Top 5 techniques to improve your footwork in badminton

 The key to incredible footwork is consistent practice. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, honing your footwork on a regular basis is necessary to stay on top of the game. We all know that taking badminton practice lightly never really ends well.

So, here are a few techniques that are sure to improve your footwork.

Let’s jump into it

Jumping exercises like lateral jumps and box jumps are a great way to improve footwork as they help develop agility, speed, and coordination.

Lateral jumps help improve your ability to move from side to side quickly. When practicing lateral jumps, focus on jumping quickly and landing softly on the balls of your feet. By practicing lateral jumps regularly, you can improve your footwork and develop the ability to quickly change direction, which is an essential skill in badminton.

To practice box jumps, you need to jump onto a box or platform and jump off. This exercise improves explosive power, speed, and balance greatly. So, make sure you are diligent in when it comes to badminton practice.

In addition to improving footwork, consistently practicing jumps can also help you increase cardiovascular endurance, which enables you to move quickly around the court for longer periods of time. So, incorporating jumps into your badminton practice routine can help you improve your overall fitness and agility.

Run boy, run

The shuttle run is a high-intensity exercise that involves running back and forth between two points, touching the ground at each end. It improves speed, agility, endurance, and coordination.

As a player, you need to be able to quickly move around the court to get in position to hit the shuttlecock. Practicing shuttle runs can help you greatly improve your ability to move quickly and efficiently around the court, as well as develop your acceleration and deceleration skills.

To practice shuttle runs, you need to set up a course with cones or markers that simulate the movements required in badminton. For instance, you can set up a zigzag pattern that requires you to quickly change direction, accelerate, and decelerate. Or you could set up a course that requires you to move forwards and backwards, simulating the movements required in a badminton game.

Incorporating these drills in your regular badminton fitness training routine can help you improve your overall fitness and your footwork.

Shadow up

Shadow badminton is one of the most basic drills for improving footwork as it improves stamina and refines technique. In this drill, you will be practicing movement without actually hitting the shuttlecock. Whether you’re doing it by yourself or with a partner, it is incredibly effective, and improves footwork, movement, and coordination.

With a partner:
You could start by moving to where your partner points. There are 6 points that we focus on - left in front of the net, right in front of the net, left and right middle of sideline, left back corner, and right back corner. But remember, speed isn’t the focus of this exercise. You need to make sure your footwork is refined and secure.

By yourself:
When doing the exercise by yourself, you can focus on what you aren’t good at. What you need to do is move to the 6 points mentioned above without someone directing you. Just imagine you’re in the middle of a game and move accordingly, while making sure your footwork is refined.

Vive la resistance bands!
Resistance bands go a long way in improving footwork. Resistance band drills involve tying a resistance band around your ankles and performing footwork drills, such as the side step, lunge step, or cross step. By adding resistance to movement, the resistance band makes it more challenging and improves strength and balance.

Keep it moving

‘Fast feet’ is a great drill to improve your agility. It’s one of the key exercises to improve agility when it comes to badminton for beginners. Start with tapping your feet for 3 sets of 1 minute and then explore variations of the same. You can introduce add-ons such as push-ups, jumps, split-step lunges, etc., to amp up the effectiveness.

For instance, you could start with fast feet and then getting down and doing a push-up every once in a while. You can also include a couple of things instead of just one to improve your overall fitness more effectively.

When it comes to badminton practice, it\'s important to vary your exercise routine and gradually increase the difficulty level to continue challenging yourself and improving your footwork. But the most important thing is to keep at it. Consistency is the most important aspect of badminton fitness training.