ShuttleBusters

DOUBLES TACTICS IN BADMINTON

This page reflects my observations and experience of tactics at local league level. A lot of this won't apply at county level or higher, so you won't generally find it in books or coaching manuals (most of which are written by and for elite players, even though they're probably sold mostly to club level players).

1. TRADITIONAL MIXED DOUBLES

Often called “Front & Back”. The lady plays “at the net” which usually means defending the front court. It’s very simple to understand but teamwork is very limited. Effectively the men play singles and the ladies help out by removing those awkward lunges to the net.

Specialist net players can be very effective, but the formation is really designed for simplicity, and it doesn’t really get the best out of the more active modern woman. This scheme is weak against most other tactical approaches, but it’s still widely played because it’s easy to learn and the division of responsibilities is very clear. Any two players with plenty of experience who play this method will probably “click” immediately.

2. SIDES

If you’re not playing “Front & Back” then people assume the alternative is “Sides” with the players side by side in the mid or rear court. This allows a more capable lady to get into the game, but a lady of middling ability or a man lacking front-court skills can easily be exposed by opponents of moderate ability.

This formation is weak in the front court and doesn’t allow a pair to put sustained pressure on the opposition - it’s effectively a commitment to all-out defence. It’s good against traditional mixed doubles where playing into the rear court concentrates two against one (a lady committed to defending the net is easily by-passed, however skilled she may be).

It’s also not a lot of fun being in the front court if your partner just booms it into the back of the court all the time. You just watch the game go by until your partner fouls up, and then you’re target for the winning smash.

3. LEVEL DOUBLES

Normally seen in Mens Doubles or Ladies Doubles, “Level Doubles” should actually mean both players in a pair are of similar strengths and skills. One player is positioned in the front court and one is in the mid court when “attacking” (ie. the shuttle is lifted on your side of the net) and both players are in the mid court when “defending” (ie. the shuttle is lifted on the other side of the net).

This produces a much more active game with a lot more movement, and is MUCH more efficient than the traditional methods.

The big advantage for a pair in “Level” doubles is that both players have the licence to follow up their own shots, which is important when playing to the net and making the transition from defence to attack. The striker is in position to follow up an attacking shot and reach the front of the court much more quickly than his (or her) partner.

4. ATTACKING MIXED DOUBLES

A “Front & Back” formation can also be achieved through a commitment to all-out attack, so this formation is just the attacking half of a “Level” doubles game. This is very effective against the “Traditional Mixed Doubles” and “Sides” styles of play.

The rear player must be committed to maintaining the attack. The front player actively hunts the shuttle, looking for the chance for a “kill” or an interception, and can also provide defensive support by lurking on the cross-court side (with the aim of returning to the front).

Aggression is a good substitute for skill in the front court, so this is actually the best method for “hiding” a competent but weaker player - the front player gets the easier shots and the cross-court side gets better chances at decisive interceptions.

The ideal front player is quick, smart and aggressive with a good touch. The ideal rear player is powerful and aggressive with good control and discipline. The front player makes most of the decisions and the rear player must react. It follows that the front player must be decisive and move as early as possible.

5. FLEXIBLE MIXED DOUBLES

Being equal doesn’t mean being the same: you can still have different the strengths and weaknesses. Most “Level” pairs have a preference for which player is at the front and which is at the back - but wouldn’t dream of committing themselves to playing that way exclusively.

The ideal women is lighter and quicker, and has faster reactions. The ideal man is bigger and better at the aggressive “power” game. But most people aren’t the “ideal” anything, so match your tactics to the strengths and weaknesses of the actual players, not their theoretical counterparts.

ECHELON DEFENCE

In the defensive formation, when both players are in the mid court then (provided the shuttle has been lifted to one side or the other, not down the middle) the natural defence is in “Echelon” rather than side by side. This is because both players are positioned the same distance from the shuttle - so the cross-court player will be closer to the net. Even in defence there is still one player in front and the other is further back.

An echelon defence also eliminates the problem of who should deal with a shot played down the middle. The front player decides (early!) and the partner reacts – and must cover anything the front player leaves. You only need to be slightly separated front-and-back to be able to play at the same shuttle without risking a clash of racquets (or a collision of players).

COUNTER-ATTACKING

In level doubles an initial attacking shot is followed up by the striker moving into the front court, but in mixed doubles a preference for being the front or the back of the formation can be maintained simply through the placement of defensive shots.

If you clear (or lift) cross court then you can step up to the front of the echelon defence ready for a return to the front. If you clear straight ahead you can drop into the rear of the echelon to set up a return to the back.

This will work (and put you back on the attack) if the opposition can be pressured into putting the shuttle up high, which is likely if their tactics are “Traditional Mixed Doubles” or “Sides”.

CONCLUSION

Play to strengths and weaknesses. The best tactics for one pair may not be the best tactics for another. If you find a weakness in an opponent then playing for that will probably be more important than playing your own “ideal” game. If your opponent has a weak backhand then the traditional tactic of picking on that side may still be the best bet. The rest of the time an attacking game plan will usually beat a passive defence. In almost all sports, the most likely winner is the side that applies steady pressure to the opponent and remains consistent, not the one that plays the most flamboyant game.