate the space and force your opponent into errors. This allows you to create plays instead of only responding to them.
Footwork: Your Court Superpower
Drills that develop lateral movement, such as side shuffles, will prepare you to get to those far corner shots. Transitioning from attack to defense, for example, rushing the net and then retreating, develops the agility that’s essential for actual games.
While ladder drills and other fast-feet exercises improve your reaction time, these drills ensure footwork becomes instinctive. Putting these drills into practice during actual games develops muscle memory, confidence, and quick reflexes.
Sidestep Common Movement Blunders
Beginners often cross their feet or overextend and stand too high, which can be difficult to recover from or even defeat the idea of balance. Maintaining a low center of gravity and proper foot placement allows you to be both balanced and agile.
Getting feedback from others, whether a coach or a peer, helps spot habits you might miss and fine-tune your moves.
Quick Feet, Quicker Wins
Acceleration exercises such as ladder drills and sprints improve quickness, and speed work implementation through shadowing ingrains muscle memory for fast, fluid footwork.
Timed drills like this one create an extra element of pressure, forcing you to go quicker while maintaining control.
8 Essential Drills for Beginners
Developing a strong base of general badminton fundamentals involves focusing on many, many different skills and tasks. For beginners, slow and consistent is the way to go, and that’s built through focused practice. This list is meant to cover drills that develop all areas of play.
They target aspects such as touch, control, movement around the court, and variety of shots. These drills work great for players in cities or suburbs who use neighborhood gyms, rec centers, or local badminton clubs. They’re designed for the person who wants to measure their progress, connect with their friends, and get the most out of every workout.
Be sure to warm up with stretches before beginning, and always do drills in a safe, open space away from traffic. By practicing each drill for 10–15 minutes a day, you’ll improve your control, speed, and confidence on the pitch.
1. Shuttle Taps: Feel the Birdie
Shuttle taps are a great way for beginners to gauge the shuttlecock and develop soft, controlled touches. Begin by holding your racket straight ahead and tapping the shuttle lightly upwards, snapping your wrist but keeping the racket loose. Maintain a consistent cadence—aim to tap the birdie 10 times in a row without it hitting the ground.
This drill is effective regardless of grip, forehand or backhand. Either switch hands after each set, or alternate between forehand and backhand strokes to develop proficiency on both sides of your body. As you get comfortable, move further away from a partner and pass taps back and forth.
Add distance gradually to test the limits of your accuracy and precision. This drill is a great introduction to building hand-eye coordination before advancing to more difficult tasks.
2. Wall Rally: Your Consistent Partner
The wall rally is an essential badminton drill that helps develop shot consistency and accuracy for all levels, including beginner badminton players. Stand a couple of feet from a brick wall and smash the shuttle into it, aiming to outlast your partner as long as possible! Vary your shots—try high clears, soft drops, and fast drives to enhance your badminton skills.
The wall will return each shot at a consistent pace, allowing you to focus on building a series of 10+ consecutive strikes. This drill is a great way to incorporate basic badminton skills into your practice sessions. Record your best wall rally number each time to track your improvement and progress.
Pay attention to your footwork as you shift laterally and set your feet. Practicing with a wall is not only safe but also incredibly convenient, making it a favorite among badminton players in US clubs and schools.
3. Shadow Footwork: Dance Around Court
Shadow footwork drills are important for creating movement around the court and building muscle memory, all without a shuttlecock involved. Stand on the court and move around like you would when playing an actual point, shuffling and lunging to each side.
Concentrate on maintaining a low stance, quick shuffle steps, and fluid transitions from shot to shot. Practicing in front of a mirror or recording a short video can show areas to improve, such as foot placement or balance.
These drills can be used as a warm-up routine to help get blood flowing and muscles loosened, particularly in the legs. Getting your footwork and racket swings working together will enable you to move faster and more efficiently once you begin live rallies.
4. Basic Serve Practice: Aim Small
Since serving is the first shot in each rally, aim for your targets. Create some markers or targets on the other side of the court. To make it easier, use cones, lines, or even strips of tape. Train a combination of high serves to back boundary and flat serves to the front service line.
Keep your motion smooth and controlled, and try to land your serve in the target zone every time. Time how many serves land in the correct spot out of 10 tries and keep track of it. Experiment with various grips and angles until you find what comes most naturally.
With this drill, you should see a greater success rate of serves and fewer faults during actual gameplay over time.
5. Forehand Lift Drill: Up High
Forehand lifts are key for defensive play and to get yourself out of sticky situations. Begin on one side of the court with a partner standing on the opposite side feeding shuttles to your forehand side. With your racket, you will be lifting the shuttle high and deep toward the back court.
Emphasis should be placed on getting under the shuttle and using your legs to drive up. Have a target—such as 10 consecutive successful lifts—to push yourself as you go. This will train you to lift to various heights and corners, developing your accuracy.
Partners can act as a second set of eyes, calling out when your swing is too flat or your grip needs adjustment. With repetition, your lifts will not only become higher but more accurate, helping you to be able to reset points and win more.
6. Backhand Defensive Drill: Get It Back
The backhand is one of the biggest weaknesses of beginner players. To prepare, either stand close to the net or in the middle of the court and have a partner feed shuttles to your backhand side for you to return. Pay attention to grip and your body orientation to the paddle to get the proper length and angle.
Focus on controlled swings to return the shuttle with purpose and intent, with the goal of keeping it alive as long as possible. Hitting backhand returns against a wall is another great drill. Keep a log of how many returns in a row you can do and track your improvement over time.
This drill will help you feel more confident dealing with those fast or awkward shots you’ll see in a match.
7. Gentle Net Play Drill
Net play drills help develop touch, quickness, and finesse when getting close to the front of the court. Get near the net and make soft, touch shots that just barely go over the tape. Focus on producing a low, tight shuttle to the net, which reduces your opponent’s choices.
Practice returning slow, soft shots over the net with a partner. Instead, implement a drill such as “Ins and Outs” to practice transitioning from net shots to drops. Work on fast footwork to get you into position and quick reflexes to react right away.
Net play drills instill confidence, making sure that you don’t go wild in rapid-fire exchanges.
8. Multi-Shuttle Feed: Real Action
This multi-shuttle variation mimics the high-speed nature of real-life competition and challenges your badminton skills to react quickly. Have someone feed you multiple shuttles in a row, varying the shot—all clears, drops, smashes, and net shots. Aim for a smooth, even pace and make sure to bring back each shuttle with a different type of shot, utilizing proper badminton technique.
Begin at an extremely slow pace and gradually increase the tempo of feeds as players improve their skill level. Incorporate this drill into your beginner badminton training program to work on your “Slow Drops, Fast Drops, and Light Smashes.” The key is to pay attention to progressing from soft to hard strokes!
This is the most realistic of all the drills, but you can still perform multi-shuttle drills safely. To prevent accidents, keep both players hitting into the same open court. Monitor your percentage of success and continue to strive for faster, more precise responses.
Making Your Practice Count
Like any good practice—it requires an outline, targeted objectives, and a healthy balance of activities designed to develop core competencies. For novices, it’s a good idea to structure every workout. Breaking your time down into chunks keeps you focused.
Having a specific aim—for instance, to work on your drop shot or tidy your footwork—always helps to provide clarity and direction. We have found that a checklist is best for many of the new players. Some would rather use a paper notebook to jot down what they need to focus on.
Add variety to your drills to avoid predictability. A must have for any beginner, “Lift, Drop, Net, Net” trains control and touch around the net and front of the court. You too wish to focus on forehand and backhand strokes, as these are simple yet essential strokes for every player.
Of course, practicing appropriate movement is important, but predictable shot-making drills don’t prepare players for the flow of an actual game. Get an adult partner to throw shuttles over the net from one side. You swing from the opposite side—this increases unpredictability and assists you in building better reaction time!
Fifteen to twenty minutes max per drill is a good guideline to start with.
Footwork drills are vital, because the best movement will always get you into position to hit every possible shot. Serving practice should be the last thing you ever overlook, because with a great serve you’ll set up every rally from the very first touch.
Never stop learning, and never stop thinking about what worked and what didn’t. Write down your thoughts or discuss them with a practice buddy. Receiving input from a coach or more experienced player can accelerate your development.
Beyond Basic Drills: Next Level
Going beyond the basic drills is about much more than just volleying a shuttlecock back and forth. It’s not just about the drills, it’s about developing skills that carry over into real games and help make you a more complete player.
Learning these advanced drills not only will teach you how to master the core strokes but vary your footwork and help you learn to play with more variety.
Spotting Typical Beginner Mistakes
It’s common for beginners to have a death grip on their racquet or come to the net standing too rigidly. These habits cause a lot of bad shots and slow you down dramatically.
Grip, stance, and shot execution must be calm and effortless. Video footage can reveal mistakes you wouldn’t otherwise catch, such as a late swing or bad footwork.
That’s where coaches can provide candid observations and feedback, assisting you in addressing these pitfalls before they become entrenched.
Adding Simple Tactics Early On
Adding tactics such as shot selection and positioning on the court early on provides a competitive advantage. Learning, for instance, not to lift the shuttle too high prevents your opponent from being able to smash.
Work in some simple kinds of deception, such as a drop fake or drive fake. For doubles, discuss with your partner when to switch sides and how to cover each side of the court.
Knowing your positioning and your opponents’ positioning will help you make more intelligent plays.
How to See Your Progress
With a practice journal, it’s much more possible to remember exactly what drills you practiced and what things were feeling better and worse. By focusing on specific short-term measurable objectives, such as developing the backhand serve, you can easily identify progress.
Counting up match scores and celebrating the little victories helps you stay inspired.
When to Play Your First Game?
When to Play Your First Game Next, once you’re confident with the fundamentals—having a solid forehand and backhand stroke and so on—play a friendly match.
Discuss with your teammate or co-shotgunner what shots everyone is responsible for. Aim to win, but treat the match like a learning opportunity above all else.
Getting Good Feedback Helps
Solicit advice from coaches and more experienced players to get a better understanding of your performance. Follow their advice, adjust your form and get better sooner.
Don’t assume that every bit of guidance is perfect—act on it to improve.
Fun Ways to Sharpen Skills
Constantly learning and changing up your badminton drills prevents players from getting bored during practice and develops legitimate skills in new players. Changing up new and old routines makes practice fresh!
Once you add some whimsical competitive challenges and mini-games, each play session becomes a team sport instead of a task. When novices have an enjoyable time, they return again and again, and their personal development skyrockets.
Target Practice: Aim and Score
Whether using tape or cones, mark off different areas on the court. Target practice teaches you more than how much power to shoot with — it teaches you which areas to aim for.
Attempt back corner clears or drop shots close to the net. Approach the court with a variety of strokes—clears, drives, smashes—to cover each area.
You can up the difficulty by doing a timed round or point challenge such as 10 points in five minutes. Monitor scores against previous rounds to watch your aim go from wild to sniper!
Others prefer to place empty shuttle tubes down the back tramlines and see who can make the most shots inside.
Mini-Games: Tramline Challenges
Each mini-game is targeted at a specific skill, like serving or net shots. Teams are able to play English doubles, with each member defending half a court.
These mini-games inject a fun, competitive spirit and help maintain high energy levels among all participants. Time limits create a sense of urgency, and special rules—such as only being able to score on backhand shots—make it all the more compelling.
This friendly competition helps develop strong teamwork and communication—skills that are essential when playing doubles.
“King of the Court” Fun
In this game, one player holds the court as the “king”, while other players rotate in as challengers. Each player has an opportunity to battle it out and test their strategy.
With this configuration, players are motivated to develop as much from winning as from losing. It’s a fun, low-pressure environment to try out new serves or trick shots.
Shuttle Control Games
Team up with a partner to see how many rallies you can sustain. Hit to improve – work on making clean contact each time, experimenting with soft net drops or deep clears.
Alternate adding one-handed hits to develop control and wrist flexor strength. Rotate—attacker, defender—so the drill doesn’t get stale.
For grip drilling, start by holding the racket with your knuckles together for backhands and loosening up for forehands. Players receive passes from a partner in an orderly fashion, creating increased concentration and timing on each hit.
Building Your Badminton Fitness
Fitness is an extremely important component to your overall performance on the badminton court. Conditioning your body is your ticket to moving quicker, lasting longer and being able to keep pace with the frenetic speed of the game. Including strength and conditioning drills into your practice schedule lays a foundation for improved skills.
Combining skill drills and fitness work provides a more comprehensive, well-rounded training schedule.
Why You Need Good Stamina
Stamina is crucial for both the duration and intensity of your play in badminton. Cardio exercises such as running, cycling, or jogging in place improve your body’s stamina, allowing you to last through long rallies. Incorporating essential badminton drills in quick, explosive intervals—30 seconds to a minute—followed by rest can enhance your performance.
It’s wise to be cautious with your energy expenditure during training. This approach helps you identify what’s effective. Setting goals, such as completing an entire badminton match without fatigue or running a specific distance, will elevate your skill level.
As a beginner badminton player, aim for three to four training sessions per week. Once you feel stronger, you can start adding more sets and reps, ultimately working towards two or three sets of fifteen repetitions to improve your badminton skills.
Boost Your Court Agility
Agility drills—like side shuffles or cone sprints—simulate the lateral movements you’ll perform on court. Mark quick-change routes with cones or tape. Work on badminton fitness drills that require you to change direction quickly such as zig-zag runs or two-shot combinations.
As you practice, record yourself to monitor improvement. This develops quicker footspeed and improved all-court mobility.
Easy Fitness Boosters for Players
Simple warm-up exercises like jumping jacks or lunges will help you start in the right frame of mind and body. Resistance bands up the ante for strength, and core exercises like planks keep you grounded and steady.
Basic aerobic activities, such as jogging in place, help increase coordination and endurance. Schedule your fitness into your week, making it a priority.
Balancing Skills and Fitness
A proper training plan should strike a balance between developing badminton-specific skills and developing your overall fitness. Designate certain days for skills practice, others for fitness.
Monitor your progress in each skill and fitness. Once you start to make progress, adjust your approach to continue meeting your goals.
My Personal Badminton Tips
If you’re just starting out in badminton, you will soon discover that there’s more than meets the eye especially in cities such as Los Angeles. It’s so much more than just swinging at the shuttlecock! In the course of my years of doing it, I learned some basic truths.
These revelations are what keep players of all stripes, young and old, coming back and getting better. These tips work for folks who want to enjoy the sport and see real growth, whether at a gym in the city or a backyard court.
Patience: Your Best Badminton Buddy
Patience is one of those things that I think is a true game changer. Everyone hates to wait for results, but in badminton, true mastery takes time. Those were the times I experienced the most success by being patient.
Instead of going to the gym and smashing all day I worked on my footwork and fundamental shots. Watching a rally, you notice that players who stay calm and celebrate small wins tend to last longer and have more fun.
Patience is not innate, it’s acquired. Everyone learns at their own pace, so some patience with each session goes a long way in the long run.
Learn by Watching Others Play
Just devoting time to observe high level club players or even matches online helps a lot. Pay attention to their footwork, low backhand serve, and how they prepare for shots.
Apply what you learn in drills. Engage others in discussions on new moves and techniques. This allows you to develop the sense of timing, which is essential for powerful shots, rather than relying on power.
Remember to Enjoy the Game
Above all else, having fun is what’s most important. Incorporating friends to play with, changing it up with different formats, and playing along with local events can help hold you accountable.
With longer rallies and social games, there’s no better time to embrace the process. They’re great, particularly when you are on an improving your defense or learning to talk to your partner drill.
Mistakes Are Just Lessons
Mistakes are a part of every single game. They can illustrate your areas for growth. When you miss a shot or misread a play, think about what happened, talk it over with teammates, and keep a growth mindset.
When building a place, the right culture and environment allows everyone to understand these mistakes as part of the improvement process.
Keep Your Drills Adaptable
Keep Your Drills Flexible As you progress, so should your drills. Test revisions, solicit criticism, and don’t be afraid to start from scratch.
Focus on developing stamina, timing, and footwork rather than trying to smash all the time. A late approach followed by communication with your partner goes a long way toward avoiding confusion and making you a quicker learner.
Conclusion
Beginning with badminton drills for beginners might seem intimidating, but immediate improvements will become apparent. Intelligent footwork allows the players to cover the court quickly and get to shots that once sailed past. Basic activities, such as shadow swings or shuttle pickups, help develop muscle memory and quickness. With practice, rallies get longer and shots go exactly where you intend.
People who make these drills a habit notice their game developing consistent and confident. Playing with friends, alternating practices with different drills, or simply having fun dinking around in the backyard will keep you engaged and excited to keep playing. Add a couple of these drills to your weekly practice. See your skills soar, and celebrate every victory on the journey. Have your own badminton drill or trick shot? Forward it on and carry the next newbie along to get started the right way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best beginner badminton drills to start with?
Begin drills with proper badminton grip training, basic footwork exercises, and essential badminton drills like shadow swings and shuttle lifts. These foundational practices help a beginner badminton player master control, movement, and hand-eye coordination.
How often should I practice badminton drills as a beginner?
To enhance your badminton skills, it’s crucial to practice three or four times a week. Regular practice not only helps your body memorize the essential badminton drills but also boosts your confidence while playing badminton on the court.
Can I practice badminton drills alone?
Practicing essential badminton drills alone is very beneficial for developing muscle memory and improving basic badminton skills in your own time.
What equipment do I need for beginner badminton drills?
What equipment do I need for beginner badminton training program? You’ll want a racket, shuttles, some decent athletic shoes, and a court or open area to play. Quality equipment will not only enhance your safety but also help you develop essential badminton skills at a quicker pace.
How important is footwork in badminton for beginners?
How important is footwork in badminton for beginners? Proper badminton footwork is essential as it allows you to develop speed and reach shots with control and balance. By incorporating basic footwork drills, you’ll enhance your coordination and balance, ultimately leading to a better badminton game!
How can I make badminton drills more fun?
Introduce a gaming element by incorporating essential badminton drills, challenge yourself with goals, or practice with peers. Try playing music or using a stopwatch to create fun races, enhancing your badminton skills and keeping you excited to continue playing.
What fitness exercises help with badminton skills?
Primarily work on agility ladders, jump rope, lunges, and other essential badminton drills to strengthen the core. These exercises develop the explosive speed, strength, and aerobic endurance required for improved badminton skills.
