Badminton
Net & Wall Games | Years 3–4 | 6 Lessons
Badminton Sessions
These badminton sessions focus on developing striking, sending, receiving, movement and team work skills within small-sided games. Lessons are progressive and suitable for indoor or outdoor delivery.
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Introduction To Badminton
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To demonstrate the correct ready position and grip.
- To move into position ready to receive a shuttle.
Success Criteria:
- I can hold the racket using a basic forehand grip.
- I can show a balanced ready position.
- I can move my feet quickly to get behind the shuttle.
Key Words:
- Grip
- Ready position
Equipment:
- Badminton Rackets
- Cones for set up
- Small balls
- Bibs
- Balloons
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Germs & Medicine
Pick 3-4 taggers (germs) and give them a bib. Pick 3-4 releasers (medicine) and give them a small ball
Germs to try to tag as many people as possible. If you are tagged, you freeze. To return to the game, a medicine must throw the ball to you, which you catch and send back to them.
Swap roles a few times
Skill Development
Learning the stances
We are going to get the children to learn and develop their stance techniques in this activity. Show the children the defensive and attacking stances and get them to stand still in each stance.
When ‘go’ is signaled, we can have the children moving around the area in any way that they like, as long as they are staying on their feet (hop, skip, run, sideways, backwards)
When you signal ‘defence’ or ‘attack’ the children must freeze in that stance. Award a point for the 3 children who can get into the stance the quickest, and with the best technique.
Progression:
>Get the children to move around the area as if they were playing badminton. This movement will be to keep the knees slightly bent, crouching down, moving on the balls of our feet, shuffling in all directions.
Game – Balloon Practice
Get the children into pairs. Give each child a badminton racket and 1 balloon for each pair.
Show the children how to grip the badminton racket.
In a space, the children are going to practice the stances and ready position, whilst striking the balloon to their partner. How many times in a row can they keep the balloon up and can they react quickly in all directions that the balloon may travel in.
Progression:
>Introduce a set of 4 cones to use as a middle line. Get the children to compete against their partner, striking the ball over the middle line to the other side. If the balloon touches the ball on your side, you lose
Teaching Points:
- Defensive stance – Standing on the balls of our feet, with knees slightly bent, crouched down slightly. The racket will be held out to the side of us, ready to react to where the shuttlecock goes
- Attacking stance – As the shuttlecock is travelling down towards us, we should be stood side on, with the opposite foot to the hand holding the racket in front. Our non-throwing arm is pointed above us slightly bent, to the side of the shuttlecock. We bring the badminton racket above our head, with arm slightly bent to hit a powerful forehand strike.
- We want the children to be able to switch between the two stances, depending on what type of shot they want to play. If they feel like they have a lot of time for the shuttlecock (balloon in this case) to travel, they can adjust to an attacking stance. If they can’t they need to defend and make sure they can send the balloon back over to the opponent’s side.
Key Questions:
- Can we name the 2 stances in badminton?
- Can we demonstrate each of the stances?
- What will decide which stance we use before striking the shuttlecock?
National curriculum links:
- Use running and striking in isolation and combination
- Develop control and technique through playing badminton
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Improving decision making skills
- Listening to and following instructions
Lesson 2: Underarm Serve
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To be able to serve the ball underarm with accuracy and control
Success Criteria:
- I can stand side-on when serving.
- I can strike the shuttle below my waist.
- I can serve into the correct area with control.
Key Words:
- Serving
- Underarm
- Accuracy
Equipment:
- Badminton rackets
- Cones for set up
- Shuttlecocks
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Fire and Ice Tag
4 Taggers each with a dodgeball, 2 blue balls and 2 red balls. The Red balls are fire balls and blue balls are ice balls. If you get tagged by the red ball, you must do star jumps to cool down. If you get tagged by the blue ball, you are frozen still. You can only move when the fire ball tags you to free you.
Once you are freed by the fire ball you do star jumps to cool down and you are free to go. Taggers can throw the ball using an underarm technique (ball below the waist).
Skill Development
Serving into hoops
Split the class into teams of 4-5 per group. Within each group, they will need up to 4 shuttlecocks and racket along with 4 hoops.
Place a set of cones to act as a middle line and place the 4 cones in a line across from the players, on the opposite side of the middle line.
The children will balance the shuttlecock on the racket, feather side down, and will flick the racket using an underarm swing, looking to land the shuttlecocks into each hoop (if only 1 shuttlecock is available per team, they have to retrieve a go back to their starting spot before attempting another go). Each child in the group will take 4 turns, looking to get the shuttlecock to land in each hoop, before swapping over.
Progression:
>Change the distances between each hoop (some closer & some further away) to increase the power and accuracy required for each shot.
Game – Self-feed Serving Into Hoops 2
This activity will be the same as the one above, however this time the children will begin with the shuttlecock in their hand before dropping the shuttlecock and striking into the hoops. We want to see the same technique used as above.
Progression:
>Again, change the distances between each hoop (some closer & some further away) to increase the power and accuracy required for each shot.
>Make this a competition between the groups with a point awarded for each strike into the hoop.
Teaching Points:
- The self serve technique – Step forward on the opposite foot to the hand holding the racket. When the shuttlecock is balanced on the racket in the first activity, simply flick the racket forward in the direction we want the shuttlecock to travel. When self-feeding, hold the shuttlecock by the feathers close to the racket. Draw the racket back and as we swing forward, simply let go and drop the shuttlecock, allowing you to strike through with the racket, stepping forward as we have done previously.
- When serving, we want to see good accuracy. Make sure that we have the badminton racket face pointing in the direction we want the shuttlecock to travel, with our front foot also pointing in that direction. When we need to increase the power of our strike, simply draw the racket back further and swing through with more force. Bear in mind that when we do this, we increase the chances of poor aim or missing the shuttlecock completely.
Key Questions:
- Can anyone demonstrate the technique for the underarm serve?
- Where should the face of our racket be facing when striking the shuttlecock? And why?
- How can we increase the power in our serve?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and striking in isolation and combination
- Develop control and technique through playing badminton
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing confidence in trying new skills
- Showing encouragement and empathy to others in our group
- Listening to and following instructions
Lesson 3: Forehand Striking
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To use a forehand action to strike the shuttle.
- To perform strikes with good control and technique
Success Criteria:
- I can perform a forehand strike with good technique
- I can control my strike
- I can rally with my partner
Key Words:
- Forehand
- Control
- Technique
Equipment:
- Badminton Rackets
- Shuttlecocks
- Cones for set up
- Hula Hoops
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Serve Distance
Split the class into teams of 3-4 per team. Set out 3 hoops at different distances from one another. Within each group, the players have 3 attempts to strike the shuttlecocks into each hoop. When you have stuck the shuttlecock, retrieve it and either attempt the same hoop if you missed, or move onto the next if you have landed it inside. They have to be completed in order and you get 1 point per hoop you land the shuttlecock in.
Progression:
>Turn this into a game between the groups. You still get 1 point per hoop each player has landed the shuttlecock in however, bonus points are awarded to teams who finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd (3 points for 1st, 2 points for 2nd, 1 point for 3rd). This will encourage the children to show good agility in retrieving the shuttlecocks.
Skill Development
Forehand practice
Split the class into pairs with each given 1 shuttlecock, 1 racket. Set up a middle line using cones or a bench. Each player in the group has a different job – the setter and the striker. The setter on one side, the striker on the other. The hoops will be set in different positions on the setter & retriever’s side.
The setter will hold the shuttlecock by the feathers and use an underarm throw to throw the ball over the middle line to the striker. The striker’s job is then to react and use a forehand drive to strike the ball back over the middle line. Each player has 5 turns before swapping roles.
Progression:
>Create a box area on the setter’s side using 4 cones to set out a half badminton court, which the striker must land the ball inside. This will make the player need to be a little more accurate with their strikes.
>Give the setter a racket and ask them to perform an underarm serve over the middle line, which the striker must react to and strike back over.
Game – Forehand Rally
Create a box on both sides of the court and ask the partners to rally between them, using the forehand drive to keep the ball up as long as they can.
Progression:
>Make this a game between them. If the ball lands on your partner’s side you get a point. If the ball lands outside the area, the opponent is awarded a point
Teaching Points:
- The forehand drive – Stand with bent knees, crouched down to react to the ball, with the racket slightly out to the side. We should have a loose grip, to allow us to flick the shuttlecock. When the shuttlecock travels towards us, lunge with the same foot that is holding the racket, ensuring the majority of our weight is on that foot. Flick the wrist to perform the action of the drive (we don’t want a full swing as the shuttlecock will travel across court if we do).
- When they have struck their shot, we want them to quickly return to the centre and get back into a defensive stance. This will allow the children to react to the next shot they will face
- We don’t want to see the children use a full swing when we strike the shuttlecock. We should only see them flick the wrist towards the shuttle, allowing it to travel forward over the middle line. The speed at which we flick, will determine how much power is in the strike. Using a loose grip and allowing the racket to move within our palm will help this.
- Can the children control their shot and use good aim and power to send the ball back over the middle line, without it landing outside of the court. Pointing the racket face in the direction we want the shuttle to travel, not flicking the wrist too fast will control the aim and power of the strike.
Key Questions:
- Can anyone demonstrate the forehand drive?
- Why do we want to have a loose grip when using the forehand drive?
- How can we control our shot over the court?
- Why is it important to return to the centre of the court when you have played your shot?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and striking in isolation and combination
- Develop control and technique through playing badminton
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing confidence in trying new skills
- Showing resilience in trying to improve their technique
Lesson 4: Backhand Striking
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To perform a basic backhand shot.
- To adjust grip for a backhand action.
Success Criteria:
- I can use the basic technique for the backhand stroke
- I understand how to control my shots when playing badminton
- I can improve my decision making by selecting the correct shot to play
Key Words:
- Backhand
- Technique
- Decision making
Equipment:
- Badminton rackets
- Shuttlecocks
- Cones for set up
- Spots
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Lily Pad Tag
Place spots around the playing area. Pick 2-3 taggers who will try to tag as many players as possible. If you are stood on a lily pad you are safe. To gain points, you need to move from 1 lily pad to another without being tagged. If you are tagged, your score returns to 0.
This game is about making good decisions. When should you move and when should you stay?
Progression:
>Remove any spare lily pads to make it more difficult to move from one to another
>Add in more taggers
Skill Development
Backhand practice
Split the class into pairs with each given 1 shuttlecock, 1 racket. Set up a middle line using cones or a bench. Each player in the group has a different job – the setter and the striker. The setter on one side, the striker on the other. The hoops will be set in different positions on the setter & retriever’s side.
The setter will hold the shuttlecock by the feathers and use an underarm throw to throw the ball over the middle line to the striker. The striker’s job is then to react and use a backhand drive to strike the ball back over the middle line. Each player has 5 turns before swapping roles.
Progression:
>Create a box area on the setter’s side using 4 cones to set out a half badminton court, which the striker must land the ball inside. This will make the player need to be a little more accurate with their strikes.
>Give the setter a racket and ask them to perform an underarm serve over the middle line, which the striker must react to and strike back over.
Game – Partner Rally
Create a box on both sides of the court and ask the partners to rally between them, using the forehand and backhand drive to keep the ball up as long as they can.
Progression:
>Make this a game between them. If the ball lands on your partner’s side you get a point. If the ball lands outside the area, the opponent is awarded a point
Teaching Points:
- The backhand drive – Stand with bent knees, crouched down to react to the ball, with the racket slightly out to the side. We should have a loose grip, to allow us to flick the shuttlecock. When the shuttlecock travels towards us, twist the body and move towards the shuttle, lunging with the same foot that is holding the racket, ensuring the majority of our weight is on that foot. The racket should start behind our body, with the forearm bent towards 90 degrees. As we strike the shuttle, our forearm should straighten and contact with the shuttle should be made in front of our body. Again, as we straighten the arm, flick the wrist so the shuttle will travel back in the direction we want.
- When they have struck their shot, we want them to quickly return to the centre and get back into a defensive stance. This will allow the children to react to the next shot they will face
- We should use a tighter grip with the backhand than we do with a forehand. Again, how much force and speed we extend the arm straight and flick the wrist will determine the power in our strike. We don’t want to see the shoulder rotating as we strike as this will send the ball across court in a direction we don’t want.
- Can the children control their shot and use good aim and power to send the ball back over the middle line, without it landing outside of the court. Pointing the racket face in the direction we want the shuttle to travel, not flicking the wrist too fast will control the aim and power of the strike.
Key Questions:
- Can anyone demonstrate the backhand drive?
- How can we control our shot over the court?
- What decisions did we need to make in today’s session?
- What will determine whether we use a forehand or backhand drive?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and striking in isolation and combination
- Develop control and technique through playing badminton
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing confidence in trying new skills
- Improving their decision making skills
- Showing resilience in trying to improve their technique
Lesson 5: Improving Agility & Reactions
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To show improvements to our agility & reactions throughout the session
Success Criteria:
- I can show improvements to my agility by participating in a range of activities
- I know how to improve my reactions and why it will be beneficial to me when playing badminton
Key Words:
- Agility
- Improving
Equipment:
- Cones for set up
- Rings
- Shuttlecocks
- Benches
- Hoops
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Head Shoulders Knees & Toes
Split the class into pairs and give each group a ring. They are to stand opposite, 1m away, with the ring on the floor in front of them. The teacher gives the instructions for the children to:
>Head – Touch head
>Shoulders – Touch shoulders
>Knees – Touch knees
>Toes – Touch toes
>Go – Grab the ring
Children receive 1 point for grabbing the quiot first. If they grab at the same time, they each receive a point (we don’t want to see snatching or pulling)
Progressions:
>Add in a turn. Each time you say turn, they must complete a half turn jump to face the opposite direction
Skill Development
Reach and recover
Place 5 shuttlecocks on one side of the area, with a hoop on the opposite side (we want a 5-6m gap in between). Children to be in small groups of 3-4
Children to start in the middle 1 at a time in their group with 1 person having a stop watch. The children have to transfer the shuttlecocks from one area to the other in the quickest time. Allow the children to compete against one another.
Progression:
>The shuttlecock needs to be standing up, feather side down, in the hoop. The time is not finished until all are in the hoop and feather side down.
Shuttlecock reaction
Class to be split into groups of 4. 1 person will have a racket and the other 3 will have shuttlecocks.
The player with the racket stands in the ready position (defensive stance), with the 3 players with the shuttlecock behind them over one of their shoulders. One at a time, a player with the shuttlecock will throw the ball over the shoulder of the player with the racket (throw from 1-2m behind). As the ball drops over the shoulder, the player with the racket needs to react and play a forehand or backhand drive to strike the ball. If they strike the ball, they get 1 point. Swap roles so each player can have a turn striking.
Progression:
>Add in a cone on the other side of the shoulder so players with the shuttlecocks can choose which shoulder they want to throw the shuttle over
Game – Shuttle Agility
Keep the groups the same as the previous game. Set up a court with the striker on one side and shuttlecock throwers on the other, with a bench or middle line of cones separating the teams. The 3 players with the shuttlecocks will throw the ball over to the other side for the striker to react to, 1 at a time. The next player can throw their shuttlecock as soon as the striker, strikes the previously throw shuttlecock back across.
We want the striker to react quickly to the multiple shuttlecocks being thrown across 1 straight after the other
Progression:
>Give the throwers a racket and ask them to use a forehand or backhand drive across the net/middle line, rather than throwing
Teaching Points:
- We want the children to understand that reactions and agility are important aspects of badminton. Being able to react quickly to a shuttlecock coming across the court, and being able to move quickly across the court to reach and strike the ball over is a crucial part of badminton.
- Agility – the ability to change direction quickly. We want the children moving on the balls of their feet, with slightly bent knees, slightly crouched/hunched over. This will allow them not only to react quickly, but move quicker across the surface to reach the shuttlecock.
Key Questions:
- What do we mean by the term agility?
- How can we move quickly across the surface when playing badminton?
- How will quick reactions and good agility help us when playing badminton?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and striking in isolation and combination
- Develop balance, control and technique through playing badminton
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Improving listening skills and being able to follow instructions
- Improving their reactions and decision making skills
Lesson 6: Badminton Games
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To apply skills in a competitive game situation.
- To follow rules and play fairly.
- To demonstrate teamwork and respect.
Success Criteria:
- I can play badminton games following the rules.
- I can show fair play and respect to others.
- I can use movement, striking and serving in a game.
Key Words:
- Rules
- Respect
- Sportsmanship
Equipment:
- Badminton rackets
- Shuttlecocks
- Cones for set up
- Benches if available
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Colour Tag
3 Different color dodgeballs for 3 different taggers. Each color ball will choose a “forfeit” for when you get tagged by their ball. For example, the blue ball will be 5-star jumps, red ball will be 5 seconds running on the spot and the yellow ball will be 5 tuck jumps.
Once you have done this you are free to go. Change the taggers after ever round and allow them to change the forfeits.
Skill Development
Battleships-
Split the class into teams of 4 and give each team 4 hula hoops each. They will face against another team on a badminton court. In their area on the court, we want the team to spread their hula hoops. They may have some near to the net, some at the back, it is up to them. Each team and team members will then take it in turns striking the shuttlecock over the net to the other side, looking for the shuttlecock to land inside the hula hoop.
The first time the shuttlecock lands in the hula hoop, the team put a cone in that hoop. This means the battleship is damaged. The second time the shuttlecock lands in the same hoop, the team remove that battleship as it has been sunk.
The aim of the game is to remove the opposition teams battleships before they remove yours.
Progression:
>Swap teams to have the winners of 1 court play the winners of another court
>Use smaller hula hoops to make it more challenging
Game – 2v2 Badminton Games
Have the class get into pairs and give each a badminton racket and ball 1 between 2. Give the children 4 cones to create a “net” they can use, and the shuttle must stay in between. Alternatively, you can use a bench.
Have the children rally with another pair using their shot selections. If the shuttle bounces 3 times or bounces first time out of bounds, the other team gets a point.
Progressions
>Create a line behind each child that is a boundary line (again using cones). This will mean the children will have to be a little more accurate in their shots as they have a boundary line
Teaching Points:
- We want to see the children using their skills from previous weeks. Remember we want to see accuracy in their strikes. Can they keep the shuttle inside of the playing area (remember the face of the racket and the direction it is facing)
- We want to see good technique when serving and ensuring that their serve is accurate and lands inside the playing area
- We want to see the children competing fairly with one another. We don’t want to see any arguments or disagreements
Key Questions:
- How can we compete fairly with one another?
- Can anyone demonstrate the serving technique?
- How can we ensure we keep control when striking the shuttle across the net?
- What happens if we serve twice and neither serves land inside the serving area?
National curriculum links:
- Playing competitive games with others
- Developing control and technique through badminton
Social/environmental skills:
- Learning to compete fairly, following the rules of the game
- Improving listening and being able to follow instructions
- Developing good sportsmanship skills whilst playing against others
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