6 Tips For Playing With A Worse Partner In Badminton 

This can be a tricky subject on court. I have quite often witnessed pairs where one partner "assumed" themselves to be the stronger and pre-eminent player but, observed objectively they were actually making just as many errors or setting-up their "weaker" partner with questionable shot selections of their own. If you fail to play to your partner's strengths it is possible to unintentionally make them appear far worse than they actually are. To that end, I tend to adopt the belief that you either win as a pair, or lose as a pair (unless there is a considerable competency gap between the two players, in which case just accept the imbalance and work as best you both can with it).

OMG that makes so much sense on why I would usually lose whenever I had weaker partner, despite knowing that I could win the match. I realized that I'd stick to my playstyle of playing hard/advanced shots like full smash, fast drops and cross net shots but my partner wasn't able to keep up and would almost often lose us the point. Maybe I'll start playing more controlled shots and slow down the pace. Thank you so much for making these kind of videos. I have watched every single one of them. Keep it up!

Thank you so much for this point on communication with a partner. I used to be the one who's weaker and I've spotted that I play much worse if stronger partners roll their eyes and start yelling at me during the game, and much better when I'm encouraged and supported!

Oh my gosh I cannot describe how useful this is for me. I play in high school and there are definitely pairs that struggle with skill gaps. I will definitely put this advice to good use next season. Thank you for the video!

INCREDIBLY good and VERY insightful - thank you!!!

Playing slower pace, using quick but steep smashes (instead of all in) really helps because you can cover the next shot easily. It made all the difference. Defending and then counter-attacking seems to work for me instead of hitting really hard instead of expecting your partner to intercept at the front-mid area.

This is one of the best discussion point everyone looking for. As everyone looking to get one point and make mess in court and abuse others this will be the great way to learn and respect each so that game is more than individual opinions. Thank you both for explaining most tough things in simple words…..

Great video make more of them. Really appreciate your time and effort in putting these very very good quality video together. I wish both of you well.

🏸 great topic! I've got some new thing to learn and digest! Thanks!!!

Your content has been really helpful and has improved my game over and over again. Please continue making these videos.

This type of videos are not usually found, but are most needed

Another very insightful video. You guys are really inspiring.

Thank you for the video!! Learnt a thing or two and will try it out next time.

Didnt know Greg had a twin! XD

Another great video 🏸. Reminds me of a match where every shot was played to my partner, mostly to the back. We lost quit badly in the first set. But I told him we should play "mixed doubles" and keep him at the front (since he was also a big guy) even when it was my serve. I'd just shift backwards fast and be able to get the return, and they made a lot mistakes of lifting not high enough over my partner and get it right back, since he was already close to the net. We easily won the next two sets and thus the game. He was very good at the net. As I remember he only made one mistake. Boosted our confidence while playing this way. As a downside though it sometimes leaves a bit of the court open for attack. But I think we countered their basic tactic like this.

Thanks for this video much appreciated and I will study it diligently :)

I am the weaker partner. Not many stronger partners have those attributes you guys mentioned and even less have can retain the positive vibe up to end of of the game... towards the end they usually quiet down.. This is a big tips actually.

Watching a lot of the videos posted on your channel, they are very helpful!

Insightful, thank you!

Just loving your videos. Editing is fantastic. Well done Jenny 🏸💪👏

This is the most valuable video on this channel. These tips are great learning points.

thanks I really need this tips

As usual, love the content 🏸 thanks!

Your videos are very good and very well presented, created, explained and curated. The animations like the 1unarity on left bottom, the art work to demonstrate the key point are very good. Thanks I learn alot from you guys, I am a beginner and your videos are really helpfull all time.

Great tips! ❤

Wonderful video! 🏸 Totally agree with the communication part 👍

thanks Guys amazing and well thought of videos of a true champions... love from India 🇮🇳keep the videos coming...

I’m playing In a weekly local tournament that lasts all summer every Thursday night. The majority of those who play are not as good of players as I am. On the first night I played 6 games and only won 1 of them. Then a few days later this video game out and I decided “I’m going to implement their suggestions” The next week I went 5-0 !!! Thank you for your help 😊

Encouragement is so important!

Such good and accurate advice re whether to encourage or not.. 'cos some players get annoyed when their partners keep saying "unlucky"..

Thank you I want this video very badly 👍👍👍👍

🏸 great video - thanks for all the efforts Greg & Jenny!!

My partner is definitely the better of us two but I have the faster defensive reaction because of my lacrosse goalkeeping background. There were times we had to swap me to the back for our defensive formation because if he misses the defence I can slide in and recover (I’m much smaller as well) and we do quite well for a mixed team this way :)

Thank you so much,this really helps me

Great video..🎉🎉

Thanks fir this video very important especially in clubs where we have various level players

Great video 👍👍 Thanks.

🏸 This is definitely one of the more rare YT videos for badminton, I live how detailed you guys teach badminton!

2:34 I was convinced it wasn't Greg in the video😂😂 Anyways, this was an awesome video, great production quality and an incredibly useful content for the doubles discipline. Sometimes, I'm the weaker player while on some moments, I'm the one who's supposed to be pro active on the court. Either way, this was very helpful. Thanks for this video 👍✨

🏸Good content, explanation, and editing😎🏸 What I try to remind myself is that if I'm not able to react and come up with a way to cover my partner, I'm probably not "better enough"!

sending this to my doubles partner right away! 😊

I definetly get better avter watching your videos!!

Thanks so much

wow, apreciate the editing !

Dude this is such a hard topic to cover and you guys did it perfectly ur the only reason why I play like I do and I am not like the carry type me and my teammate are really close in everything I have better placement and he has better power So we can try some of these when I am teamed with another friend that isn't as close to skill level as my actual partner

great vid👏🏻

Who's doing the editing? It's getting better =)

I am from India this video is very helpful for me thank you so much for uploading this video

Great advice. Do you have a video planned for the weaker partner aswell? Probably not the core audience for the channel but will be valuable for those that do come looking.

Great video, I love the parts when they wink and say if they are actually ‘weaker than you that is’ 😂

Great stuff

Thanks for the video, still

Good video full of great tips.

Yes, I am the stronger partner ;) LOL. Great vid, and I love the positive mention on the last part.

Thanks. Very practical, however, a lot of times, the weaker partners do not know, and often blame the rel ‘stronger’ player for not doing their job. Anyway, like u said at the end, key is to enjoy the game no matter what. Thanks again!

🏸Great Content! Love this topic!

Hi guys love your videos as always. So is it possible to do a video tutorial on chasse steps on the backhand side (to use overhead shots) just like Anthony Ginting always did. He's always been able to do this very different backhand footwork like many small running steps to the back. Not sure if is called chasse and couldn't really find this sort of tutorial anywhere.

Thanks!

Another great video guys, thank you 🏸🏸🏸 At my club I often play with players both better than me as well as a handful of beginners so I’m often on both sides of this coin. Very informative and important points. It’s things like this that help you make the most of each game even if partners/opponents are out of your league in either direction.

All of the content was super useful ! Thank you so much for the hard work 😊

My weaker partner shout at me. 🤦‍♂I calmly walked away from him after the loss. I seldom play with him. He was angry & criticized me in front of everyone for choosing not to smash the shuttle at the lady's face, who is wearing eyeglasses, at the net. He doesn't like it when he receives body shots. There were no body smashes in this match. I found that attitude troubling that I made many mistakes. He was also expecting me to able to hit a rear court jump smash, land, & then run to the net to get the reply. 🤦‍♂No, we were not "playing sides". 😁 So I kept on doing it just to make a point he should cover the net; which he didn't. He continued to criticize me after the game. The next game I partner with a beginner & encouraged him. "Great shot. Nice block!" That game we won!

🏸 Here's my Like and I've subscribed! I'm sure everyone can relate to this video as both the weaker and stronger(?) 😉 player when playing doubles. Communication is super important and I love the "Marcus" clip (why did it make me think of "Fenton"?) and realised I could do more on this and on shot selection. Any suggestions on how to gently encourage new players who are fully committed to covering "all" of the court to not move quite as much?

Badminton gold…thank you.😎 I’m glad you talked about encouragement….fantastic.👏 I’m my experience people take up a specific sport for pure enjoyment and for those who want to develop it they can. Some just want to play at a social/club level, enjoy and be involved in the Badminton community. Club competitions, social events, meet likeminded players & just mingle. I believe this all starts on the court and it’s up to the more experienced players to encourage this and instill a good Badminton culture. From that, the want to learn the want to develop and contribute within a partnership were the stronger partner is open and encouraging really can add momentum. Yes, as competitive individuals this there may be times where frustration creeps in. If so, it’s not something to moan at your partner about, its something to work on together, book courts and practice. The weaker partner may be beating themselves up about it, no need to add to it, they are looking at you for guidance. For me, its great to see a partner develop. Positive shots and choices. Being more relaxed and adding a few cheeky shots. We will lose, but we will lose well lol😁. And the day they turn around and say something like “oi! Pull your finger out, what was that shot!” always makes me chuckle 😂because I know we have reached a point where they can also help me develop further. It is also good to keep in mind that the positiveness partners get on court may be a world away from personal life positiveness. Sad, but true.😞 Without shame I will hold my hand up to this though.✋ (Club environment) On the odd occasion when playing against a pair (mixed and most of the time it’s not their regular partner) I see the stronger partner (usually the bloke) huffing, puffing flapping his arms about to take off, rolling eyes etc thus making his partner feel quite inadequate I will purposely play weaker shots (but not obvs) to the weaker player but then brutal shots to the “expert”🙄 stronger player. (Whisper to my partner “all on him!”🙃) Not to belittle, but to hopefully remind them that they are not perfect. Has this cost us points at times? sure! but there is just no need for it.🧐 Great content, keep it coming.🤪

Finally a useful video for me

It is an honour to me for you guys to included me in this video as the "weak partner"......... lol

Point 6,,every club player should learn that!😄👌

Regarding some movements for when a player is not as good.. An issue is that for doubles positioning, they can be things that one would have to drill with a coach. Most of the time when people have drilled with a coach, it has normally been the conventional, rather than adjustment for when a partner is not as good,. One method you mention is when the stronger player blocks it to the net, the weaker player can move in and cover it.. A thing with that though, is that if a weaker player can do that, then how weak are they! When i've played in an intermediate club, there have been high intermediates and low intermediates.. And what happens sometimes is they're trying to play conventional doubles..(which is fine 'cos they haven't drilled anything different.. and the low intermediate probably hasn't even drilled conventional movement!). What happens is the low intermediate might do a block to the net and not follow it in. Then the strong intermediate player says to him "look, I don't know you're gonna do that block to the net, so you have to cover it, 'cos you knew you're going to do that so you can get in there sooner!!!". So there in the framework of conventional movement, a strong intermediate is saying he can't cover that 'cos he doesn't have time. Now, if you have have a strong intermediate and a low intermediate, then given that a strong intermediate would struggle to come on if his weaker partner blocked it, all the moreso it'd be hard for the weaker player to come in and cover for when the stronger player blocks it. I think that might work there in a situation where two partners decide to see a coach, and the coach says "ok, which if you is the better player? correct, they are".. or something like that, and they drill the unconventional thing. In most badminton clubs in the UK, and I don't know re other countries, but in the UK, most clubs switch partners a lot.. only maybe the really advanced clubs that are super selective, might just have partners not switching much.. And maybe that method with the blocking could work there, in a club where partners don't switch a lot, and where something like that can be drilled. When i've seen beginner and low intermediate group training, then even when one player isn't as good, they've taught only the conventional and discouraged any trying to keep a player at the front, because they wanted all the players to learn conventional movement. In clubs i've played at, they say intermediate level.. There's "weaker" players, weaker being a euphemism for terrible or rubbish or relatively rubbish players.. And they come in different types.. ones that run all over the place like its singles, and my even be a hazard.. Ones that hardly move.. Ones that play strange shots.. Ones that don't have a clue what they are doing at the front and make it hard for anybody at the back. What to do then is different for the different types.. The concept of weaker/rubbish player is a broad category. The one in your example that can get a block their partner does, might be very quick but not preferred to be in the rear. One method i've used at intermediate level , as a lefty, so most of my partners are righties.. When two aprtners one left handed one right handed.. And both are sides, and in that position where the lefty is on the right and the righty is on the left, and one of them is not diong well at the rear court on the backhand/RTH side.. Then the partner can spot it and take it with their forehand. I've had that when i'm the rubbish one , in earlier years, maybe not moving much and they the righty have taken it. Or i've been playing with a partner that isn't good , or not at their best in that rally and just can't get to a shot on their RTH, , and i've saved it by doing the rear court forehand on my forehand side / partner's RTH side. And if I did a drop I call to them to "take the front", or "we're still going, take the front!.

Nice video. Thanks. I can't control my anger to my weaker partner. He played drop shot from rear court and send me to front court. His intentions to playing more in rear court rather than front court. After two or three shots opponent get point. So I became helpless.

It's always tricky with social badminton! I think the key is it's social and even the best players have an off day. I find it hard to "trust" weaker partners and inevitably go for shots that I shouldn't and ultimately fry the point anyhow. Best to let it go, and at least hope for one extra shot in the rally and perhaps an unforced error from opponents.

It's very satisfying to hear that your racket is hitting the shuttle, what kind of string do you have and what tension?

Flexing the fact that you have videos on nearly every other topic mentioned here. Nice.

excellent

🏸 good video! thanks.

brilliant

Hi Greg & Jenny, another great video as usual, I have a question, how do you control your breathing or the timing of breathing during a rally or drill?

Thanks

I might share this with all my partners so they know how to cope with me on court 😂 Great video 🙌🏼

I'm always the strong partner 😉 You guys are the best, love all the hard work you both put in to these videos! Lots of love from Australia 💛🏸

Superb video. Much needed. Jenny and Greg should plan to open their Academy in near future.. Btw it's just me or Jenny is getting prettier.. 😃 Only a compliment Greg.. Love you guys... Keep up the good work

I always face this problem. Have to play with weaker partner and opponents always target him for easy points. Have learnt few tactics after watching this. Gonna try them tomorrow.

First time seeing this kind of video! Now I know what I could do besides eye rolling haha

Hi J & G, tks for your great tips and content. Would like to seek your suggestion on the following situation. How to deal with the situation when the service partner blocks the vision of the rear partner that is position behind the server? Allow me to explain. I am a left hander. Service partner serve on the even number (right side) of the court. Usual position for me is to stand behind but slightly to the left. When service partner do a low serve, he will move slightly left to position at the T. If I don’t move, my service partner will block my view of the shuttle. But if I move even more to the left (to avoid my service partner blocking my view of the shuttle), I risk exposing my backhand (rear right backcourt). Of course, one solution is for my service partner to bend a little while standing at the T. But I play in a group of 12-15 players, we often mix our pairing. We need to adapt to different playing style of each player. Hope you will give a suggestion on your future videos. Tks in advance.

Love you 😽😻

🏸awesome video!

🏸 Another great video. Loved the tips about playing intelligent shots (straight lifts etc). It’s actually also a useful guide if you know that you are the weaker player - sometimes it’s easy to tell and it’s useful to be able to make suggestions that help avoid your partner getting frustrated, which means you play better as a team.

"Leadership is bringing the best out of other people"

I am usually the weaker player lol but even for us these tips are useful. Also i would like to thank you because u speak very clearly and u are Easy to understand even if english is not our mother tongue

I love you guys 🥰 from india 🇮🇳 My fev players Lin Dan Lee Kento momotta Viktor Piter

Hey guys, can you do a video on shuttle testing & correct shuttle speeds(like where it should land)? Most clubs that I've been to here in NL use shuttles that are way too slow, which also results in more injuries and less satisfying shots for people, which they generally don't realise. It's a huge problem, and I'm betting not just where I live.

Pls place playlists in an order in which u want a beginner to learn first , so tht we can watch viedeos in tht order and improve step by step

the confidence booster part lol

Ahh u guys finally made a video for me to show people I pair up with hahaha

Agree with the video, carrying weaker player are better when the good one play at the back as back player are a man who see all & can control the games better there. But sometimes the weak one just doesnt want or know to move forward & getting bullied at the back. This i find its hard to help them when im locked at the front yet my weak partner just keep attacking until his battery dead. So any advice what to do when you are locked at the front? Coz if i force myself to move backward & intercept, i basically leaving the front court open & not to mention risking my head getting smashed by my own partner 😅

I'll be sharing this with my partner

Always loved listening out for "MARCUS" 😂

Can you do tutorial how to do cross smash because i really understand your explainantion. I've seen other channels video..but it's make confuse

I was in agony last week after I pulled a muscle in my side playing with a partner who just didn’t want to move to take a shot. I ran from rear court to the net, wasn’t worth the effort, I missed and he wasn’t bothered 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hahaha that wink from Jenny

Question: Say, I and my weaker parther are in defensive formation during the game. And the parther gets high clear at the back of the court and I'm forced to move forward ( which means we are in worst position). What shot the partner could play (assuming he\she doesn't have ability to play hard smash or play quality clears) to improve the situation ? My understanding is that the best shots for her would be dropshot in the middle or cross court (so that I could move to the side and back to intercept shots on the other part of the court). Please correct me if I'm wrong.

🏸 suggestion: please can you make a post specifically for ladies playing at club level (beginner/intermediate). I see there is a strange culture at this level where women are encouraged to only play at the front when partnered by a man. There is no rotation and women never develop any skill at rear-court shots as a result. The men also seem to think this is right even when they are running side to side like crazy whilst their female partner stands doing nothing. I think it is the reason why so few women are found at clubs these days relative to the number of men. It is hard for a woman to find the courage to get out of this cycle and insist on practicing at the back which is seen as some kind of outlandish suggestion. Please help!