In badminton, a backhand drop shot is a shot made from the back of the court with the backhand. It is aimed at the front of your opponent’s court with a downward and curved trajectory.
The backhand drop shot should be viewed more as a recovery shot even though the drop shot is generally thought of as an offensive shot. This is due to the fact that backhand shots shouldn’t ever be your default choice. You should always aim to conduct an overhead forehand shot if you can because they are often weaker options and more harder to execute.
The majority of drop shots of this kind are employed in singles.
In doubles, you typically won’t get to the point where you’re forced to use your backhand on the back of the court. If you do, my only option is a quick drop shot ( more on this later). If your backhand is powerful, you might think about switching to a clear shot. This will give you some time to gather yourself, change your posture, and attempt to take the initiative in the upcoming shots.
As I mentioned earlier, the fundamental objective of this stroke in singles is to regain the position without giving up too much. Therefore, when you execute this shot, you should aim to return to the base position as quickly as you can and make every effort to place the shuttle in a better position the following time.
Having said that, if you get proficient with this shot, you may also use it to create offensive shots. The cross-court shot is the one that I have personally found to be most useful. Since opponents rarely anticipate it, if you can master it, it may be a very effective technique. even more potent because a backhand shot’s options are frequently hopeless.
What Are The Different Types Of Backhand Drop Shot In Badminton?
There are two categories of backhand drop shots:
- Basic backhand drop shot
- Slice backhand drop shot
Basic or slow backhand drop shot
On the side of the body not holding the racket, the backhand grip is used to execute the basic or slow backhand drop shot. This shot may be made crosscourt or parallel.
If you are compelled to use your backhand despite it not being strong enough to return a clear, this is a solid option. A strong backhand drop will aid you in this situation to relieve some of the strain your opponent is placing on you.
This shot will be the ideal illustration of the earlier-mentioned recovery shot.
Slice or fast backhand drop shot
On the side of the body not holding the racket, a backhand grip is used to execute the slice or quick backhand drop shot. This shot may be made crosscourt or parallel.
If you are compelled to use your backhand despite it not being strong enough to return a clear, this is a solid option. This is the photograph I mentioned earlier that I frequently use. I frequently employ the rapid drop shot to escape a precarious situation since it makes it difficult for my opponents to maintain the initiative once I have used it. The crosscourt variation is the one I utilize most since I can control it better and opponents don’t anticipate it as much.
When To Use The Backhand Drop Shot In Badminton?
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t use this shot too frequently because it is a recovery shot. If not, it either indicates that you are underestimating your opponent’s strength or that you are not prioritizing the kind of shot you ought to take.
- When should a singles player employ a backhand drop shot?
When you can’t reach the shuttle with an overhead forehand stroke in singles, you should use the backhand drop shot. If so, you are letting the point’s initiative slip out from under you. To try to regain the initiative by quickly returning to the base point and getting to the shuttle in the subsequent shot, you should do the backhand drop shot.
If your backhand isn’t particularly powerful and you have problems using it to go to the back of the court, the backhand drop shot is an excellent way out. Don’t be concerned if this describes you because it describes the majority of novice and intermediate players.
The drop shot will be quite helpful because you are unable to complete a backhand clear that would get you out of the scenario without leaving yourself terribly vulnerable.
- When should you play a doubles backhand drop shot?
This shot won’t be used very frequently in doubles. Given that there are two players on the court, proper court coverage should prevent you from being forced to use your backhand.
However, if you do, my personal recommendation is to only ever utilize the rapid drop shot. Why? A slow drop shot will probably get you “killed” because your opponents will have plenty of time to get to the shuttle and attack it because they will be pressing the net.
On the other side, the rapid drop shot should be passing very close to the net, decreasing the likelihood of an attack. Your main concern in this scenario should be getting the shuttle as close to the net as you can, so don’t worry too much about where the landing will be exactly.
If your backhand is powerful enough, you may want to think about using a backhand clear shot as an alternative to the quick drop shot. With this shot, you and your partner will have some time to gather your defense into shape and attempt to retake the initiative in the ensuing shots.
How To Do A Backhand Drop In Badminton?
Let’s talk about how to execute a backhand drop shot now that we understand what a backhand is. To accomplish this, we must take the following easy steps:
Step 1: Align Yourself Correctly
To do a backhand drop successfully, you must first position yourself correctly. To have ample of room to maneuver around and defend, you should stand close to the center of the court. Additionally, you should prepare your non-racket hand to support the shot.
Step 2: Ensure Proper Racket Grip
The correct racket grip is the next stage. You should employ an Eastern forehand grip when performing a backhand drop. With this grip, you may strike the shuttlecock downward with more force.
Step 3: Reverse the racket’s motion
It’s time to begin the swing when you’ve set up your position and held your racket properly. You must swing the racket such that it is behind your head in order to do this. Keep in mind to raise your elbow so you may hit the shuttlecock with more force.
Step Four: Lower the shuttlecock.
The shuttlecock must be thrown downward into your opponent’s court as the last move. To generate more power, keep your arm straight and extend your wrist. Additionally, you should aim to strike the shuttlecock at an angle that makes it challenging for your opponent to return.
After reviewing the techniques for performing a backhand drop, let’s talk about some pointers for making this shot even more potent. To ensure that you can successfully execute your backhand drop in a game situation, you should first practice it in training. Second, you should try to conceal your shooting by delaying the announcement of your plans. In order to prevent your opponent from predicting where your stroke will land, you should practice hitting the shuttlecock at various angles.
Recap
When you want to stop the rally and avoid giving the attack away, play a backhand drop. For instance, a backhand drop may be a wise move if your opponent isn’t pressing the front of the court and isn’t stepping up.
Practice this by pushing the shuttle to a feeder (from the mid/forecourt on your forehand side), which will move you slightly out of position. Then, ask them to lift into your backhand corner, forcing you to take the shuttle later than usual.
Though you are playing a slower shot, it is crucial to keep in mind that you must still recover as quickly as you can.
