Singles

2 maestros in action: Lin Dan vs Lee Chong Wei media type="custom" key="21568412"

[|Tactics] (Badminton Bible site - www.badmintonbible.com/articles)
 * Movement Pressure** - "In singles, the basic strategy is to apply maximum //movement pressure// to your opponent. This means that you force him to cover distance rapidly and change direction." [|strategy]. In singles: movement pressure usually beats shot-making pressure.

"**Central**" Base position - After you play a shot, you should recover towards a central base position. This helps you to cover the whole court. __**Key tip**__: Your feet often need to land //beyond// the back line, but they don’t need to reach the net: only your //racket// needs to reach the net. Adjust your idea of a centralbase to account for this important distinction. (If you always recover to the exact centre, then your opponent will win easily by playing lifts and clears. You just won’t be able to get back in time.)

Often you will not have time to reach the best possible base position. As your opponent starts to hit the shot, you **must** begin your [|split drop]. This effectively creates your base position.


 * Hitting the four corners**- We know that the __[|basic singles strategy]__ is to apply maximum movement pressure to your opponent. The logical way to achieve this is to aim for the corners.


 * Use the long diagonals**- 8.47 metres from corner to corner.


 * Forcing your opponent to change direction**- Movement pressure is not only created by forcing your opponent to cover distance, but also by forcing him to change direction. Direction changes demand more skilful movement than simply charging along a straight line. It’s also harder to maintain your speed when you are forced to change direction.

Creating an advantage by pressuring his agility
Continuously playing along a diagonal is a valid tactic, but it’s usually better to apply some agility pressure first. By forcing your opponent to change direction, you are more likely to expose a weakness in his movement skills. Once you gain an advantage, you should consider switching to diagonal play: playing him along the diagonal will become deadlier //after// you have compromised his recovery.


 * Hitting to the same corner**- Hitting to the same corner is a tactic that players often neglect. Although it might seem better to hit different corners every time, it can actually be more effective to maintain pressure first on a //single corner//, before eventually switching your attack to a different corner. When you hit to the same corner, you force your opponent to make the most difficult change of direction, because **all** of his movements must be reversed. As a result, he must //completely// destroy his momentum before moving again.