Playing lots of badminton can help your game, but if you really want to improve, you need to practice drills as well. Various drills can help you target certain moves and shots to help build your muscles and increase your speed. Some of these drills you can do on your own, but you will need a partner for some as well.

Shadow Badminton

The first drill is shadow badminton, which is played with no shuttle and a partner. Have your partner move around the court, and make your shots as if it were a real game. Though there is no shuttle, you should commit yourself to this drill and play as though it were a real game.

Wall Rally Drill

You can do this drill on your own, and you'll need an old shuttle too. Play your shots against a wall (at least 20 feet high) to build up the strength in your arms. You might even want to mark the wall about 5 feet up to show where the net would be. Try to play the shuttle as it rebounds off the wall to improve your speed, reflexes and wrist movements.

Multiple Shuttles

A partner should have a number of shuttles to use for these drills. You take your position on your side of the court, with your "opponent" on the other side. They quickly serve to you, putting the shuttle in various parts of the court for you to return. One variation of this drill has your partner serving to the back of the court so you can practice your clears, drives or smashes. Alternatively, you can stay close to the net to practice a mix of net shots.

Half Court Singles

This one is more like a real game with another person. Just play a regular game of singles badminton, but keep to just one half of the court. You can improve your footwork and stamina with this drill.

2 Against 1

Pitting yourself against 2 people is a great drill to improve your speed, stamina and shot accuracy. Have 2 partners play against you using a front-and-back attack formation, so you can focus your game under pressure.

Spending some time between games on any of these drills (or all of them) is a sure-fire way to improve your badminton skills, and start winning more games.