The trajectory of the short serve is horizontal near the net and should fall near the opponent's line. This technique is especially useful in doubles because the bottom area of the court is not used while serving. Therefore, short serve are often used in doubles.
Learn the position and posture
Almost parallel to the net, the body is slightly oriented in the direction you want to serve, with your feet on the same axis, or your right foot slightly forward (if you are right-handed). You must stand up straight. Pinch the shuttlecock with your thumb and index finger. Everyone has different habits to hold the shuttlecock but you have to let the shuttlecock fall and hit when you do a short serve.
Two exercises that will allow you to improve your short serve
Exercise 1 / Entry Level: Aiming at the target
Place two large enough boxes (or cartons), one close to the T-line, facing the area where you want to serve, and the other farther away from the middle (near the sideline). Practice sending the shuttlecock to the sideline, which forces the opponent to move in order to hit the shuttlecock. The objective of this exercise is to get the shuttlecock into the box.
Do: 50 forehand, 50 backhand
Exercise 2 / Intermediate Level: Reducing the target
The second exercise is a bit harder. Find some smaller boxes that are smaller than the one used in the previous exercise, and then practice aiming at the target. Be careful not to use too much force during the swing, and pay attention to the angle of the racket tilt, to create the maximum contact area between the shuttlecock and the racket to prevent opponent from successfully receiving the serve.
Do: 50 forehand, 50 backhand.
After a bit of practice, you will become the king of short serves!
