40+ Must-Know Badminton Terms: Drop Shot, Baseline, Love And More

Common Badminton Terms:  Badminton is played with a racquet to hit a shuttlecock across the net. The game is widely watched and played around the globe. The most common forms of badminton are two and four-player games, which are popularly known as singles (two players) and doubles (four players), respectively. However, Badminton is not everybody’s cup of tea; the game needs strategy, speed and technique. It is played professionally and for fun. Knowing the basic terms of the game helps you understand the game better and highly impacts the learning and enjoyment of the game. Therefore, let’s take a look at the list of 40+ must-know badminton terms, like Love, Drop Shot, Baseline and more.

List Of 40+ Must-Know Badminton Terms

Basic Badminton Vocabulary

1. Shuttlecock/Birdie: The thing players strike with, made of feathers and cork, also known as a bird or birdie.

2. Racket: The tool with which the shuttlecock is hit, typically light in weight and with a synthetic string.

3. Serve/Service: The shot that initiates every rally, played from the service court.

4. Service Court: The section where the serve is to land. It varies for singles and doubles.

5. Short Service Line: The line close to the net which the server has to hit for legality.

6. Backcourt: The back part of the court, behind the short service line.

7. Forecourt: The front third of the court, closest to the net.

8. Midcourt: The middle part of the court, between forecourt and backcourt.

9. Base Position: Area players return to before the next shot.

10. Rally: Pass of shots by players until one side gains a point.

11. Let: Interruption in play during which rally is replayed, which is usually due to distractions or faulty serves.

12. Fault: Any violation of rules resulting in loss of a point or serve.

Types Of Shots in Badminton Terminology

13. Clear: A high and deep shot played into the opponent's backcourt. It might be defensive or an attack.

14. Drop Shot: A gentle shot barely clearing the net in the opponent's forecourt.

15. Smash: Strong, downward shot to finish the rally.

16. Drive: Fast, flat shot, which goes horizontally over the net.

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17. Lift: Defensive shot hit high and deep from the forecourt to the opponent's backcourt.

18. Push Shot: Soft forward shot to midcourt or forecourt via wrist action.

20. Net Shot: Played close to the net, making the shuttle drop quickly.

21. Kill: Downward, sharp smash close to the net, unreturnable.

22. Flick: Fast wrist action for a speedy, deceptive shot, often employed while serving.

23. Hairpin Net Shot: Shot played close and below the net, going up and down steeply in a hairpin curve.

24. Halfcourt Shot: A low shot fired towards the midcourt, ideal in doubles competition.

25. CrossCourt: Diagonal shot from one side of the court to the opposite side.

26. Baseline Smash: A smash hit from the back sideline.

27. Air Shot: Try to hit the shuttle, ending up with a full miss.

Terms of Badminton Associated With Rules And Scoring

28. Love: Zero points.

29. All: Equal scores (e.g., "5all" is equal to 55).

30. Deuce: Score equal near the conclusion of a game and two points ahead to win.

31. Set/Game: Period of the game, typically played up to 21 points.

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32. Match: The whole contest, traditionally played best of three games.

33. Rubber: The third game decides the match.

34. Wood Shot: Shot in which the shuttle is unintentionally hit by the racket frame, now legal.