Ready Stance

Beginnerfundamentals

Feet apart, knees soft, weight forward.

The athletic base position you return to between every shot. Knees bent, racket up, weight forward.

Key points

•Feet shoulder-width apart
•Knees slightly bent
•Racket up at chest height
•Weight on the balls of your feet

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 ready stance is the most important position in badminton. Every rally starts and ends here. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart with knees slightly bent, creating a springy base that lets you move in any direction instantly. Your racket should be held up at chest height, not dangling by your side — this saves precious milliseconds when reacting to a fast shuttle. Your non-racket hand mirrors the racket hand for balance. Weight should be forward on the balls of your feet, never on your heels. Think of it as a coiled spring, ready to explode in any direction.

Fun Fact

A badminton shuttle can travel over 400 km/h off a professional smash — faster than a Formula 1 car. That's why the ready stance matters: you have less than half a second to react!

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.