Short Serve

Beginnerfundamentals

Non-racket foot forward, weight balanced.

A low, tight serve that just clears the net and drops into the front service box. Essential for doubles.

Key points

•Stand close to the service line
•Hold shuttle at waist height
•Gentle push, not a full swing
•Shuttle just clears the net

Practice with Coach Priya

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The short serve is the most used serve in doubles and increasingly common in singles. Stand close to the front service line with your non-racket foot forward. Hold the shuttle by the feathers at waist height. The swing is more of a gentle push than a full swing — you want the shuttle to barely clear the net and drop quickly into the front service box. Keep your wrist firm at contact, and follow through towards your target. The key is consistency: a good short serve puts immediate pressure on the receiver.

Fun Fact

In professional doubles, over 90% of serves are short serves. A serve that's even 5cm too high can be smashed back for a winner!

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.