If you have recently taken an interest in badminton, then you would want to know all its basic moves, particularly what badminton stroke is easy to execute.

Badminton is an excellent sport for beginners who are looking to develop sports as a hobby or want to get back in shape. It is also much easier than tennis and has several easy strokes.

There are four basic strokes used in badminton, out of which the easiest one is the overhead badminton forehand stroke, which is recommended for beginners. Aside from this, the underarm forehand stroke and the underarm backhand stroke are also easy strokes.

In this guide, I can help you understand some of the basic and easy strokes in badminton and which are most commonly used.

As a sports lover, I have been playing badminton since I was in elementary school so I understand the kind of issues beginner badminton players may face when playing the game. Rest, assured, I can help you understand them so that you can easily learn badminton.

Types of Basic Strokes in Badminton

A badminton stroke is the swinging motion of the racket made by a player who wants to make contact with the shuttlecock. The strokes made in badminton are crucial for making an effective shot.

There are four types of basic badminton strokes that players are required to use:

Overhead Forehand Stroke: This is the easiest and most popular badminton stroke. Most beginner players are most comfortable using this stroke, particularly for making strong shots.

Overhead Backhand Stroke: This stroke may be more difficult for beginner players to perform, since you will have to twist your body backward to make this shot.

Underarm Forehand Stroke: This allows you to return a shot with a lot of force; however, beginner users may have difficulty using this stroke in the beginning.

Underarm Backhand Stroke: This is an easier stroke than an overhead backhand, since you don’t have to twist your body backward to execute it.

Out of these four strokes, the overhead badminton forehand stroke is used the most during a badminton game. This is because it is the easiest stroke to perform in badminton and is the first stroke taught to beginners.

It is also the one stroke in badminton that delivers the most power. This stroke is used to perform the jump smash, which is the most powerful attack in badminton.

Aside from this, the other most commonly used strokes in badminton are the underarm forehand and the underarm backhand strokes. These strokes are also comparatively easy to learn as well and are used as defensive strokes.

Now let’s take a look at each of these easy strokes in detail.

Overhead Forehand Stroke

The overhead forehand stroke is used most often in badminton. Beginner users will learn to perform this stroke before they can move on to relatively more complex strokes.

Not only is the overhead forehand stroke the simplest stroke to perform, but it also delivers the most power. This force comes from using the right technique when swinging the racket, not how much strength you put behind the swing. The larger your swing, the more momentum will be generated, which is why beginner players need to learn to make wide strokes.

Technique

The overhead forehand technique aims to lob an object as far as possible. Here is how you can achieve that:

• Grab the racket in a forehand grip and assume the attacking badminton stance. This stance is when you twist your body to the side and place your racket leg behind you and the non-racket leg forward. Make sure you stand with your legs shoulder width apart. Raise your dominant and non-dominant hands to about your head height.
• Move your racket arm back and make sure to extend your chest as wide as you can to achieve a full swing. Breathe in as you extend your chest. This can make you feel more confident and help you make a better shot.
• Your non-racket arm will also be lifted as it will help to balance your body so that you can perform the proper technique. Before performing the stroke, straighten the non-racket arm in a natural movement. Once it is stretched out, make a swing with your racket arm forward.
• Make sure that the swing is made smoothly, with a curving downward motion. To generate the most power, it is important to stretch your arm to the fullest. As you swing forward, your non-racket arm should naturally come back close to your body.
• Once the racket comes in contact with the shuttle, it is important that you complete the swing all the way down. Do not stop midway and make sure to rotate your waist from the side to the front of the court. This will deliver more power behind your stroke.
• Once the full swing is completed, your body will face the front and your racket will end up positioned at the lower front of your body.
• Make sure you maintain your balance throughout the swing.

Important Tips

To ensure your overhead forehand stroke is perfect, you should follow a few tips:

• Do not put too much strength when making the swing. This can lead to a poor shot as well as make you lose your balance.
• Make sure you complete the full swing, even after your racket has hit the shuttlecock.
• Your non-racket arm also plays an important role in making an effective swing. It helps to maintain your balance and will make you more comfortable and confident during the game.

Underarm Forehand Stroke

After the overhead forehand stroke, the badminton underarm forehand stroke is another easy stroke. This stroke is executed usually when your opponent hits you with a drop shot. It is quite easy to generate power with an underarm stroke so you need not to be concerned that you may not be able to exert enough power behind the swing if you follow the right technique correctly.

Technique

To achieve this stroke, you need to get a good forehand grip on the badminton racket.

• From your position, leap forward to your forehand area using your dominant leg.
• At the same time, raise your racket to where you expect it to come in contact with the shuttle. As you start to swing, keep your dominant leg at the front, which will help to balance and support the weight of your body.
• Keep this stance as you are about to make your swing.
• Begin your underarm swing. Make sure you move your racket in a smooth curving upward motion.
• Just as you are about to make contact with the shuttle, flick your wrist to generate more momentum behind the swing. However, keep in mind that the twist of your wrist must be gentle. Exert too much force and you will shuttle outside of your opponent’s baseline.
• As you hit the shuttle, lean forward slightly so that you can ensure a good balance of your body.
• Once you have hit the shuttle, make sure your racket completes the swing. This will not drive more power into the shuttle but will help it maintain a more accurate trajectory, which will make a more precise shot.

Important Tips

To execute a precise underarm forehand stroke, here are some tips that you need to follow:

• Make sure you follow the proper stance and technique to achieve the correct underarm forehand stroke.
• Grip your racket using the forehand grip. Make sure that the racket is gripped firmly but not too tightly so that you can easily flex your wrist when needed.
• Keep in mind that the underarm forehand stroke does not require a lot of effort to execute. Since these strokes are typically performed at the front of the court, you do not need to use too much power to send the shuttle to the back of your opponent’s court. Therefore, a more gentle swing along with the right technique will help you produce an effective shot.
• As we mentioned before, your wrist also plays a very important role in creating a quality shot. Make sure to flick your wrist only gently towards the direction you want the shuttle to go to. This will create a more precise shot.
• Again, always finish your swing so that you drive your shuttle on a better flight trajectory.

Underarm Backhand Stroke

The underarm backhand stroke is the easiest stroke to perform after the overhead forehand stroke. Again, this stroke is a defensive stroke and is typically performed when your opponent hits you with a drop shot at the front of the court.

Like the underarm forehand stroke, the underarm backhand stroke can also generate sufficient power. So you should not be overly concerned about not making a strong shot because if you put too much strength behind the shot, your shuttle will land outside of the court.

Technique

The proper technique needs to be exercised when performing the underarm backhand stroke:

• Because the shuttle is going to come in front of you, you will need to lunge forward towards the front of the court.
• Your racket should be held out near your side slightly in front of you while your non-racket arm should be held slightly to the side for balance. Your dominant leg should be always forward while your non-dominant leg should be positioned backward.
• Just before returning the shot, hold your racket in front of you at waist level, horizontally across your body. Your non-dominant arm will curl backward naturally as you prepare to make the shot.
• Make a swing upward and make sure that you complete the swing even after you hit the shuttle. Again, this swing should be gentle and not too forceful; otherwise, you will lose your balance.
• Just before your racket hits the shuttle, gently flick your wrist to generate more momentum for an underarm stroke. At the end of the swing, your racket will be almost upright and your wrist will be pointing upward, indicating you have flicked it when making the hit.

Important Tips

Let’s take a look at some of the important tips for executing an underarm backhand stroke in badminton.

• Like all strokes in badminton, you need to make sure you do not use too much force when making an underarm backhand stroke. A gentle stroke will be enough to generate the required amount of power to drive the shuttle to the point where you want. However, following the correct technique is also essential.
• Pay attention to the flick of your wrist. In the underarm backhand shot, a lot of power comes from the flick of the wrist. This, however, does not mean that you need to use a lot of power. A gentle flick coupled with a gentle underarm swing is key to a quality and accurate shot.
• A lot of beginner players may use a backhand grip to execute an underarm backhand stroke. However, it is definitely not necessary. You can use the forehand grip to execute this stroke as well. However, you always have the option of switching to a backhand grip if you can do it fast enough. With a backhand grip, it might be easier for learners to hit the shuttle more accurately, particularly when you want to hit it across the court.
• Do not grip the racket too tightly or you will not be able to flick your wrist right and compromise the accuracy of your shot.

So there you have it. These three grips are the easiest to execute in a badminton match. The fourth grip, the overhead backhand stroke is a bit more challenging so we have not discussed it in this article. However, to improve yourself as a player, you will need to learn and master this stroke as well in time.