It was in the Polish open just over a month ago that the Danish doubles player Marcus Rindshöj suddenly offered something that made the entire badminton world drop its jaw. Instead of making an ordinary serve, he presented a new innovation of his own.
– People were completely taken. It’s one of the sickest things I’ve seen on a badminton court, says Norwegian player Vegard Rikheim to NRK.
Rikheim’s compatriot Torjus Flåtten fills in:
– I thought it was a joke.
In a more traditional serve, you hold the shuttlecock and hit it over. But Rindshøj did it differently. Instead, he put the cork part of the ball between his thumb and middle finger and spins it before hitting it over the net. The effect is a spin on the ball that makes it extremely difficult for the opponent to return.
Innovation that “destroys” the sport of badminton
Since it first saw the light of day, Rindshöj’s serve has been the hottest potato in the badminton world. The Indian newspaper Sportstar writes that several of the world’s best players are now trying to copy Rindshøj.
Here, the 21-year-old Dane could have become a new Jan Boklöv or Dick Fosbury – but it is most likely that his serve will become a parenthesis in history.
Because it is so effective that it can be banned.
Several players NRK has spoken to believe that it should be stopped from being used.
– It will be like that, one hundred percent. Soon it will be banned, says Torjus Flåtten to NRK.
– It ruins the sport a bit. We don’t get a lot of play with it and it’s not going to be very crowd-friendly.
That’s what Marcus, 21, says about his controversial invention
So what does the creator Marcus Rindshöj himself say about this?
He also thinks – perhaps somewhat surprisingly – that it should be banned.
– The idea in itself is brilliant, but it’s not so much fun for those who are going to watch because the ball duels will end much faster. So if a lot of players start using it, the serve should be banned because it gives you an incredible advantage,” he told the Indian Express.
– I think it will be banned.
Rindshøj adds that he has not been completely popular since he showed off his serve innovation.
– Most of the players I train with hate me because it is so difficult to return. The ones we met in the Polish open were very confused and didn’t understand how to serve like that.
According to NRK, the international badminton federation will make a statement about the serve on Thursday.
