By Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion.
Last updated January 26, 2022
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3 min read
Badminton is a sport that normally requires at least 2 players. There are ways to improve your skill on your own (particularly your physical strength), but to really take yourself to the next level, you will want a training partner! In this post, we will go over what a training partner is and why it can be so beneficial to have a training partner around your level.
A training partner is simply someone who you can train with. This does not only mean on court badminton training, but also any type of training, including running, jumprope, or other physical activities.
Ideally, a training partner will also share similar goals to you — they may want to reach a certain level, master a specific shot, or win some upcoming tournament. When they share similar goals to you, it’s easy to push each other to improve your levels together. If you have a different partner each time, they may not be as interested in working on the same things as you — ending up with only a temporary person to play with.
One of the most beneficial ways to improve your on court stamina, endurance, and skills, is by doing different badminton drills. These drills will always require at least one other person (sometimes even 2 or more). Unless you have a dedicated coach, it can be very hard to find someone to do drills with you, as most people who are not training would rather just play matches instead!
When you do have a training partner, you can instead find ways to do drills with each other. For example, if you are doing multishuttle drills, the two of you can switch off every few sets so that both players are improving. If you are doing hitting drills, you guys can switch off every set so that both players get a chance to do the drill!
If you are the only one training, it’s very easy to slack off or take a day off. You will tell yourself, “I will be there tomorrow”, and a couple days or weeks could go by without you taking any action. However, if you have someone else to train with, you can hold each other accountable and make sure that you both are showing up to practice and always push each other.
When someone else holds you accountable, you are less likely to skip these practices and you are more likely to work harder when you are actually there. We need someone there to help us because it’s hard to always go at it alone!
If you find a training partner around your level, the two of you can keep improving together. When you are just starting out, you may only know a few basic shots and can barely hold a rally. However, as you both keep on practicing, the two of you can continuously better each other’s level and raise the bar for each other to continue improving.
Eventually, both of you will master all the basic skills required for badminton. You can then both move on to more advanced shots and drills together, always having someone to work with on these!
To take the next step in your badminton journey, make sure you go out and find someone just as dedicated to improving their skills as you are! If you are looking for drills that you can do to improve with your partner, be sure to check out our YouTube channel for some advice!
