Badminton - Singles Match Strategy

The new scoring system has led to some players re-thinking their singles strategies. This maybe because at the end of each rally a point is now scored, so having the serve is less important. If a player wins the coin toss they can choose:

A side of the net to start from
Whether to serve
Whether to receive

If the opponent wins the toss and they choose the side, then the other player still has the choice of whether to serve or receive. Or if they choose to serve or receive the other player can choose the side to start from.

What to do: Having won the toss under the new scoring system a player may prefer to choose a side to start from instead of serving or receiving. This is especially true if there is a clear bad and good side to the court. Differences can include:

The court surface
The background
Reflections
Ceiling or wall lighting
Placement of windows

If there are differences it is advised that a player chooses the bad side first for a few reasons. If a player wins the first set from the bad side then they have a good chance to win the next set and the match from the good side. Playing from the good side should be easier, which will increase a players confidence, maybe upping their performance when they go back to the bad side for the first part of the third set if the match goes that far. Also choosing the bad side first will mean if the match does go to the third set they will finish on the good side.

What to do: If an opponent wins the toss and selects the bad side, the other player should opt to receive the serve first. This is because of the new scoring system making it much easier to win points when receiving the serve. If the server now fails to hit the shuttle into the service area a point is awarded to the receiving player. In the old system if this happened the serve would just switch to the other player and there would be no change in the score.

The serve is often a defensive shot because it has to be hit from below the waist, meaning it has an upward trajectory to travel over the net. This allows the receiving player to attack and control the rally. However if serving is a strong part of a players game they may decide to go first.

Every player is different and should choose the option they are most comfortable with.

Changes to the Game: Some players and coaches think the game is now more conservative because all players know that with 1 error they will lose a point whether they are serving or not. So they may be hitting the shuttle with less power and directing it more towards the center of the court to avoid hitting it out. This makes the rallies longer because the shuttles are easier to reach.

Under the old method the more talented player would win comfortably because they could afford to go for the more risky shots when they were serving, because even if they missed, they wouldn't lose a point, just the serve. This makes each game closer and helps the less able player to score some points.

Other Strategies, Tactics, and Tips: