BADMINTON TERMS

Alley - Extension of the court by l 1/2 feet on both sides for doubles play.

Attack - Usually means smashing everything and forcing your opponent to make mistakes.

Back alley - Area between the back boundary line and the long service line for doubles.

Backcourt - Back third of the court, in the area of the back boundary lines.

Backhand - Usually hit on the other side of your forehand. Some players think they can get away without
having to play backhand shots. The backhand was invented precisely for such players.

Balk - Any deceptive movement that disconcerts an opponent before or during the service; often called a
"feint."

Baseline - Back boundary line at each end of the court, parallel to the net.

Carry - An illegal tactic, also called a sling or throw, in which the shuttle is caught and held on the racquet
and then slung during the execution of a stroke.

Center or base position - Location in the center of the court to which a singles player tries to return after
each shot.

Center line - Line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right service courts.

Clear - A shot hit deep to the opponent's back boundary line. The high clear is a defensive shot, while the
flatter attacking clear is used offensively.

Come on - Usually uttered to motivate and encourage self or partner.

Court - Area of play, as defined by the outer boundary lines.

Deception and disguise - Deception is usually preceded by disguise. If you cannot tell whether the other
guy is going to execute a clear, smash or drop, he has good deception.

Defend - Usually means lifting and returning smashes and drops.

Drive - A fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net.

Drop - A shot hit softly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close to the net on the opponent's side.

Fault - A violation of the playing rules, either in serving, receiving, or during play.

Feather - Goose feather. Makes great shuttlethingys.

Flick - A quick wrist and forearm rotation that surprises an opponent by changing an apparently soft shot
into a faster passing one; used primarily on the serve and at the net.

Footwork - The way you move about on court is called footwork. Good footwork makes you look graceful
and allows you to get to shots with the least amount of movement, and that equates to efficiency.

Fluke - Shot that is hit by the racquet frame and end up winning a point inadvertently. Also called a lucky
shot.
Forecourt - Front third of the court, between the net and the short service line.

Forehand - The forehand was invented for those who don't have a backhand. See backhand.

Go - Expressed by a doubles partner when he or she cannot get to a shot, usually a drop shot, hoping or
expecting that you will get to it.

Good eye - Compliments paid (sometimes grudgingly) to an opponent who has just made a line call to
his or her favour.

Good Game - Said at the end of a match when players shake hands, usually by the side that has just
won. For the other side, what they want to say is unmentionable.

Good shot - Compliments paid (sometimes grudgingly) to an opponent who has just made a good shot.

Grip - The way you hold a racguet is called grip. There are different grips for different strokes. Grip is also
what you use to wrap your handle with. Grip is also what's felt when you are moving back and forth on the
court. Some surfaces provide better grip than others.

Hairpin net shot - Shot made from below and very close to the net with the shuttle rising, just clearing
the net, and then dropping sharply down the other side. The shuttle's flight approximates the shape of a
hairpin.

Halfcourt shot - A shot hit low and to midcourt, used effectively in doubles against the front-and-back
formation.

Half smash - A half smash is not a half-hearted shot. It is a deliberate toned down smash, usually
executed with a slice of the racquet to slow down the speed of the shuttle, causing it to fall quickly short of
the short service line.

I got it - Spoken by a doubles partner to reassure you that he or she will take care of the shot in question.
Usually end up not getting it.

I got mine - Spoken by a doubles partner who has just barely managed to make a weak return and now
expects you to save the point.

Kill - Fast, downward shot that cannot be returned; a "I will keep my mouth shuttutetutetutetuteway."
Exclaimed by a doubles partner for you to smash with everything you've got so he or she doesn't have to
deal with the next shot.

Let - A legitimate cessation of play to allow a rally to be replayed.

Long service line - In singles, the back boundary line. In doubles a line 2 l/2 feet inside the back
boundary line. The serve may not go past this line.

Match - A series of games (it had been best of 3 games to 15 points, but recently, international
tournaments have experimented with best of 5 games to 7 points), to determine a winner.

Midcourt - The middle third of the court, halfway between the net and the back boundary line.

Mine - Similar to I got it.

Net shot - Shot hit from the forecourt that just clears the net and drops sharply.

Plastic shuttles - Don't play with those things. It's not badminton.
Power - Power is measured in how hard and fast you can smash a shuttle. 100 to 150 mph - you're okay.
150 to 200mph - you're pretty powerful. 200 to 250 mph - you should consider training for the Grand Prix
tourneys.

Push shot - Gentle shot played by pushing the shuttle with little wrist motion, usually from net or midcourt
to the opponent's midcourt.

Racquet - Instrument used by player to hit shuttlethingy. Weight: About 3 ounces. Length: about 27
inches. Made of: Ceramic, graphite, or boron frame; sheep-gut or synthetic string.

Rally - Exchange of shots while the shuttle is in play.

Rubber - A rubber set is the third and deciding set of a 3 set match.

Serve or service - Stroke used to put shuttlethingy into play at the start of each rally.

Service court - Area into which the serve must be delivered. Different for singles and doubles play.

Service over - Means exactly that. Your service is over, and it's now your opponent to serve.

nuts - And other similar 4 letter words are exclaimed when a player makes a bad shot or misses one
completely.

Short service line - The line 6 l/2 feet from the net which a serve must reach to be legal.

Shuttlethingy - Official name for the object that players hit. Also known as "birdie." Weight: .17-.l9
ounces. Made of: 16 goose feathers attached to a rounded cork base covered with sheep skin. Usually
lasts for no more than a few rallies. The heavier the shuttlethingy, the faster it flies. Flies faster in higher
temperatures and at higher altitudes.

Smash - Hard-hit overhead shot that forces the shuttle sharply downward. Badminton's primary attacking
stroke.

Sorry - a solemn declaration by a doubles partner who has just made a bad shot and caused the team to
lose a point, game or match.

Speed and stamina - Training is about speed and stamina. The reason for speed and stamina is so that
you can hit powerful shots faster, and more of them than your opponent without keeling over to puke after
each rally.

Straight sets - When you win in straight sets, it means you have beaten your opponent in 2 sets,
straight.

Tendinitis - An inflammatory joint condition that all badminton players suffer from, sooner or later.

Tram lines - The area between the doubles side boundary lines and the singles side boundary lines.

Up - Usually expressed by a dominant, condescending player to his or her partner to go up to the net to
cut off weak returns from their opponents.

Warm up - Other than the conventional stretching or moving about to get the blood flowing, warming up
also consists of hitting the shuttle in various ways with a partner or opponent for a few minutes before
actual play begins.

Wood shot - Shot that results when the frame of the racquet hits the base of the shuttle. Once illegal, this
shot was ruled acceptable by the International Badminton Federation in 1963.

Walk over - When a player is unable to play or did not show up for a match, it's a walk over.

Wrist - A necessary anatomical part if you want to excel in badminton.

Yours - Expressed at the last second by a doubles partner for you to take a shot that has went past both
of you, and it's your fault if you miss it.

Ace

An outright point from a serve that is not even touched by the receiver. Archaically
"ace" was used to mean any point scored.

Air-Shot

"A stroke in which the air- not the shuttle- is hit. It is usually caused by the player
taking his eye off the shuttle just before impact or by very poor hand-eye
coordination." (1) Modern equivalent would be "air-ball", borrowed from basketball.

Alley (Side Alley)

Extension of the court by 1-1/2 feet on both sides for doubles play. Also called the
Side Alley, as opposed to the Back or Rear Alley

Angle of Attack

The angle of the trajectory of the shuttle upon leaving one's racket. A steep angle
means sharply downward and a flat angle is closer to horizontal. Where this becomes
important is for attacking shots (drops and smashes) where the intent is to pull the
opponents as close to the net as possible. A flat smash that lands 2/3 of the way
toward the back line or a drop which land 10 feet from the net is not very effective.
With a higher angle of attack (contact point as high as possible, shuttle passing very
near net) the drops and smashes are much better.

Angle Of Return

The angle formed by the range of possible returns from a given position. A look at the
court geometry shows that this varies from nearly 180 degrees at front center to under
40 degrees at back corners (singles). In general to maximize court coverage the
receiver wants to stand near the bisector of this angle.
Attacking Clear (Offensive Clear)

A clear that is just high enough to be above the opponents reach and to get to the
backcourt as fast as possible. Even though this is hit upward it can still be considered
an attacking (or offensive) shot since it can be used to force an opponent to return a
defensive shot or even make a weak return.

Back Alley (Rear Alley)

Area between the back boundary line and the long service line for doubles.

Backcourt

Back third of the court, in the area of the back boundary lines. See
also Midcourt and Forecourt.

Backhand

For court position, the opposite side of the body from the player's racket hand. For
strokes, any shot hit with the back of the racket, which is the side of the racket facing
toward the racket hand with normal grip. For right handed player holding the racket
ahead the right side of the racket is the "back" of the racket and the court to the
player's left is the backhand side. At most levels of play shots are returned with less
power from the backhand side, so it is a prime area for shots to the back court. See
also Forehand.

Backhand Grip

A grip in which the racket is rotated slightly toward backhand and the the thumb is
upward on the back of the racket. This becomes the classic grip used for backhand
work when rackets were relatively heavy and a full arm swing was needed for power..
With modern light rackets the racket is rotated about the thumb using the fingers and
less wrist and arm movement for quick shots or with full wrist rotation and arm
movement for power shots.

Backswing

The movement of the racket backwards (away from shuttle) to prepare for a forward
swing (toward the shuttle).

Balance Point
The center of mass of the racket, as measured from the bottom of the grip. The higher
this number the more head-heavy the racket is. Typical balance point is around
300mm. Note that this is often quoted for the unstrung racket with a specific grip size.
Adding string or grip wrap or using different size grip will of course change the
balance point.

Balk (Baulk, Feint)

Any deceptive movement that disconcerts an opponent before or during the service.
This is generally a fault. Note that by rule the server gets exactly one forward motion
of teh racket.

Base Position (Center Position)

Location in the center of the court to which a singles player tries to return after each
shot.

Baseline

Back boundary line at each end of the court, parallel to the net.

Battledore

Even before Badminton existed as a sport, a "battledore" was used recreationally to hit
a ball back and forth. The battledore gradually evolved into the modern day racket and
the ball evolved into the modern shuttlecock. Before "Badminton" there was
"Battledore and Shuttlecock".

Bird (or Birdie)

A shuttlecock is sometimes called a "bird", generally by those in certain regions or by

those who don't know the proper name.

Block

A shot hit with a stationary racket, using the shuttle's forward momentum to propel it
back toward opponent. Common for returning hard-hit shots such as smashes.

Carry (Sling)(Throw)

A formerly illegal tactic, also called a sling or a throw, in which the shuttle is caught
and held on the racquet and then slung during the execution of a stroke. As the rules
evolved, the carry became legal as long as it was clear that only a single forward
stroke was used.

Center Line

Line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right service courts.

"Clear"

A call between doubles partners indicating that one partner is about to (or is expected
to) hit a clear.

Clear

A high and deep shot designed to push the receiver to the back of the court. A
defensive clear is very high in order to give the hitter time to prepare for the return
and hence to slow down the rally. An offensive or attacking clear is lower but still
over the receiver's reach and is designed to push the receiver back quickly in the
hopes of a weaker return.

Closed Face

A term referring to a racket face pointing downward.

Court

Area of play, as defined by the outer boundary lines.

Cross (string)

The racket strings perpendicular to the shaft. Most rackets have 21-23 crosses.

Cross Court

Any shot from one side of the court to the other side. Serves are by rule a cross court
shot.

Dab

"A crisp downward stroke with minimal backswing and follow-through played in
the forecourt (by the net player) often to gain an outright winner to the lower body or
a gap." 1 This shot is set up by body position along with arm and wrist, but is
executed primarily with the fingers with emphasis on fast action and small amount of
movement.

Danish Wipe

"A hybrid backhand stroke, a cross between a lob and a drive, used to loft
a shuttle from one end of the court to the other. The racket is swept down, then up and
under the shuttle (which has been allowed to drop to knee height) to finish with a
strong follow-through." (1)

Dead Bird

A shuttle that has been hit out of play.

Defense (Defence)

Defensive shots are generally those hit upward and the team on the defense is the one
hitting upward. Serves are generally defensive since by rule they are hit upward.

Defensive Clear

A high deep clear used to gain time or place the shuttle deep enough that it is more
difficult to attack. These are often hit very high, especially if used to regain position
or slow down the rally.

Diagonal

In doubles a position in which the two players divide the court on a diagonal, as
opposed to front-and-back or side-by-side which divide the court at right angles.

Divorce Area

"Narrow rectangle 8-11 feet from the net, between rear-court and fore-court players,
and between the sidelines. It is so called in relation to mixed play when irate husbands
have been known to berate over-enthusiastic wives when they have clashed rackets in
this area normally as sacrosanct to the male." (1)

Double Hit

A shot that contacts the receiver's racket twice, either by one player or by both
players. A double hit by two players is always a fault. The rules surrounding a double
hit by a single player are more nuanced. If two strokesare used then the double hit is a
fault. If a single stroke is used then historically a fault was called, but today the shot is
legal.

Doubles

"A match where there are two players on each of the opposing sides." (2)

Drive

A hard-hit flat stroke passing just above the net, generally from the front midline or
sidelines. The drive is used when the shuttle is too low to be smashed but an attacking
shot is still warranted. The drive can be very effective either to an empty spot in the
court or directly at an opponent, sometimes for a kill.

Drive Serve

A serve that is as flat as possible (must be legal and still clear net) and hard-hit such
that it would fall at the back of the service court. This can be a useful alternative to
usual short and long serves.

Drop

A shot hit such that it barely clears the net and falls very in the court (hopefully in
front of the short service line). Drops can be hit from anywhere in the court and from
any height, but typically are downward overhead shots from back court or upward or
flat shots hit from the front court. Hairpin drops are hit from very close to the net and
travel upward and over the net. Drops hit from near the net are also called Net Shots.

Drop Serve

A serve in which the player drops the shuttle and lets it fall before hitting it. Almost
exclusively used for forehand serves. Similar to the Toss Serve.

Fault

A violation of the playing rules, either in serving, receiving, or during play. When one
team commits a fault, the opposing team scores a point.

First Serve (First Hand)

Prior to the change to rally scoring in 2006, doubles play allowed for both members of
a doubles team to serve in succession. That is, partner A would serve (first serve) until
a rally is lost, and then partner B would serve (second serve) until the second rally is
lost. After both serves service would go to the opposing team. The team serving first
during a game only had one serve.

Flexible Wrist

Wrist position that allows full freedom of motion. The wrist is perhaps the body's
most flexible joint when unrestrained by improper grip so a very wide range of racket
motion can be achieved with a flexible wrist. Proper grip and loose fingers are key to
maintaining a flexible wrist.

Flick Serve

A deceptive serve which is intended to look like a short serve but instead
is flicked into a high long serve. It is important for this serve to initially look just like
a short serve since if the element of surprise is lacking, the flick will be a good
invitation to attack rather than (hopefully) catch receiver off-guard.

Flick

A quick wrist and forearm rotation that surprises an opponent by changing an

apparently soft shot into a faster passing one; used primarily on the serve and at the
net.

Flight (Flight path)

The trajectory that a shuttle follows after it is hit. This is a primary distinguishing
feature between feathered shuttle and plastic shuttles. Due to the spin and stiff skirts
of a feathered shuttle, it follows a high-order trajectory, coming off the racket very
quickly but also decelerating very quickly, allowing for tight drops and deep high
clear which fall nearly vertically. Plastic shuttles generally do not spin as well and
have flexible skirts so follow a lower-order (closer to parabolic) trajectory.
Shuttlecock manufacturers have experimented over the years with stiff composites
(such as replaceable carbon "feathers") but still have work to do to replicate the
properties of natural feathers.

Follow-Through

The path of the racket after contacting a shuttle. Follow-through is an important part
of producing controlled and predictable shots.

Foot Fault
A fault that occurs when the server's or receiver's foot is touching one of the service
court's boundary lines at time of service or when the server or receiver moves or lifts
their foot during the execution of the service.

Footwork

The movement of one's feet, and hence body while moving around the court. As in
many sports, footwork is a critical part of success in badminton since good footwork
enables the player to move more efficiently (less expended energy), quicker, and with
less potential for injury while at the same time positioning himself for more effective
shots. Foot work if often ignored by beginning players, leading to visibly clumsy
movement on court.

Forecourt (Front Court)

Front third of the court, between the net and the short service line. See
also Backcourt and Midcourt.

Forehand

For court position, the side of the body on the player's racket hand. For strokes, any
shot hit with the front of the racket, which is the side of the racket facing away from
the racket hand with normal grip. For right handed player holding the racket ahead the
left side of the racket is the "front" of the racket and the court to the player's right is
the forehand side. At most levels of play shots are returned with more power from the
forehand side, so upward shots to a player's forehand are generally more dangerous.
See also Backhand.

Forward Swing

Movement of the racket toward the shuttle.

Free Point

A point on a serve lost with no effort by the opposing team. The server scores a free
point if the receiver misses the return so that the server need do nothing after serving.
The server gives away a free point by missing the serve. Obviously free points are to
be minimized!

Front and Back

In doubles a position in which one partner is on front of the other, generally near the
middle line. This is typically considered to be an offensive position, allowing both
players to attack freely since the court is well covered and hence possible returns are
likely to allow continued attack. This position is most effective when the front player
has fast reflexes and the rear player is quick and powerful. Doubles play generally
rotates between front-and-back and side-by-side positions.

Frying Pan Grip

A grip in which the racket is rotated 90 degrees from normal such that the head is
parallel to the net with the front of the racket is facing the net. This is the "natural"
position that many beginners assume, often with index finger extended up the racket.
It is generally not used since it limits power and control and can lead to injuries. The
exception is for net play where a squared head allows for very quick response on
backhand or forehand side without changing grip. This is most effectively done with
the fingers rather than wrist or arm motion. See also Thumb-Up Grip.

Game Point

The point at which one player can win the game by winning the current rally.

Grip

The section of the racket that you hold. This part of the racket has probably changed
less than the rest of the racket, with leather-wrapped wooden handles still being very
common even for carbon composite rackets. However other grips have been used and
some are indeed hollow composites, especially true one-piece rackets. The grip serves
as counterbalance to the rest of the racket so, unlike the rest of the racket, is generally
not designed to be as light as possible.

Grip also refers to the manner in which the racket is held, with many variations being
possible aside from the fairly standard "shake-hands" grip.

Gut

Before synthetic strings became acceptable for play, the norm was natural gut which
was fibers gathered from part of the intestines (hence name "gut") of ruminants (sheep
originally but more recently cows). Although synthetics never matched the playability
of natural gut, synthetics do offer a very wide variety of tradeoffs in characteristics
such as durability, resilience and control. Coupled with the expense of natural gut this
has led most players to use synthetics.
Hairpin Drop

A drop hit from below net height and very close to the net, traveling just above net
height and down the other side of the net. The best hairpins are within inches of the
net on both sides and are usually hit with a cut shot causing the shuttle to tumble as it
clears the net.

Halfcourt Shot

A shot hit low and to midcourt, used effectively in doubles against the up-and-back
formation.

Hammer Grip

Some beginners will grab the racket like a hammer (wrist and hand out straight with
racket vertical) and grip tightly- and maintain that grip. This is one natural reaction to
wanting to hit the shuttle hard, but of course locks the arm and wrist in place affecting
both power and control. This should be fixed as a very early part of instruction.

Head (Face)

The section of the racket which hold the string and attaches to one end of the shaft.
Used by racket stringers to identify the string holes in the frame. "1H" hole is the first
hole to either side of the top center of the racket. "2H" is the next hole, etc. As with
other parts of the racket many materials have been used for the head, including wood,
bamboo, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, ceramics, fiberglass, boron and various
carbon composites. Unlike the shaft which largely control overall racket flexibility,
the head generally wants to be quite inflexible, and particularly wants to have
minimum torsional flex ("twist") since that leads to reduced control and power. The
head engineering is quite challenging since it must be very light yet very strong (22
mains at 25lbs tension is over 500 lbs of force trying to squash the racket) and at the
same time unlike the rest of the racket is has to have holes in it.

"Help"

A call from one doubles partner to the other that he has managed to get himself into
trouble and needs help in getting the next shot. This would typically be from a rear
player to a front player since that's about the only time when one partner can't observe
the other. Mostly heard among newer less experienced players, typically when the rear
player is forced from side to side and ends up running off the court.

Holding a Shot
A deliberate delay in hitting while waiting to observe the opponents preparation or
reaction and hence facilitating a deceptive shot.. For instance a player may get to a
drop shot very quickly but then follow the shuttle down with his racket while
watching his opponent for movement. If the opponent moves in anticipating a drop a
clear can be delivered hopefully catching the opponent off balance.

Hybrid Stringing

A string job in which two different types of string are used for the crosses and the
mains. This would typically comprise mains chosen for durability and crosses chosen
for resilience or other playability parameters.

Jump Smash

As the name implies, a smash delivered by the player jumping as high as practical to
maximize the angle and power of the smash. With a good jump smash one can get an
excellent downward angle even from backcourt, where most jump smashes are used.
The Jump Smash was introduced in Asia in the 50's.

Kill

A decisive power shot gaining a point for the hitting team. While most kills are
smashes, other shots such as dabs and drives can also be kill shots.

Let

A legitimate cessation of play to allow a rally to be replayed.

Lift

General term for an upward shot.

Lob

An underhand clear from near the net, generally used as an alternative shot after
setting up for a drop.

Locked Wrist

"Inflexible wrist resulting from the racket handle being held parallel with the forearm,
or being pointed downward." (4) Often seen with new players, especially those coming
from a tennis background. Also occurs when player holds the grip like a hammer and
grips down tight, locking the wrist in place. With instruction this should of course be
replaced by a flexible wrist.

Long Serve

A serve, typically a high serve, that lands near the back line. For singles serve this
would normally fall within the back alley.

Long Service Line

In singles, the back boundary line. In doubles a line 2-1/2 feet inside the back
boundary line. The serve may not go past this line.

Love (Luv)

Used to indicate zero points or no score. At first serve the score in "love all".

Lunge

Quick outward extension of the racket foot when getting to a shot that is placed to the
front of the player. Very important here to point the toe toward the direction of the
lunge to avoid injury and bend the knee well in order to prepare for pushing back into
position for the next shot. Not unlike the lunge one sees in a fencing match.

Main (string)

The racket strings parallel to the shaft. Most rackets have 22 "mains".

Match

"The basic contest in Badminton between opposing sides each of one or two
players." (2)

Match Point

A Game Point which also decides a match.

Midcourt

The middle third of the court, halfway between the net and the back boundary line.
See also Backcourt and Forecourt.

Mixed Doubles
Same as Doubles but played with teams comprising one male and one female player.
Badminton is one of the few sports in which men and women compete together.

Net Shot

Shot hit from the forecourt very near the net that just clears the net and then falls
rapidly. A net shot is one type of drop.

Offense (Attack)

Offensive shots are generally those hit downward and the team on the offense is the
one hitting downward.

One-Piece (racket)

A one-piece racket is constructed with one continuous piece of material, as opposed to

multiple pieces (head, t-joint, shaft, grip) later joined together. In the very old days of
solid wooden rackets, the rackets were close to one piece as laminates extended all the
way from the bottom of the grip up and around the head and back down. Today true
one-piece rackets are similar construction but of course use modern materials-
typically carbon composites of some sort. One-piece has also been used to describe
rackets whose head and shaft are a single piece joined to a separate handle. The
importance of the one-piece racket is that by eliminating joints one eliminate weak
spots and allows the overall racket characteristics (flexibility, vibration, efficiency,
etc.) to be better optimized.

One-Piece (stringing)

With one-piece stringing a single piece of string about (typically 10m or a little less)
of string is used for the entire racket, resulting in two tie-off knots, one at the head end
one at the throat end.

On-Guard Stance

"Alert position assumed by a player when waiting for the bird to be hit by
opponent." (4)

Open Face
A term referring to a racket face pointing upward. For instance, returning a well-
played low serve requires an open-faced racket.

Pace

The speed of a shot or of a rally.

Passing Shot

A shot (typically a drive) that is pushed past an opponent, rather than away from,
over, or at an opponent. This shot is typically within reach but is either delivered fast
enough or with enough deception that it is not received or it is deliberately allowed to
pass so that the rear partner can make a better return.

Patty-Cakes

A rally (typically by beginners) in which two players stand more-or-less immobile and
trade half-paced drives until one misses.

Placement

The location on the court where a shuttle is aimed.

Player

"Any person playing Badminton." (2)

Poaching

"Action of taking shots that normally should be returned by one's partner. Done either
through over-enthusiasm (forgivable), greed (unforgivable) or lack of confidence in
partner's ability (unforgivable except in extremis)."(1)

Pop-Up

A slow high lift to forecourt. An especially bad setup and most likely an accident for
anyone other than a beginning player since the expect response would be a kill.

Press
When racket heads were made of wood or bamboo they could warp easily due to
moisture. To help prevent this rackets were kept in a press usually consisting of two
wooden trapezoidal frames held together with bolts and thumb-nuts. There were some
plastic presses also but these were uncommon. When metal and then later composite
heads came along presses were no longer needed.

Pre-stretch

Pulling the racket string to tension and letting it relax before starting to string. All
string stretches so the tension pulled when stringing the racket is not what exists days
or even hours later. By pre-stretching the string this relaxation takes place before
stringing, thus minimizing the post-stringing change. This effect is much smaller with
modern synthetic string than it is with natural gut so pre-stretch is very rarely used.

Push Shot

Gentle shot played by pushing the shuttle with little wrist motion, usually from the net
or midcourt to the opponent's midcourt.

Racket (Racquet)

Instrument used by the player to hit the shuttlecock. Modern rackets weigh typically
between 70 and 90 grams and have dimensions as specified by the rules. Historically
rackets were made from wood or bamboo, though modern rackets are made from
metal alloys (steel/aluminum - low end rackets) or from ceramic, graphite or boron
composites. Historically rackets were strung with natural gut, but today synthetic
strings dominate and use a wide variety of fibers.

Rally

"A sequence of one or more strokes starting with the service, until the shuttle ceases
to be in play." (2)

Receiving Side

"The side opposing the serving side." (2)

Rotation

The alternation between front-and-back and side-by-side formations in doubles,

classically in a counter-clockwise direction for right-handed players.

Rough Side
The side of the racket with the trim's loops.

Round-The-Head Shots

Overhead shots played with a forehand swing but on the backhand side. The racket is
swung forward but is angled toward the backhand side, thus swinging "around the
head". This can be very effective for shots that are only a little to the backhand side
since it is quicker to hit than moving and then hitting as a backhand or conventional
forehand shot.

Rush A Serve

To move very quickly forward when receiving a low serve, the aim of which is to get
to the net fast enough to attack the serve. By doing this the receiver can return the
serve downward if it is a little high or flat if it is a good low service, immediately
putting the receiving team on the offensive.

Second Serve (Second Hand)

Prior to the change to rally scoring in 2006, doubles play allowed for both members of
a doubles team to serve in succession. That is, partner A would serve (first serve) until
a rally is lost, and then partner B would serve (second serve) until the second rally is
lost. After both serves service would go to the opposing team. The team serving first
during a game only had one serve.

Serve (Service)

Stroke used to put the shuttlecock into play at the start of a rally.

Service Court

Area into which the serve must be delivered. Different for singles and doubles play.

Serving Side

"The side having the right to serve." (2)

Setting
Extending a game a set number of points beyond normal end. In the past before rally
scoring, only the server could score points and games were a fixed total, not win-by-
two. To help even the end of the game, the normal ending could be extended by
"setting". For example, in a 15 point game, if the game became tied at 13-all, the team
which first made 14 could decide to continue the game to the normal 15 (play 2 more
points) , or "set" it to 5 and play 5 more points to a total of 18 (call was "set 5"). Since
the opposing team had just scored, it was usually an advantage to "set" when possible.

Setup (Set Up)

A shot that invites a strong (perhaps decisive) return. For instance if a rear
player lifts a shot to center forecourt in front of his partner at the net, he "sets up" his
partner.

Shaft

The section of the racket connecting the grip and the head. Like the rest of the racket
the shaft was originally made from wood. Over the years though many different shaft
designs have been used (solid , tubular, even twin-shafts) and many different materials
(wood, bamboo, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, ceramics, fiberglass, boron, various
carbon composites, etc.). One of the major functions of the shaft is to provide a
controlled flexibility to the overall racket with rackets varying from very flexibile to
quite stiff.

Short Serve

Serve that land on or near the short service line. Generally also flat since if the serve is
much above the net it invites attack.

Short Service Line

The line 6-1/2 feet from the net which a serve must reach to be legal.

Shuttle (Shuttlecock)
The projectile used in Badminton. Like the rest of the equipment the shuttlecock has
evolved over the years. The modern feathered shuttlecock has changed very little over
the better part of a century and is still made of feathers (goose or duck) for the skirt
and leather-covered cork for the base. Plastic shuttles are also very common and are
made from many materials. Some use a cork and leather base, others a molded base.
In almost all cases the skirt is a one-piece molding rather than separate feathers. The
best synthetics attempt to get close to the trajectory of a feathered shuttle by careful
skirt design and materials selection. Spin varies widely with synthetics.

"Sides"

A call between doubles partners indicating that one partner would like the other to
move to a side-by-side position.

Side by Side

In doubles a position in which the two players are next to each other. This is typically
considered to be a defensive position, allowing both players to defend a narrow
section of the court while staying well back from the net. This position is most
effective when the two players are of similar ability, with a mismatched pair being
vulnerable to attacks on the weaker player. Doubles play generally rotates
between front-and-back and side-by-sidepositions.

Singles

"A match where there is one player on each of the opposing sides." (2)

Skirt

The feathered section of a shuttlecock. Or (briefly) the mandated attire for ladies
during an abortive attempt by BWF to make our great sport more "attractive" when
broadcast to the masses.

Slice (Cut)

A shot hit with the face of the racket at an angle instead off of perpendicular. When
used at the net, the intent is typically to impart a backward spin (tumble) to the shuttle
causing it to fall quickly and be more difficult to return. When used in backcourt it is
typically used for deception. A full power swing that appears to be a smash can be
converted into a drop by turning the racket face a little and thereby slicing and taking
power off of the shot. Copious practice is needed of course to do this with reasonable
accuracy.
Smash

Hard-hit overhead shot that forces the shuttle sharply downward. Badminton's primary
attacking stroke.

Smooth Side

The opposite side of the racket from the trim's loops.

Spin Serve

A short serve produced by hitting the shuttle's skirt instead of the base, causing the
shuttle to tumble and move in an erratic path. To do this one holds the shuttle
backward- with the feathers pointing to the server rather than the base. This serve was
outlawed in 1982 by a rules change (9.1.4) that mandates that the base of the shuttle
be contacted first. While the spin serve was indeed more interesting to return, it also
destroyed shuttles very quickly.

Stance

The position of one's body and feet while waiting for the opponent to hit the shuttle.
Can be very important since improper stance can give unwanted clues to the opponent
and make quick effective response more difficult. Classic improper stance for
beginners would be flat-footed with weight on heels.

Stroke

"A movement of the player’s racket with an intention to hit the shuttle." (2)

Straight Games

A win in consecutive games with no lost games.

Sweetspot

The center section of the racket stringing where the response is uniform and hence
offers maximum playability. Near the rim of the racket the string becomes more rigid
and less responsive, an effect that varies depending upon closeness to the rim. The
extent of the sweetspot depends upon racket design, the string chosen, and generally
varies inversely with the tension used in stringing the racket. Shots hit outside of the
sweetspot are less predictable and impart less energy to the shuttle so it is desirable to
hit most shots in the sweetspot. Beginning players hence benefit from looser stringing
which yields larger sweetspot.

T (T-Junction)

The intersection of the center line and the short service line. This is used as a
reference point for short serves and as a base for much net play.

T-Joint

The joint connecting the head and shaft of a racket. During the transition from
continuous frames of wood or bamboo, a wide variety of materials were used, in many
cases leading to separate construction of the head and shaft. This allowed for, say a
metal shaft and a metal head (like the venerable Carlton 3.x series) or composite shaft
with metal head (Carlton 3.7S or the Yonex Cab 8). However, this left the designers
the odious task of having to fasten together two tubular objects (the head and shaft)
with a joint that could take massive amounts of abuse. The "T" joint was indeed
shaped like a "T" and very often became the first point of failure for a racket. The T-
Joint is effectively eliminated on modern composite rackets the same way it was in the
past: by making a frame as a continuous piece rather than attaching a head to a frame.

Tape

The three-inch solid strip running along the top of the net, as specified in the rules.
This is generally white in order provide a highly visible reference.

Tension

The force used to pull on string when stringing the racket. After choice of string, the
most important decision to be made is the tension. Tension is usually measured in
pounds though sometimes kg (a metric unit but a measure of mass, not force- go
figure!) and varies from maybe 6 lbs or so for cheap recreational rackets to perhaps 35
lbs for some players that have high-tension rackets. Typical modern string is usually
between 20 and 30 lbs. As with choice of racket or string there is no one "correct"
tension so players need to experiment and find what works best for them.
Test Mark

The two small marks on a court indicating the range into which a proper speed shuttle
will land during testing (see rules).

Throat

The lower end of the racket head adjacent to the junction between shaft and head.
Used by racket stringers to identify the string holes in the frame. "1T" hole is the first
hole to either side of the throat. "2T" is the next hole, etc.

Thumb-Up Grip

A grip in which the racket is rotated away from normal such that the head is parallel
to the net with the back of the racket is facing the net and the thumb is up on the
backside of the grip. It is not generally used since it limits power and control and can
lead to injuries. The exception is for net play where a squared head allows for very
quick response on backhand or forehand side without changing grip. This is most
effectively done with the fingers rather than wrist or arm motion. See also Frying-Pan
Grip.

Tipping (the Shuttle)

Adjusting the speed of a shuttlecock by bending the tips of the feathers. Since playing
conditions such as temperature and humidity affect shuttle speed it is useful to be able
to adjust one's shuttles for the conditions. With a little practice speed can be fine-
tuned, with variables of how many feathers to tip (every second or third is common,
every feather means you probably have wrong speed) and how much (start with very
small tip- say a couple of mm). Usually slowing a shuttle (bending tips outward) is
better than speeding it since bending tips inward more often affects the shuttle's
stability. A good reason why it is better to purchase shuttles a little slow than a little
fast.

Toss (shuttle)(coin)

The determination of who decides serve or sides (see Rules) is done using a random
binary event such as a coin toss (heads or tails) or a shuttle toss (throw up shuttle and
see which way it points, assuming of course that it doesn't end up vertical!).

Toss Serve
A serve in which the server throws the shuttle up or to the side and lets it fall before
hitting it. Almost exclusively used for forehand singles serves.

Towel Grip

A grip overwrap made of terry cloth just like typical towels, hence the name "towel"
grip. Widely used in the past but less so today with the many very effective grip
overwraps available. The towel grip is very good for players who like the feel or
sweat heavily.

Trim

In the old days with wooden rackets when 10 lbs or so of tension was tight, a string
was used at top and bottom of the racket to help keep the mains from separating. This
string- the "trim" was a double string starting from one side and looped around each
main, resulting in the trim crossing between mains toward one side of the racket, and
hence a "rough" side and a "smooth" side. When deciding serve and side, players
could spin a racket on its top (DON'T do that with your $200 carbon racket!) and call
"rough" or "smooth". The modern equivalent is coin toss or more informally since
most players don't have a coin handy, a toss of the shuttle.

Turnover

The ability of a shuttle to reverse direction and obtain a new stable base-forward
orientation. The flexible skirts of synthetic shuttles allow the shuttle to fly
"backwards" relatively long and until the skirts recover their shape the shuttle can't
settle into stable flight. The stiff skirts of feathered shuttle allow faster recovery and
hence better turnover. Not surprisingly a key goal of synthetic shuttle designers is a
stiff skirt and turnover as close as possible to feathers. Turnover is especially
important for delicate net work since one wants to contact the base (rather than skirt)
for good control.

Two-Piece (stringing)

With two-piece stringing one piece of string is used for the mains and then a second
piece is used for the crosses, resulting in four tie-off knots, one at the head end three
at the throat end. The crosses and mains may or may not be strung to the
same tension.
Unforced Error

A mistake or error or mishit caused not by an opponent's good play but rather by a
player's bad play. For instance, returning a normally playable shot into the net is an
"unforced" error. Unforced errors can be due to lack of concentration or due to
inconsistency of shots. The latter is why drills with many shot repetitions are
necessary.

"Up" ("Go Up")

A call between doubles partners indicating that one partner would like the other to
move to the forecourt and hence to a front-and-back position. The player calling "Up"
is of course intending to attack (smash or drop).

Waist

A seemingly obvious term and we all know that the shuttle must be below the waist at
time of service. The question becomes: just where is the waist? The rules specify the
waist as the bottom of the ribcage, but that's not generally visible. Instead what's
commonly used is the height of the elbow when standing upright as this is quite
visible and remarkably close to the rules. Historically "waist" was also used to refer to
the center section of the court, as the court was narrower at the net than at the back.

Wood Shot

Any shot in which the base of the shuttle is hit by the frame (either head or shaft) of
the racket rather than the strings. For a period between 1950 and 1963 wood shots
were considered a fault. Since it was very difficult even for the hitter to reliably
determine if a wood shot occurred, wood shots became legal and remain so. The term
"wood" shot of course is derived from the wooden frames that were used in that era.