Singles strategy

Singles is a game of patience and movement. You have the whole court to yourself, which sounds lovely until you remember your opponent does too. The good news is that you don't win singles with one spectacular winner. You win it by making your opponent run, keeping yourself organised, and waiting for the gap to open up. Here are the tactics that make the biggest difference once you're past the very beginner stage.

Hold a central base and recover to it

Your base is the spot you return to after every shot, ready to cover whatever comes back. In singles, this base is roughly central, but not the exact middle of the court. It sits slightly towards the rear, because your racket can reach forward to the net, whereas reaching behind you to dig out a deep shot is slow and awkward. So bias your base back a touch, and let your racket do the reaching at the front.

The habit to build is simple: hit, then recover. Don't admire your shot. As soon as you've played it, move back towards your base and get balanced, ready for the reply. A small jump-and-land called a split step, timed for the moment your opponent strikes the shuttle, gets your feet ready to push off in any direction.

Move your opponent to the four corners

The core idea of singles is to make your opponent cover as much ground as possible. Picture four targets: the two back corners and the two front corners. If you keep sending the shuttle to a different corner from where your opponent is standing, they have to travel and change direction again and again.

Your opponent is trying to do exactly what you're doing: hit, then recover to their own base. Your job is to challenge that recovery. Keep moving them corner to corner so they're always slightly late, until eventually they can't get back in time and the court opens up for you.

1. Aim for the corner furthest from where your opponent currently is, not straight back at them.
2. Mix front and back, not just side to side, so they have to change pace as well as direction.
3. Watch for the late recovery, then play into the space they've just left.

Use length and patience

Length means hitting the shuttle deep to the very back of the court. A good high, deep clear is the most useful shot in singles for an improver. It pushes your opponent right back, buys you time to recover, and stops them attacking you. If your clears keep landing short, your opponent steps in and takes control, so practise hitting them long and high.

Patience is the other half. You rarely win a singles rally with one shot. You build it. Keep the shuttle deep and tight, wait for a weak reply, and resist the urge to go for a winner too early. Most points are lost by trying something risky before the opening is really there. Make the safe, deep shot until your opponent gives you something better.

Attack the space, not just the shuttle

Beginners chase the shuttle. Better players think about where the opponent isn't. The aim is to play into open space so your opponent has to travel to reach the shuttle, rather than simply returning it to where they're already comfortably standing. Before you hit, take a split-second to notice where your opponent is, then send it somewhere else.

When to clear, drop or smash

These three shots all start from a similar overhead position, which is exactly why they work so well together. If your preparation looks the same, your opponent can't read which one is coming.

Clear

Your safe, building shot. Hit it high and deep to push your opponent back, reset the rally, and give yourself time to recover. When in doubt, clear.

Drop

A soft shot that falls just over the net. Best played once you've pinned your opponent deep, so they have a long way to travel forward. It drags them out of the back and stretches the court.

Smash

Your finishing shot. Steep and fast, but tiring and risky if used from the wrong place. Save it for when the shuttle is sitting up and you're balanced, aiming to end the rally within a shot or two.

A classic singles pattern is to use clears and drops to move your opponent and pull them out of position, then smash only when you've created a genuine opening. Smashing every chance you get burns energy fast and often hands the rally back when it's returned.

Conserve energy over long rallies

Singles is hard work, and your fitness is a tactic in itself. The two big energy savers are recovering to a sensible base (so you travel shorter distances) and choosing shots that buy you time. A high lift or a deep clear gives you far longer to recover than a flat-out smash does, which leaves you scrambling.

• Don't smash from deep or off-balance. It costs a lot of energy and rarely wins the point.
• Use clears to slow the rally down and reset when you're stretched.
• Move efficiently with small recovery steps rather than big lunges where you can.
• Stay relaxed between shots. Tension wastes energy and slows your movement.