Badminton

13. Any tips for weight or strength training?
12. How do you steam the feather birds?
11. What do you know about strings (why they break etc)?
10. What kind of racquet should I buy (weight etc)?
9b. Why does my arm hurt when I play?
9a. Why does my shoulder hurt when I play?
8. Why do my clears go off to the left sometimes?
7. Why did I loose the rally?
6. How do I avoid hitting into the net?
5. How do I measure success when I am in training?
4. How do I clear full court?
3. What can I do to cross-train?
2. What is the best way to prepare for a tournament?
1. How do I last longer in a game?

13. Any tips for weight or strength training? Answer here

12. How do you steam the feather birds?Methods of Steaming

11. What do you know about strings (why they break etc)?I don't know much on this one so click here!

10. What kind of racquet should I buy (weight etc)?Answer here

9b. Why does my arm hurt when I play? Incorrect technique can isolate the wrong muscle groups during a hitting movement, and will put undue stress on the joints. Consult this site in conjunction with your badminton coach/pro.

9a. Why does my shoulder hurt when I play?Using the incorrect panhandle type grip (U shaped grip) emphasizes the throwing of the shoulder into the shot. This can tear shoulder muscles. The shoulder should be rotating (see technical guide)(as in the front crawl swim) during a hitting motion. Proper preparation during a clear allows the whole body to participate in the shot. This enables the natural progression and transfer of power through the body up through the arm and into the shuttle (use of bigger muscles (shoulders) and joints through to the smaller muscles(fingers)). It is also important to stretch the muscles groups prior to (and after) playing a game or training. Consult this site in conjunction with your badminton coach/pro.

8. Why do my clears go off to the left sometimes? During preparation for a right handed player, the body needs to fully rotate to the right back 90 degrees from the ready position (shoulders align lengthways pointing in direction towards intended shuttle hitting direction). The right foot needs to be alignment behind the left foot (not off to the side), as the shoulders align along with the feet.

The second consideration is the follow through wrist snap during shuttle contact. The wrist needs to turn in and twist (see Frames 9-11 in the Clearing Technical Guide). This tactile motion controls the final shuttle direction, and is used to help compensate for lack of directional control when the player is quickly moving sideways and hitting on the fly.

7. Why did I loose the rally?When analyzing the loss of rally, the player needs to work backwards through the rally. It could be as simple as an unforced error, or the reason could go back 5 hits to the original serve. A sloppy serve could result in the opposition taking the upper hand in an entire rally. Too much lifting during attacking opportunities could also affect positive results.

6. How do I avoid hitting into the net?In a smash, its possible that the shuttle contact point is too low, or during the smash attempt the body is too far over the shuttle itself.

During the drives, the racquet face needs to compensate for the shuttle trajectory at the shuttle contact. The player may need to bend the knees lower and arc the racquet face back towards the body to heighten the return trajectory above the net rim. Too much of a racquet follow through on the hit could also cause the bird to travel lower (see Drives in Technical Guide).

5. How do I measure success when I am in training?Training does improve a players' game, but not all results are noticeable immediately. Sometimes the results can take a few months or even much longer. Its the little things in training that will produce big results later. Certain skills need alot of practice, and a while of integration (tries) before it is successfully part of ones' game (ie learning a cross-court drop).

Sports training success is not necessarily always linear (ie every day the player gets abit better). A player can stay at a plateau of no or little improvement, and then suddenly over a short period of time, all the small things gel together and a new level of play is achieved. At different points in time there will be noticeable improvements in certain areas, but not necessarily all areas. Speed will naturally improve at a later time than raw technique. Every player develops in their game differently, and should not be compared to other players in every respect.

There is an old saying "Sometimes you have to move 1 step back in order to take 2 steps forward". Players might have to un-learn bad habits while learning the proper technique. This constant state of un-learning, and learning can cloud ones' visual assessment of how one is doing. As one skill is mastered, another one is always being taught.

4. How do I clear full court?Younger players will have more difficulty clearing full court, but with proper technique they can maximize what they are capable of doing for their level of development.

Also refer to the Technical Guide on Clearing.

3. What can I do to cross-train?Running and swimming are great sports to help maintain a good cardio base. Working out in a gym is great for strength training (consult a professional on a workout regime).

2. What is the best way to prepare for a tournament? To duplicate a tournament type atmosphere...Find tough opponents that are better and quicker than you to test your mental toughness, and to help quicken your pace Play against others you normally do not get play When playing against club players you normally train with, give them a few points advantage at the start Find a another gym to practice or play in to help you adapt to different playing conditions cross-train video tape yourself and try to figure out where you can improve If you know who your opponent is, write down some ideas of how to beat them Eat and drink enough good foods before and during the tournament so you have energy, and don't get dehydrated

1. How do I last longer in a game?Breathe throughout the rally. Sometimes players don't realize that they hold their breath too much during an intense rally. (I used to, until my coach pointed it out...I had no idea !)

Keep the bird in play. Don't go for low percentage kill shots. Be patient and look for the right opportunity.

Cross train to improve the cardio base. If two opponents are equal in skill, then s/he who lasts the longest will win.

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General Badminton StrategiesMomentum, not SpeedMisconceptions of badminton

IN GENERAL:
Study your opponents. Discover what shots they are prone to make errors on, which shots are their favorite ones, and which shots they are limited to in specific situations. You are looking for patterns and tendencies. Perhaps by their body language and movement they telegraph what shot they are going to execute. Correctly anticipating what the opponents will do with the shuttle will help your own game enormously. Even feeding the shuttle to an opponent's favorite put-away shot will work to your advantage because you gain time: you will be ready for it and may return it before he has recovered.
(Article by Stan Bischof from World Badminton)

"Speed" in badminton is not as difficult to learn as it appears to be.
Young players are in awe of the better players, especially the internationals,
because they appear to move effortlessly, never racing, always getting to
the shuttle. Yet, of course, that is the skill to learn and try as they may,
the amateurs can never seem to avoid being rushed.

The secret lies not in generating speed, but in generating momentum.
Think about it. One only really has but a few steps to take in any direction
in order to return a shuttle. The court is quite small, especially when the
player starts from a central base, or close to it. Initiating movement is
the skill to be practiced. Leaving your mark. Exploding from the base.
A player who "explodes" from the base with 1 or 2 rapid, short steps will
have no difficulty in reaching the shuttle (in theory).

Simple, eh? Practice moving in and out of the central singles base.
Avoid rushing back to the base each time. Time the return so that ONE foot
only touches into the base area at the same time as the imaginary opponent
hits the shuttle, push off with 1 or 2 quick, short steps and slow down as
you get closer to the corner. It's tough to get that momentum going when
both feet are rooted on the floor.

Your opponent has other qualities that dictate how you play. I play quickly and aggressively against a player who has more stamina and patience than I do, likewise I play more conservatively against a player who has less stamina or is more inconsistent. One coach I knew classified players according to how they moved, and hit shots that he thought would upset their timing and rhythm. I, on the other hand, know only enough to hit fast, low shots against slow-footed players and try to fake more against quick players.

Singles:
Use the length of the court and pin your opponent to the back line before trying a drop shot to the net. It is much easier to retrieve his shots when he is forced to hit from deep in his court. Move your opponent to all four corners to tire him. It is much easier to hit winning shots against a tired player, even a fresh player who is slightly tired from a long rally. Dart in and out of your own corners so that you can cover your court for his next shot.
Singles is a mental and physical battle. A lapse in concentration can easily lead to losing a run of points, which in turn is discouraging and may lead to losing even more points. To win in singles one must be fit, focused, and hit good clears and drops without errors. Smashes should only be used for ending the rally within the next two shots. The classic singles rally would use drops and clears until the shuttle is too far away from the opponent to him to effectively clear a return, and then with a smash win the rally outright.

Men's and Women's Doubles:
Avoid lifting or clearing the shuttle, which is like punting in football. By clearing, you are giving the opponents a chance to win. If you do clear, your team should adopt a side-by-side defensive position. The whole point of the rally, starting with the service, is to hit shots that force the opponents to lift. This is why when you are serving your partner stands behind you because you hope to make the receivers lift with your good short serve. This is also why when you are receiving serve your partner stands behind you because you hope with your aggressive return you will make someone on the serving team lift to your partner. Mixed Doubles:
In the classic mixed formation, the woman stays in front of the man, playing along and just behind the short service line, while the man retrieves shots hit to his half-court or backcourt. In mixed it is even more imperative not to lift, since the woman is so close at the net and vulnerable to smashes. Classic mixed is a slower game with more finesse than in regular doubles, the better to bring both partners into the rally. Again, each team is trying to hit shots that make the other team lift. Avoid shots that your opponents can meet above the tape, unless you manage to get the shot behind the striker.
If you do lift, the woman should not stay at the T and duck, but run away cross-court from where the shuttle is on the other side and take a position about 2-3 feet behind the short service line, squatting down and keeping the racket head up. She is only responsible for smashes and drops directed at her; the man gets everything else, including the down-the-line drop.

Since you are playing in an up-and-back formation, hitting cross-court is risky since you are vulnerable to a down-the-line return. Hit cross-court only if both opponents are on the same side of their court as the shuttle is on your side, or if you know you can hit a winner through the opposing woman. Source: Washington State Badminton Association Newsletter Newsletter, Fall 1996
Author: Eugene Kumekawa

If your opponents clear to your side, the person who will hit the shuttle must hit downwards (either smashing or dropping) while the partner must be moving to the front as soon as he realizes the shuttle is not his. This is the up and back offense position, the better to control the net. From now on the smasher gets all the deep ones, while the net man cuts off or puts away everything else.

If you have the offense, it is safest if you do not smash cross-court, since their down-the-line return will be directed at your undefended open space. Find out how your opponent directly across the net from you waits for your smash. If he waits on his backhand, smash wide to his forehand or close to his forehand hip or shoulder. If he waits on his forehand, smash to his body or his backhand. If he stands deep, hit drops or cut smashes. If he stands close and waits with his racket up, try a quick clear.

If you are on defense, try to flatten the smash out so that the smasher cannot smash again. You can return cross-court with the aim of tiring the smasher or forcing him to hit a laterally off-balanced shot, but the cross-court must avoid the net man.
Written by bighook  (Badminton Central)

I began to think that a list of misconceptions of beginners should be brought about.....

For example a lot of beginners think the smash is the be all and end all of badminton. It is just one of the tools and is only effective when used at the right time or used to force other returns which can be exploited. Another one is if only I had a backhand. Backhands are nice shots when properly executed but are often a point of exploitation by superior opponents who understand that often this leads to slower recovery and opens up the court for other attacking shots. Round the head shots are superior and allow one the ability to see what the opponent is going to do as well as power and redirection possibilities are much greater.

The weakest points of most opponents (beginner to intermediate and sometimes advanced players ) is footwork to hit deep clears and the technique to hit strong effective clears to move the opponent quickly to back of the court. Errors from the backcourt are the hardest to recover from as they lead faster dropshots from 3/4 court or clears in the midst of running back in any attempt to salvage the rally or the ending smash. I would say I beat more players on clears than any other shot and I think if you have played any advanced players this is the avenue which leads to the fastest end of the rally in singles and in intermediate doubles. After all without the ability to push your opponent all the way to the back leaves you with only drops and smashes to beat your opponent. Drops can be anticipated by moving your base forward and without a strong overhead motion for clears leaves your smash with not a lot of velocity. It is like giving your opponent an extra 3 feet less to worry about and that leaves you doing all the running. All shots are important but without a strong clear you have no foundation for all the other shots to come off. If I can not make you believe I can hit deep to any of the far corners then all my other shots become far less threatening. This why proper grip and coaching are so important to high level play.

Still so many look for a magic pill in a new racquet rather than put that money to good use in a coach who can teach them what truly matters in the long run. Without a guide it is easy to find shortcuts that only lead to dead-ends and boundaries and all too often these people come looking for another shortcut.

I don't enjoy watching others trying to teach badminton to others when their skill level is low and technique are incorrect. If they can't hit a clear all the way to the backcourt then they have not mastered the foundation which badminton is built upon.

The Offense in Doubles
Written by Eugene Kumekawa (Badminton Central)

Source: WSBA Newsletter Summer 1998

The offense in doubles is more than smashing and dropping your way to victory. There are things the attacking team can do to minimize their vulnerability to counter-attack and induce the defense to hit a weak return. Gaining the offense while shots in the rally are still low and flat is also an important part of playing attacking doubles. This article will focus on tactics in doubles offense rather than on how to develop rally-winning shots.

Gaining the Offense

The first team that controls the net has the best chance of seizing the offense. The attack-minded team controls the net by hitting a shot that the opposing team cannot smash, then following the shuttle to the net. Claiming the net on an unsmashable shot forces the other team to clear. The unsmashable shot can be any shuttle that is too low, such as a net shot or a half court, or is lifted or driven behind an opponent or to his backhand. One can anticipate a net shot also by hitting a quick drive to the eyes, so that the opponent doesn't have time to hit it back hard. The player who claims the net should be ready for half-court shots and both cross-court and straight drops.

Shot Location

Once a team is on the offense, the shot of choice is the smash. Once the smash is established, other off-speed shots become more effective. Even if the defense is impermeable and counters the smash with outright winners, the smasher has options that should be tried before dropping or clearing.

Since about 90 percent of the smashes are directed at the defender directly in front of him, the first thing the smasher should do is to study how the opponent defends. If he is a backhand defender, the smasher should aim anywhere on the defender's forehand side from knee to shoulder. If the defender waits on his forehand, the smasher should hit to the defender's body or backhand. Frequently too a forehand defender backs up against a sideline (or the center line) so that a wide smash out of reach is also effective. There is no sense smashing to a defender's strength.

In general, the smasher should try to cramp the defender by hitting close to or at his body. Hitting away from the body allows the defender to take a fuller swing; it is then easier for him to drive the smash cross court. Flat or high smashes are also easier to drive-return for the same reason. The effective smash is one that results in a return that is weak enough for the partner at net to smash. These are induced by overpowering velocity or by cramping the swing of the defender by smashing at his forehand hip.

It is usually a bad idea to smash cross-court, even if the smash is directed at the defender's weaknesses or at a weak defender. The cross-court smash is not as effective since it travels farther, and it gives the defense a wider angle to attack. The cross-court smash and the down-the-line return would travel faster than the smasher can run. Since a cross-court smash induces the net man to stay wide and even vacate the net to cover a deep down-the-line return, the defense can safely hit any cross court return which often surprises the offense anxious to cover the vulnerable down-the-line court. Cross-court shots that expose one's own backhand are particularly ill-advised.

The wider the smash is, the riskier it is. The safest cross-court smashes are those from the smasher's backhand court (assuming everyone is right-handed) to the body of the cross-court defender. They must be steeply angled so that the shuttle has to be lifted higher, giving either the net man or the smasher time to cover the forehand court.

Smashing down the middle between the two defenders is best when they stand far apart or when the shuttle can be smashed from the center of the court (so the smash does not have to travel cross-court much to split the defense). Each defender may depend on the other to return the smash, afraid of clashing racquets. Placing the smash in the middle, across the net in front of the net man, also reduces the angle the net man has to cover, thereby increasing his chances of cutting off the smash return.

Shot Selection

The offense is not all smashing, although smashes "set up" other shots. Drop shots and half smashes are effective against quick defenders or those who play deep. Drop shots are most effective to the middle: the defense has more time to be confused, and the offense has to cover less angle on the return. Cut smashes throw off the timing of the defender so that the return is frequently wide. Quick attacking clears may also be effective, especially against players who defend closer to the net, crouching and waiting with the racquet head up.

The net man

The partner at net is crucial to the offense. He protects the smasher, wins the rallies, and forces the defense to continue lifting. To accomplish this, the net man must do more than stand in one place at net with the racquet up, bent over from fear of getting hit in the back of the head.

The net man's position in front is fluid, depending on where the smasher is and what type of shot the defense favors. In general, if the defense returns smashes with drives, the net man should play deeper, almost as if he is playing singles. Conversely, if the defense is softer, the net man can play closer to the net but still a couple feet behind the short service line. He should still be able to get to net returns of smash before the defense gets to the net, so that he has the advantage in a rally at net.

The deeper the shuttle is lifted to the back, the deeper the net man moves away from the net, though still staying in the front half of the court. The net man also stays on the same side of the court as the shuttle is on. He is anticipating the smash straight ahead to the forehand hip and so stands in a position that reduces the angle of the likely return. If the smasher drops, the net man moves forward to cover a possible net return, intimidating the defense into lifting the shuttle. When the shuttle is lifted, the net man moves back again��could be tiring for the net man to play with a person who continuously drops. If the lift is weak, only to mid court, rather than play in front of the smasher, the net man should move out of the way to the vacant side of the court. The smasher can cover the net for weak returns, while the net man covers the empty court.

When the net man does get a shuttle to hit, he should try to maintain the quick attack by driving the shuttle to the body or face of the closest defender. The net man is much closer to the defenders than the smasher, and so does not have to hit hard or take a big swing to make the defense hit a weak return. Merely blocking the shot to the net may be effective against deep defenders, but usually it gives the defense another chance to clear deep.

Many players at net move to the back if the smash or smash return is hit cross-court. This is fine if the net man is a stronger back court player, or if the smasher is tired, or if the net man can get to the shuttle in a better position to smash than the erstwhile smasher. This type of rotation underscores the importance of proper positioning of the net man (i.e., not too close to the net) and a steep downward angle of the smash.

The ideal offense

The smasher should be behind the bird, properly balanced so that his mass should be going forward when he strikes the shuttle. Against a good defense, velocity is not as important as angle, both in terms of the steepness of the smash's angle, and the lateral angle of possible returns available to the defense. Some smashes are safer than others and some smashes are harder to return than others just from the location alone. The offense does not have to hit smashes until arms start falling off, but usually they win the rally faster. If the smasher is in trouble, or off balance, the shot to try is a drop or a half-smash to gain time and to set up the next smash.

The net man should be aware of what the smasher is doing, whether he is out of position or out of balance. Being aware of the smasher helps the net man to anticipate return shots and cut off potential winners. The net man is not passive, just looking for the weak return he could put away; he is constantly moving and thinking. He should stand tall, taking up space, scaring the defense to clear the shuttle away from him.
Written by kwun

Wednesday, 02 March 2005
Badminton is becoming more and more popular, more and more students are taking up badminton as their main sports, more and more adults are also taking up badminton as their recreational activity. As we see more beginners, I hope to point out in this article what aspects of badminton a beginning badminton player should focus on, as well as point out a few common mistakes that beginners tend to make. We hope this will help your journey into this sport that we all love.

First, let’s point out the positives, ie. Aspects of badminton that we think will help the up and coming players.

FOCUS ON:

Focus on the correct grip

The most fundamental aspect of badminton technique is the grip. The grip is how a badminton holds the badminton racket. A correct grip is a pathway for a badminton player to improve upon their skills. on the contrary, using an incorrect grip is often a brickwall that leads to poor form and poorly executed techniques. It takes much more time to unlearn a bad technique than to learn one. Many of us have experienced it before the painful way.

The proper badminton grips may feel uncomfortable and unnatural in the beginning, but if you are able to get over that fact, later on you will appreciate what you have learned.

There are two basic grips for badminton, the forehand grip and the backhand grip. We won’t go into much more detail here, if you want to know about gripping, please read the grip guide in Badminton Central. The information maybe overwhelming at first, but since this is so fundamental in badminton, it is worth the time to digest it.

Focus on the correct strokes

The worst part of learning something is to have to unlearn it later on. This happens to many recreational badminton players. We hop into the court, invent all these wild shots that seems right then, but later on to find out that they are the wrong way to hit. Then we spend 3 times the time to unlearn them as they have been so ingrained into our muscles. If you want to avoid that happening to you, it is vital to learn the proper way in the beginning.

To do that, you must find a good coach who can direct you. When you choose a coach, make sure he understands and can demonstrate the fundamentals. Your friend who happens to be playing next court to you may not be the best coach you can get.

Focus on footwork

We cannot stress the importance of footwork more. Footwork is the skill that allows you to move from point to point in the badminton court. While it sounds like an easy concept, in fact it is one of the most difficult skills in badminton. The reason footwork is so important is very simple: if you cannot get there in time, it is useless to have the best racket skill. The Cororary of that is that, the earlier you can get to the shuttle, the more choices of shots you have and the more you can pressure your opponent.

Lee Jae Bok, an ex-Korean national player, once says:

"You hit shuttle with your feet."

Footwork is one of the most difficult aspects of badminton. It takes a lot of time to learn, as well as a lot of time to practice. It is often less practiced because of the lack of venue. It is quite uncommon and anti-social for someone to take up ½ of a badminton court to practice footwork while everybody waits on the sideline. Despite so, it is still very important. A professional player can move around the court very effortlessly solely because they have very good footwork technique, they do make it look very easy but in fact, it takes many years of very hard work to master it.

Focus on fitness - jog/swim/bike - or do footwork drills

Fitness is one of the many reason many people take up badminton. Depending on the level of one’s game, badminton can be a very leisure game all the way to a down-right fitness torture. Beginning recreational players will likely be moving relatively less around the court, but as one’s skill improve, you will not only notice that you have to cover more parts of the court, you will also have to cover it in greater speed, which multiplies the fitness level needed by many folds.

In order to catch up with your pending improvements in skill, it is then important for you to increase your fitness level to complement it. There are many ways to improve one’s fitness, one popular way is to skip rope, or jog, swim, bike. Doing footwork drills also a great way to practice footwork and develop one’s fitness at the same time.

Focus on keeping track of your progress

Often when one is having fun, you must try to re-evaluate what you have learned and how you are using it. Most recreational players do not do that but it is helpful in identifying potential weaknesses in your game.

DO NOT FOCUS ON:

Avoid expensive equipment - you will most likely be wasting money

Badminton is solely a game of skills and mind, and not a game of equipment. 99% of ones game depends on how well one can yield the racket but not depend on the racket itself.

Having said that, equipment is still one essential aspect of badminton, and one do need to get the correct equipment. However, the most important equipment that a beginning badminton can own is not the top of the line racket, but instead a good, fitting pair of badminton shoes. Due to the nature of badminton movement, there is a high risk of injury due to twisting or spraining of various leg joints. A good pair of badminton shoes will ensure that you get a good solid grip of the badminton court and vastly reduces the risk of injury.

I’d like to mention one more thing on badminton equipment, often top of the line badminton rackets are not designed for beginners. While they are cool looking and expensive, their characteristics are more suited for advance players with more power. Beginners are best suited to lower end rackets. Your money is best suited to pay for some decent coaching instead.

Avoid trick shots - stop learning those strange shots.

Too many a time I have stepped into a badminton court against some beginning players who can do all these fancy trick shots but at the same time, unable to do a proper baseline to baseline clear. Badminton is a very fundamental game where one really need to learn all the basics in order to survive in a match. Trick shots may work once or twice but soon your opponent will learn how to read them and then you are back to square one.

There is definite a place for trick shots in badminton, but that’s only after one has learned to execute all the fundamentals shots first.

Avoid fancy style - i have so many times seen beginners with really fancy looking hitting style but then they miss the shuttle completely. keep it simple.

Badminton is a very efficient game. The standard, non-fancy, way of playing badminton is the most efficient way for one to hit a shot, there is simply too little time in badminton for one to do all these fancy style.

Avoid strength training - leave this after you have learned your basic strokes

Every now and then, someone will come to badmintoncentral and they want to know how to train their muscles to hit the strongest smash. Which is ok except we later on find out that such person cannot even hit a baseline to baseline clear properly. There is no point trying to hit hard when one cannot hit properly. An example of a proper technique is when I see 12 yrs old girls at 5 feet tall who can hit baseline to baseline clear with ease. Imagine what she can do when she grows a few inches taller?

To close, I’d like to point out that badminton is a very complex game, even advance players learn new aspects of badminton everyday. Make sure you keep an open mind when you approach badminton, only then will you be able to appreciate the greatness of this sports.

Advice for badminton players Defense in Doubles