Badminton Jump Smash Training: 4 Tips to Boost Your Skills

Want to master a badminton move that can create steeper, more explosive shots and scare your opponents into their defense? Look no further than the badminton jump smash. 

This high-powered shot is one of the most exciting moves to watch and execute — but it’s not always easy to get the accuracy, timing, and swing down correctly.

Fortunately, certain tips can make the learning process easier. Below, discover how to jump smash in badminton, including four training tips that can help you pull this move off like a pro.

4 Top Badminton Jump Smash Training Tips

Here are the best jump smash training tips to try the next time you hit the court:

 1. Master the Basic Movement Sequence

A fundamental part of being a skilled jump smasher is understanding the basic movement sequence. 

While these powerful shots do happen rapidly, breaking down the steps can help you ensure you’re putting everything together in the correct order. 

The movement sequence of a jump smash looks something like this:

• Hold your racket in the forehand grip and use proper footwork to shuffle backward. 
• Stand slightly sideways with your racket arm up behind you and your non-racket arm pointing forward for balance.
• “Load” your legs by squatting downward. 
• Push off with either one or both legs, depending on the type of jump smash you’re going for. (Check out this guide by Tony Gunawan for a deep dive into scissor kick, one-leg, and two-leg jump smashes.)
• While in the air, expand your upper body and open up your chest. Keep your non-racket arm aiming out in front of you, and your racket arm bent at about 90 degrees, ready to swing.
• Tip: Keep your muscles relatively relaxed until it’s time to hit the shuttle!
• While still in your jump, rotate your hips, abs, shoulders, and finally your arms forward to hit the shuttle in a sharp, downward-angled motion. 

2. Practice Your Backcourt Footwork

When it comes to pulling off a jump smash in badminton, timing is everything. You’ll need lots of time to get back far enough, load up your jump, leap into the air, and hit your shot — all with the shuttle slightly in front of your body. For this reason, it’s essential to have solid backward footwork.

To improve your backcourt mobility, here are three variations of footwork that can help:

3. Try a Variety of Jump Smash Drills

As much as it can help to break down the jump smash into steps, practice is ultimately the only way to get better. So, if you really want to master this shot, try adding drills like the ones below into your weekly training regimen:

The Simple Jump Technique Drill

The simple jump drill is a great way to get familiar with opening your chest up, expanding your body, and contracting your muscles forward during a jump. Here are the steps:

• Standing sideways with your feet about shoulder-width apart, kick off into the air like you would in a jump smash.
• During the jump, open up your body with your chest expanded, knees bent, legs out behind you, and arms bent at 90 degrees. 
• Still in the air, tense your abdominal, arm, and shoulder muscles to snap your body forward as if you were hitting a shuttle.
• Repeat for 15 to 20 reps.

Jump Smash Drill with a Partner

The two-person jump smash drill is the best way to practice the whole jump smash movement from start to finish. Simply:

• Grab a partner and a few stacks of birdies. 
• Position yourself in the backcourt with your partner standing across the net from you.
• Have your partner feed high, floaty shots, one after another, to your court.
• Use your jump smash technique to hit the shuttle for 20 to 30 reps. You can stick to one kind of jump smash during this drill — or you can mix it up with a variety of scissor kick, one-leg, and full jump techniques.

4. Include Jump Training Exercises in Your Routine

If you’ve just started learning your full jump smash, you probably know how difficult it can be to generate enough power to fully jump, rather than hop. Luckily, adding jump training exercises to your off-the-court routine can help you build explosive strength in your lower body.

There are countless exercises to choose from, but some of the most popular include:

• Squat jumps
• Alternating lunge jumps
• Box jumps
• Single and alternating leg bounds

The Takeaway

The jump smash is one of the most sought-after skills in badminton, but mastering it is no easy feat. 

As a first step, it can help to study the basic movement sequence, as well as how to transfer power from your whole body into your swing. Video tutorials, posts like these, or even one-on-one sessions with a virtual coach can be helpful resources here. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can ramp up your training with specific drills and exercises to improve your timing, accuracy, and power in every shot. 

Ultimately, the best way to improve your jump smash is to practice — and as long as you stick to it, you can count on this lethal shot becoming a staple part of your badminton skill set. Good luck!