Badminton is quite a unique sport. Even though there are similarities to sports such as tennis and ping-pong, badminton has its own set of skills such as clears, drives, half-smashes, smash blocks and net-plays that makes it a unique sport. However, a badminton player can still incorporate hitting skills from other racket sports and even non-racket sports. Using these techniques adds more variety to the game and can make you a more competitive player. Below is a list of shots that take inspirations from other sports.

Sliding Stroke Drop
In table tennis there is a sliding/slicing stroke where the players swings the paddle one way but the ball moves in different direction. The same principle can be used in badminton when the opponent clears to your backhand side. In that situation use the standard footwork to get into position to return the clear, and then swing your racket from right to left over your head in a sliding motion (assuming you are right-handed). The key is to keep your racket facing towards the net so that you like you are dropping the bird to the near corner, but in reality you are actually targeting the diagonal corner. In today’s badminton world, the members of the Chinese national team are especially skilled in using this technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDwkcurD3o8

Underhand Slice Shot
The slice shot is an often-seen technique in table-tennis. The shot is characterized by its low trajectory so that the opponent can not smash it back. In badminton you can use a similar slicing stroke when handling underhand shots. The underhand slice shot actually a pretty common shot for controlling a rally. When the opponent hit to your front corners or the middle of the sidelines, you will probably be on the defensive if you return with a lift. If you don’t lift the bird high and far enough then the opponent may get an easy kill. If instead you use underhand slice shots then the bird will just clear the net and then drop to front corners or middle sidelines, leaving no opportunity for your opponents to press on with an attack.