- Serve from the right side of the court if your score is even (0, 2, 4, etc.)
- Serve from the left side if your score is odd (1, 3, 5, etc.)
- Remember to call out the score before you serve, saying your score first.
- The whole shuttle must be below your waist at the instant of being hit by your racket.
- (Instructions below are for a right handed player.)
Forehand Grip Serve – Usually used for Singles Games
- Stand 2-3 feet behind the service line, just to the side of the center line. Left foot forward, weight on your right foot. With a forehand grip, your racket strings face down behind you. Make an “o” out of your left middle finger and thumb and hold the shuttle, base down in the “o”.
- Shift your weight from your right to your left foot and reach the shuttle from your chest out in front of you.
- Open your fingers to drop the shuttle and swing your racket forward while you push with your pointer finger and wrist to serve the shuttle over the net.
Here’s a good forehand serve video to watch.
Backhand Grip Flick Serve – Usually used for Doubles Games
- Stand just inside the front middle corner of the service box, with your right foot forward.
- Hold the racket with a short backhand grip with your right elbow about chest height and your racket head just below waist height, so your racket is sloping downward. With a pincher grip, hold the shuttle by the tip of the “feathers” in your left hand with the base of the shuttle touching your strings, and the frame of your racket head touching the heel of your left hand at the base of your thumb to stabilize your racket.
- Take a gentle back swing and let go of the shuttle as you flick your wrist and gently push the shuttle over the net.
Here’s a good backhand serve video to watch.