How to Serve in Badminton: Low & High Serve Guide

Last updated: June 2026 · Written by the team at Badminton House

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Legal Serve Rules Beginners Need to Know

Before you worry about whether your low serve is tight enough or your high serve reaches the back line, make sure the serve is legal. In badminton, a rally can be lost immediately on a service fault, so beginners should learn the service laws early.

For Canadian beginners, the confusing part is the serve-height rule. The fixed 1.15 m rule is used at international BWF events, but recreational clubs and many domestic games may still use the older standard: contact below the waist, with the racket head below the racket hand before contact.

A simple beginner habit is to serve with a still base, contact the shuttle clearly below the expected height standard, and avoid any stop-start racket motion. That keeps the focus on the rally instead of a debate over whether the serve was legal.

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Where to Stand When You Serve

Before you think about low serve or high serve technique, get the service court right. In badminton, your serving side is based on the server’s score: even scores serve from the right service court, odd scores serve from the left service court.

The receiver does not choose a random side. Their position is determined by the server’s score, and they stand diagonally across from the server. If the server is in the right service court, the receiver is in the diagonal right service court from their own end. If the server is in the left service court, the receiver is diagonally opposite on the left.

Singles vs doubles service court lines

The side you stand on follows the same even-and-odd pattern in singles and doubles, but the court lines used for a legal serve are different:

• Singles: the service court is narrower, so the side tramlines are out. The serve can still travel the full length of the court to the back baseline.
• Doubles: the service court is wider, so the side tramlines are in. The service area is shorter because the doubles long service line is used instead of the back baseline.

A good habit for beginners is to say the score, check whether it is even or odd, then step into the correct box before serving. That small routine prevents wrong-court mistakes before they become match-losing habits.

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How to Do a Low Serve in Badminton

The backhand low serve is the serve most beginners should learn first for doubles. The goal is simple: send the shuttle just over the net so it lands on or close to the short service line. When it stays low and short, your opponent has much less chance to attack the return.

1. Use a backhand grip. Turn the racket so your thumb supports the wider bevel of the handle. This makes the serve easier to control because the swing can stay short and precise.
2. Set the shuttle in front of your body. Hold the shuttlecock with your thumb and index finger. Keep it steady rather than tossing it upward.
3. Place the racket behind the shuttle. Start with the racket face close behind the cork, ready to move forward through the shuttle. Keep your hand positions calm and repeatable.
4. Keep the backswing minimal. Avoid pulling the racket far back. A long backswing makes the shuttle pop up, which gives the receiver an easier attacking return.
5. Move back and forward in one short motion. Let the racket move slightly back, then forward through the base of the shuttle. The feeling should be more like a gentle push than a hit.
6. Aim low over the tape. Your best low serves just clear the net and land close to the short service line. If the shuttle drops short of that line, it is a fault.

What a Good Low Serve Should Look Like

A clean low serve travels flat and controlled, clears the net by a small margin, and begins dropping quickly after crossing. In doubles, that shape matters because a loose serve that sits high gives the receiver a chance to pounce. A tight low serve often forces a lift, net return, or push instead of an immediate smash.

A Simple Cue for Consistency

Before each serve, pause for a moment and check three things: shuttle steady, racket behind the cork, short forward push. If your serve keeps rising too high, reduce the backswing first. If it keeps falling short, keep the same compact motion but send the shuttle slightly farther through the service line target.

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Once your low serve is landing consistently, add pressure: practise with a receiver standing ready to attack anything high. That is when you start learning the real purpose of the low serve — not just getting the shuttle in, but starting the rally without giving away the first attack.

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How to Do a High Serve in Badminton

The high serve, sometimes called a long serve, is mainly a singles serve. The goal is simple: send the shuttle high and long so it drops close to the furthest backline, forcing your opponent to start the rally from deep in the court instead of attacking immediately.

1. Use a forehand grip. The high serve is a forehand serve. Set your racket in a forehand grip before you start, rather than trying to create power with a backhand motion.
2. Stand side-on, one step behind the service line. Turn your body sideways rather than facing the net square-on. This gives your swing room to travel upward and forward.
3. Start with your body weight on the rear foot. Your racket begins just behind the side of your body, ready to swing through the shuttle.
4. Hold the shuttle near chest height in front of you. This is only the starting hold. Drop the shuttle before contact so your serve stays legal under the service-height rule used in your game.
5. Drop, then swing upward. Let the shuttle fall, then swing the racket upward through the cork. The motion should continue forwards from the start of the serve until you strike the shuttle.
6. Transfer weight forward. Move your body weight from the rear foot to the front foot as you hit. This adds energy without needing to slap at the shuttle.
7. Aim high and long. Your target is not the middle of the rear court; it is a deep landing area close to the furthest backline in singles.

A good high serve should feel smooth, not rushed. Beginners often try to muscle the shuttle with the arm only, but the better pattern is a controlled upward swing plus a forward weight transfer. If the shuttle is landing short, check your setup first: are you side-on, is your weight starting on the rear foot, and are you actually swinging upward toward the back of the court?

In doubles, the high serve is much less useful because the doubles service area is shorter in length than singles. Against stronger doubles opponents, a high serve can give them time to attack from near the doubles long service line. That is why the low serve is the usual doubles choice, while the high serve remains a common option in singles. For a deeper comparison, see our singles vs doubles strategy guide.

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Is There a Backhand High Serve?

Not in the same way. There is no true backhand equivalent to the forehand high serve. If you are serving with a backhand action and want to send the shuttle deeper, that is normally a backhand flick serve rather than a full high serve.

For beginners, keep the techniques separate: practise your forehand high serve for singles, and practise your backhand low serve for doubles or short-serve situations. Trying to blend the two too early usually makes both serves less consistent.

At many Canadian club and recreational games, players still use the older “below the waist” service standard rather than the fixed 1.15 m international service-height rule. Either way, the practical habit is the same for this serve: hold the shuttle comfortably, drop it, and make contact low enough that your high serve is clearly legal.

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Common Badminton Serve Faults to Avoid

A good badminton serve is not legal just because the swing looks tidy. Beginners usually fault because one small detail breaks down: the timing, the feet, the service court, or the part of the shuttle they contact.

For many Canadian club nights and recreational games, players still use the older “below the waist” service standard rather than the fixed 1.15 m international rule, so always follow the rule set used by your club, league, or tournament. Either way, the same beginner principle applies: build a repeatable serve routine before worrying about deception.

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Low Serve or High Serve: Which Should You Use?

The simplest answer: use the serve that gives your opponent the least attacking opportunity for the format you are playing. In doubles, that usually means a tight low serve. In singles, both low and high serves are useful, and the right choice depends more on your opponent, your consistency, and how well you can recover for the next shot.

One common trap is trying to disguise a low serve by copying a high-serve action. That can create more errors than pressure, because good high serve technique and good low serve technique are very different: the high serve uses a longer forehand action and weight transfer, while the low serve relies on a short, controlled motion.

If you are still deciding whether your game is more singles- or doubles-focused, read our related guide to badminton singles vs doubles strategy and gear.

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Beginner Serve Practice Drills and Gear

The fastest way to get comfortable serving is simple: practise both the low serve and high serve, aim to different areas of the service court, and repeat until the motion feels boringly consistent. Beginners often jump straight into rallies, but a few focused serve reps before drop-in play can make a big difference.

Drill 1: Low-Serve Target Practice

Place a small target just beyond the short service line in the correct diagonal service box. Your goal is not power — it is a serve that clears the net, lands legally, and stays low enough that the receiver cannot attack it easily.

• Use the same starting position each time so your contact point becomes repeatable.
• Aim for one target first, then move the target slightly wider or more central.
• If the shuttle drops short of the service line, reset and focus on a smooth forward motion.

Drill 2: High-Serve Depth Practice

For singles practice, place targets deep in the back part of the service court and work on sending the shuttle high and long. The goal is a serve that travels with enough height to push the receiver back, then drops close to the rear service area.

• Start with an easy rhythm rather than trying to hit maximum distance.
• Keep your swing smooth and repeatable.
• Alternate between the right and left service courts so you learn both diagonals.

Drill 3: Four-Zone Serving

Once you can land a basic low serve and high serve, divide the service court into target zones: short-middle, short-wide, deep-middle, and deep-wide. Serve to one zone at a time before mixing them randomly.

Drill 4: Consistency Before Deception

Beginners should earn consistency before trying trick serves. Pick one serve, one target, and repeat it until your misses become predictable. If most misses are short, add a little length. If most serves sit too high, soften the swing and focus on the shuttle crossing just over the net.

A useful rule for practice: do not change everything at once. Adjust only one thing at a time — contact point, swing size, target, or starting position — so you can feel what actually fixed the serve.

What Gear Helps Most?

• Practice shuttles: use consistent shuttlecocks so you can tell whether the miss came from your technique or from a damaged shuttle.
• A controllable racket: beginners usually benefit from a racket that feels stable in the hand and easy to guide through a short service motion. If you are unsure where to start, read our badminton racket choosing guide.
• Court targets: cones, flat markers, or spare shuttle tubes can work as visual targets, as long as they are safe and do not create a tripping hazard.
• A simple score sheet: track how many serves land in your chosen target area so practice becomes measurable instead of random.

If you are new to club play in Canada, pair these serve drills with a basic rules refresher and a drop-in checklist. The serve starts every rally, but the habit that improves it is repetition with a clear target.

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Low Serve or High Serve: Which Should You Choose?

If you only remember one thing: use the low serve as your default in doubles, and learn both low and high serves for singles. The right choice depends on the format, the service court, and what return you want to force.

For a bigger picture on court positioning and scoring, see our badminton rules and scoring guide. If you are choosing tactics by format, the singles vs doubles strategy guide is the natural next read.

Serving gets easier when you practise it like a badminton shot, not just a way to start the rally. We play badminton ourselves, so if you are unsure whether your racket, strings, grip, or shuttle choice is making your serve harder than it needs to be, contact us and we will help you choose gear that fits your level and playing style.