Facing an opponent who keeps smashing powerful shots? Don’t panic! Here are 5 key tips to defend well against a smasher in badminton.

Work on your positioning

The foundation of good defense is proper positioning. When receiving a smash, stay slightly bent, racquet in front, ready to react. Keep your footwork active and position yourself in the rear center of the court to cover as many angles as possible.

✅ Tip: don’t stand on the back line. Stay about 1 metre in front to have time to react.

Anticipate trajectories

A good defender reads the opponent’s play. Watch their movement: a cross smash has a different motion than a long smash. Train yourself to spot body cues to gain precious time.

✅ Tip: Try to “read” the smasher’s gaze or posture to anticipate more effectively.

Strengthen your reflexes and weak hand

Against powerful smashes, reflexes are crucial. Train with shuttles hit quickly at different heights. Also work on your weaker hand – good defense requires bilateral reactivity.

✅ Tip: Do double defense drills with a partner to boost your reflexes.

Vary your returns

Don’t just return the shuttle randomly. Good defense also means smart counterattacks: cross lifts, short drop shots or long clears to break the rhythm.

✅ Tip: Alternating between high and flat returns can throw off an overly offensive smasher.

Stay calm under pressure

Facing an aggressive attacker, your mindset makes the difference. Breathe, stay clear-headed, and don’t try to return everything with force. Patience is a weapon – make your opponent commit errors.

Conclusion
Defending against a smasher doesn’t mean just enduring – it’s about controlling the tempo, disrupting the rhythm and turning the pressure back. With these tips, you’ll gain confidence, consistency and defensive efficiency!