What is the best way to do a backhand flick serve?

[et97kw0]

[rachyuk]

Karen

Good question! I don't backhand serve myself, let alone backhand 'flick' serve...but I am sure someone will have some basic technique tips on this site forum.

I've seen a few different styles around though!

[gwhite]

Hey Karen!

I thought I had already been through this one with you? You need to do everything you normally would do for a low serve (to make it look as good as possible) and then at the last minute use your wrist action to give the shuttle a little more height and power to take it over your opponents' head. Keep working on that wrist strength!

[jeeves]

Hiya Karen,

Coupla things:

1]A common fault when doing a flick serve is hitting the shuttle way too high in order to make the flight as flat as possible. If possible start the flick as low.

2] Another common fault is hitting the shuttle with an almost horizontal racket. When i do a backhand serve, my racket is often pointing down to make sure this does not happen. It makes for great deception to as this form makes your opponent anticpate a "gentle" serve.


These two faults are often ignored in club play (where I am that is). But if you're playing, it pays in the long run to start doing it right.

I try to serve somewhere in the middle of the court (but to the side edge of the service line near the center) when doing a flick serve. If you serve too near the net, you end up either hitting it too strongly or making an attackable serve.

Cheers!

[chris0011]

Hi Karen

My advise would be to try as many variations as possible - some of which have been mentioned here.

Once you have found a method that suits you, stick with it and introduce it into your game gradually, i.e. start off in low-level grade play (to boost confidence). Eventually, use the serve at the highest level you are playing at.

Ideally, the summer is the best time to change

Let me know how you get on

[unihonsec]

Hello, Karen.
All i can add to this is that practice makes for nearly perfect, but only try it once or twice per game. I find it works best from the man's court serving to a right-hander, as this gives a better angle and a slightly longer distance for the shuttle to drop into. We have one club member who insists on serving to me from the ladies court down the middle, and everytime they are not able to recover in time from the angled round-the-head smashed return it receives.
Good luck.