coaching your GF

[a_d_y_a]

Hi I have a weird problem. I am a pretty decent player. I like the game a lot. So my girlfriend decided to gift me by asking her to teach me how to play badminton. It was her gift to me, dunno how that works, but she has taken upon herself to learn badminton as I love it so much.

As a decent player I had previously helped a lot of people with their game, colleagues, team mates, juniors etc. So I was very confident. So coaching begins.

Day 1. All hell breaks loose. There is definite yellling, stubborness and a fight. Reasons unknown, taught nothing. Just disagreements over everything. I count that as my poor teaching abilities.

Day 2. Better this time, still teaching her how to hit a toss cleanly. Just cant get through. Grip is wrong. She keeps changing. I keep getting worked up. Again my bad.

Day 3. Tossing practice. No luck, no improvement, just much less disagreement. Hope!
..
..

Day 7. No improvements so far. She cant still make a clean overhead hit. Grip is awkward. Body mechanics all wrong. She is getting angry at herself.

So I need some help. I need to know what to teach her. I think partly because I have been playing for such a long time, I take everything for granted. I need some sort of hand book. Some sort of study plan. So I can break it down into tiny bits she can handle. She is a complete newbie at badminton and I am one at teaching.

Help. Getting desperate. :(

[Chire]

It's a really bad idea trying to teach any relavive or someone you know very well. They wouldn't listen, no matter how correct your technique/teachings are, they just argue just about everything. Generally, the coach has to have some authority over the player, was it formally or informally. The social part of the coaching is at least as important as the coaching technique-wise.

The older you are (beginning from like the age of 13), the more difficult it is to learn new movements. They talk about this period when it's easiest to learn new technique, it's something like the ages of 8-14. Your GF might have passed that age already (judging from your age ;) ). After that, you need a lot of exercise to see progress. It's about 3000+ repetitions to learn to execute the movement properly, some even say it's well over 10000.

As for me, I've tried teaching my brother and sister but it ended up with them both quitting badminton, even though my teachings are technique-wise perfect ( :D yeah that's me).

[Froca]

agree with chire it really is a bad idea to teach someone u know and it's also a bad idea to ask someone u know to teach u( it's puts them in an akward position).

if u really want to learn, learn from someone u don't noe. let's use a team coach as an ex. a good coach are always strict and yells at u but if u are connect to him/her this training is going to wreck ur releationship:p


so some how kindly tell ur Gf that this isn't gonna work out , casue if u don't it's gonna get A LOT WORSE;)

[event]

All the coaches in our area spent at least 6-10 years of their lives exclusively on badminton and then got trained as coaches by Lee Jae-bok himself. Despite these opportunities, my wife asked me to teach her myself. I feel extremely embarrassed about teaching in that kind of environment. Only a handful of people at my proficiency level have form that is even remotely as ugly as mine because they all started within the last 10 years and got their coaching from a professional and I was taught by a high school coach in rural Ontario. We tried it anyway and she complained that I didn't return her clears to exactly the same position every time so she wouldn't have to move to hit the shuttle. Lots of arguments and eye-rolling. She finally resigned to letting me pay for some lessons for her. Lee Jae-bok showed up the first day for a free clinic and introduced the local teacher, a former junior national team player. She started berating me for all the things I didn't (read: couldn't) teach her and basically my point was made for me. The most she asks me for now is help drilling.

Your profile doesn't give a hint as to where you might be or what the professional coaching opportunities there might be.

[a_d_y_a]

chire, she is well over the age of 14. :) But I dont think I have a choice as she thinks she is getting better. I completely understand that teaching movements at an older age is difficult. I completely understand that you need some authority over the person to teach them, which is absent when you are teaching ur GF. Things arguments wise are actually getting better. There are no coaches that I know of that will have time. We have tuff schedules and play at weird hours. Engineering Graduate students! But....


I need to remove any flaws from my teaching stuff. You know I want to be sure that I am teaching her to the best of my abilities. I want to give it my best shot.


Any more advice or a book, a drill set, website.

[OTFK]

Here is how I coach.
Start with footwork, and then grip
Then incorporate footwork with stroke (no shuttle)
Then start with net shot (with shuttle)
Then add footwork with net shot and shuttle
Then repeat with net push
then mid court net shot,
mid court drive
high clear (forehand)
drop shot from baseline (forehand)
smash from baseline (forehand)
Now teaches the backhand baseline shots

In my experience in North America, most will give up by Point #2.




chire, she is well over the age of 14. :) But I dont think I have a choice as she thinks she is getting better. I completely understand that teaching movements at an older age is difficult. I completely understand that you need some authority over the person to teach them, which is absent when you are teaching ur GF. Things arguments wise are actually getting better. There are no coaches that I know of that will have time. We have tuff schedules and play at weird hours. Engineering Graduate students! But....


I need to remove any flaws from my teaching stuff. You know I want to be sure that I am teaching her to the best of my abilities. I want to give it my best shot.


Any more advice or a book, a drill set, website.

[Viper2005]

You need to watch some Badminton Training DVDs yourself and then try teaching your girlfriend.

Or watch it together and learn together, it will make her more comfortable.
I may have the DVD you need, message me.

[Gollum]

I think you are being too hard on yourself.

Part of being a coach is setting realistic expectations. As a player, you are frustrated that she can't "get it", when it seems so easy to you.

You've only had a few sessions. Don't expect too much. How good were YOU after the same amount of experience?

Of course, there's a lot more to coaching than just being able to play. Your girlfriend must recognise that you will not be able to teach her as effectively as a qualified coach.

I don't agree that age is a problem. Granted, the optimal development programme for elite badminton players involves coaching from a very early age; but for less stratospheric levels of achievement, anyone can learn good technique.

I also don't agree that the relationship factor is necessary a problem. I have had great success coaching my mum and dad with a very small number of sessions (this is also a counterexample to the age argument).

[SPaterson]

Haven't read the entire thread, just initial post and skimmed, sorry, - too tired @ 12 o'clock. :p So I may well repeat what's already been said.

Just a few tips if she Hasn't played badminton before, or even if she has.

Firstly, don't get angry. Remember when you were once *new* to badminton, I know i SUCKED for a damn long time (3 years later some people may still argue I still do haha), people could even come in who hadn't played the game after I'd been playing 3 or so Months and they could beat me! I had no 'natural' talent for the game. Experience is important.

Secondly, reassuring will help; just keep telling her she'll get better, it's all part of learning badminton, you can't just pick something up Straight away and be able to necessarily do even what are basic things in badminton.

Thirdly, I find with those new to badminton are helped by hitting a shot STRAIGHT on. if they want to angle a shot to the side, move your Body to the side of the incoming shuttle, and hit STRAIGHT on, etc. with your arm Straight and moving the racquet down in a straight motion, not sweeping from the side.

Fourthly, If you're teaching her something, and she makes mistakes and says "I forgot" or something like that, just tell her to Keep saying it over and over in her mind. I still do this myself regarding important footwork and it definately helps me!

Fifthly, I'm off to bed.

[Quasimodo]

Coaching definitely requires skills that are quite different than playing. But, you've only coached her for 7 days. What sort of improvements did you expect she could make in 7 days?

Just have fun. Smile. Laugh. Tease. Flirt. Whatever. She's your girlfriend. Take it slow and enjoy it. Enjoy the time you get to spend with someone whom you love. What could be better than that?

[alvinlai]

Well for me, I tend to make the training more merrier~ Make jokes, squeal if you need to, make cute funny noises, celebrate with a nice hopping about if she did a nice shot. This works very well for me. No grumpiness, just pure fun and enjoyment. This works well with kids as well. I adopted this style when I was coaching taekwondo a few years back. My principle is, if they enjoy it, it makes it all the easier when they are happy.

Don't concentrate to much on the grip on the first few times, let her run about a little bit and let her hit more high shots which are infront of her. Don't let her run front and back too much or give her those overhead shots. This is hard for beginers and she will be grumpy because she have to run and she can't hit them. She then blame it on you.

My point is, stay happy and patient, make it easier for her and not too much criticism. I prefer constructive suggestions and explanations. Hope this helps. Good luck now~!

[alvinlai]

Coaching definitely requires skills that are quite different than playing. But, you've only coached her for 7 days. What sort of improvements did you expect she could make in 7 days?

Just have fun. Smile. Laugh. Tease. Flirt. Whatever. She's your girlfriend. Take it slow and enjoy it. Enjoy the time you get to spend with someone whom you love. What could be better than that?

Same ideology here, I agree 100%~!

[Iwan]

Hi adya, I don't really know what your situation is like, but here's my advice. If you know your theories, use it to convince her that you are right. If she's stubborn and tries to quarrel with you, just quietly look away and continue with the coaching the way she wants it to be. Women are very irrational sometimes, but they also have feelings. At the end of it, they'll probably feel a bit more guilty about it and make an effort to do what you said in order to please you ;) Oh, and never raise your voice :D Try to be the sweetest you can be :D At least that's how I coach children ;)

[ants]

If i'm not a coach. I would probably hire a coach to teach my partner. At least she cannot complaint and grumble to you.

[baddybabe]

Eight years ago my boyfriend wanted to impress me with his badminton prowess so he invited me to go to practices with him. I was completely unfamiliar with the sport but became addicted immediately. He taught me some of the basics but our club never put much emphasis on drills, so I stayed at the same level for a long time.

If there's a class or coaching she could sign up for, I think it would take a lot of stress off of both of you. Whatever happens, try to be as patient as possible during coaching and playing. From personal experience, I can say that yelling works with guys but it has a very negative effect on women.

I'd recommend 1. mastering the grip, 2. working on lifts and drop shots (without running) 3. footwork and 4. clears and serving. Then practice some drills where she has to move around the court. If she stays with it then maybe include some strength training.

Our club now has a dedicated coach and I can say this has made life easier for everyone. Everyone must follow the coaches orders and we work on drills as a group. I think most women prefer to do footwork, etc as a group. It's a little embarassing going at it solo.

My boyfriend and I got married and now we play together in all kinds of tournaments. It's not easy and we're pretty much the only couple I know that plays together. We've had plenty of drama on the court but manage to work it out every time.

[smash_master]

hey hum just came across this and its interesting cause im starting to coach my GF...i dont know i have done it for a bit before and havnt had any negative feedback from her, she enjoyes it and were not going all out trying to learn everything at once...just taking it easy with one thing at a time and then just putting them all together and so far its been working good, i mean yeah sure we still have alot to work on but so far ive seen her improving and shes really enjoying it although she wants me to play her like actually play her in my top form cause she does want to see how she will do against me...shes not being cocky or anything she knows that she will probally not get a single point but she is just interested in seeing what its like to play against me haha oh well...wants to test out what she has learned agaist me you can say but ill see if ill do that to her yet or wait a while.

[a_d_y_a]

Wow. So many replies. Thank you so much for your guidance.

I have noticed the following with our experience so far.

1. She wont play if I sign her up with another coach.
2. More we play, more she listens to me on court. Off court is another story. :p I think it had to do more with her recognizing that I was correct atleast some times.
3. I got her a book, which she grumpily skims, but the diagrams help her understand the game better.
4. Enthusiasm has sky-rocketed since I bought her a cheap beginner racket and she doesnt have to rent one always.
5. Footwork is amazingly difficult to teach.
6. Wall Practice rocks! It has helped her a lot so far.
7. Grip keeps changing.
8. She has realized she can substitute a good hour of badminton training instead of an hour on the boring treadmill.


Please keep the tips coming. They are fantastic!

[LazyBuddy]

Not sure if this being metioned or not. You need to know what's her goal in order to know what "level" of skills you want to show her. Does she want to keep improving, to participate in serious games, or even tournies? Or, she simple consider this as social/work out, and just want a bit sweat and exercise?

If #1, then, prepare for a long journy of hard work on both sides. Make sure everything you teach follow the correct sequence, and make sure the techniques are correct. If you are not sure, or having difficulty to let her understand, consult fellow coaches/experienced players.

If #2, then, don't take too seriously. Give her a bit hint here and there might be way good enough. Let her to focus on the "fun" part, and don't over push for the game results. ;)

[stumblingfeet]

Personally I think it is counter-beneficial to focus too much on using "correct" technique, especially when she's just beginning. Show her the basics, but put the emphasis on achieving certain goals, such as contacting the bird, then hitting it over the net, then past the service line, then past midcourt, etc..

People can only concentrate on so many things when learning a new skill, and sometimes giving too much information at once just interferes with that concentration. Once she gets a feel for the shot, then you can slowly start giving some more specific instructions on how to hit the bird. For example, if she has trouble contacting the bird, what's the point of putting so much emphasis on the grip? Let her work at getting confident hitting the bird, then she'll be able to appreciate how much more powerful/easier it is to hit using the proper grip. This way, she won't feel bad for not getting the whole technique correct right at the beginning, which is frustrating.

And remember, this is your girlfriend, so have fun. Just think of all the amusing ways to flirt with and have fun with her that you can't do with your normal students.

[LazyBuddy]

For example, if she has trouble contacting the bird, what's the point of putting so much emphasis on the grip? Let her work at getting confident hitting the bird, then she'll be able to appreciate how much more powerful/easier it is to hit using the proper grip.

I think I understand your point, however, I still believe start with the correct (not necessarily perfect though) technique is important, especially if she wants to be rather serious than just have fun. For your example, it depends. Wrong grip method might be the key factor why she can't even contact the shuttle.

Well, it all depends. Having fun is the most important, but having fun with as much as correct information/instruction could only be a bonus. ;)

[QpigQ]

wow... u r a good good bf... haa haa...

me and my bf are in the same skol team... we both r #1 (me play mix, he play double last year,and single this year)...

last year... before we have (gf/bf) relationship... when ever i ask him to teach me... he always teach me...

but this year... i'm his gf... wellx... when i ask him to teach me... he just acting like he didn't hear that... and he also become more interesting to teach other ppl... mostly girls... sign~

yah... so i think... u r a good good bf la... just think more way to teach ur gf la... i can tell... she can play well at one day... b/c girls are smart~! haa haa

[smash_master]

And remember, this is your girlfriend, so have fun. Just think of all the amusing ways to flirt with and have fun with her that you can't do with your normal students.

lol oh i know those well:D :D :p

[chessymonkey]

Then she'll goes
R u seriously wanting to teach me or WHat

So you be more serious and point out her errors and she goes
Why are u yelling at me

So you use a more polite, more calm tone to point what she did Right instead of what she did wrong and she gives you a speical treatmenat that nite.

[robc06]

I am training my a girl at the moment

proper warm ups firstly, running lightly and stretching
different foot work drills (slowly at first)
show the person how to scissor and skip
how to move backwards (running)
moving between the six points of the court

correct grips,
how to hit the shuttle forehand/backhand
net play - tumble

clearing
drop, net, lift (each diagonal)
clear, clear, drop, net and lift
clear, drop, net, lift, smash
drop ,net, or smash, and lift

smash, block (placing the return) and lift

Some people train to play better, some people train because they just want to play badminton. You have to have patience.

[morewood]

been in a very similar sittuation to yourself, for the good of our relationship we as coach and student decided to part company after a short time of her learning, if she wants to play again she will get someone else to tutor her.

Best advice is dont expect much.

[hiroisuke]

Also depends on which is more important to her: Relationship or badminton? In my opinion, it all depends on her, so only push her as far as she wants to go. No matter what though, have fun, and good luck!

[yy_ling]

teach her slowly demo to her, be patient the fact that she had no interest in badminton and is willing to take it up just because YOU being her boyfriend loves badminton, and you do not know how that gift works? and she doesnt have much falir for the game it will take time for her to get interested but if you keep giving her bad experiences she will lose her interest.

[yy_ling]

wow... u r a good good bf... haa haa...

me and my bf are in the same skol team... we both r #1 (me play mix, he play double last year,and single this year)...

last year... before we have (gf/bf) relationship... when ever i ask him to teach me... he always teach me...

but this year... i'm his gf... wellx... when i ask him to teach me... he just acting like he didn't hear that... and he also become more interesting to teach other ppl... mostly girls... sign~

yah... so i think... u r a good good bf la... just think more way to teach ur gf la... i can tell... she can play well at one day... b/c girls are smart~! haa haa

may i know what is wellx?

[gabxzz]

wow... u r a good good bf... haa haa...

me and my bf are in the same skol team... we both r #1 (me play mix, he play double last year,and single this year)...

last year... before we have (gf/bf) relationship... when ever i ask him to teach me... he always teach me...

but this year... i'm his gf... wellx... when i ask him to teach me... he just acting like he didn't hear that... and he also become more interesting to teach other ppl... mostly s... sign~

yah... so i think... u r a good good bf la... just think more way to teach ur gf la... i can tell... she can play well at one day... b/c s are smart~! haa haa

sighs... singaporeans...

[DivingBirdie]

school team couple....sounds really romantic.

[toddster]

I recommend that you never coach or play mixed with your G/F.

Good luck,
Toddster

[morewood]

I recommend that you never coach or play mixed with your G/F.

Good luck,
Toddster

Or anyone who you want a close relationship with. I know as a 15/16 year old I played men’s doubles with my dad, not a good mixture on the badminton court in a competitive sense. We still occasionally play together at a recreational level (he’s 63 now) and even that can generate a smoldering resentment.

[llpjlau]

agree with chire it really is a bad idea to teach someone u know and it's also a bad idea to ask someone u know to teach u( it's puts them in an akward position).

if u really want to learn, learn from someone u don't noe. let's use a team coach as an ex. a good coach are always strict and yells at u but if u are connect to him/her this training is going to wreck ur releationship:p

haha, my high school team coach is a member of my family.

[Sen_jie]

bro i fully understand how u feel. coz i am teaching my gf to play badminton too.m she is a petite lady at 1.55m tall and doesn;t even hav the strength to full swing the racket. the first few session we do hav abit of disagreement, and she even had the thought of giving up.
then i realise that, we expect too much from them. so, instead of teaching her the foowork and how to grip the racket or hit the ball, jus let her be herself and play a normal game. serve a net ball to her, and let her be able to hit the ball. sounds simple right? but it maybe tough to them. after she managed to hit the ball over the net decently(which already took ard 3months, playing once a week) then i slowly let her run abit to "catch" the ball.... by then, she will be begging u to teach her on the footwork as she is is totally addcited to badminton. haha

hope this helps.

currently my gf plays for ard 1year and can serve a ball decently, and can drop ball, as well as play net ball decently.


cheers

[chookster]

All the coaches in our area spent at least 6-10 years of their lives exclusively on badminton and then got trained as coaches by Lee Jae-bok himself. Despite these opportunities, my wife asked me to teach her myself. I feel extremely embarrassed about teaching in that kind of environment. Only a handful of people at my proficiency level have form that is even remotely as ugly as mine because they all started within the last 10 years and got their coaching from a professional and I was taught by a high school coach in rural Ontario. We tried it anyway and she complained that I didn't return her clears to exactly the same position every time so she wouldn't have to move to hit the shuttle. Lots of arguments and eye-rolling. She finally resigned to letting me pay for some lessons for her. Lee Jae-bok showed up the first day for a free clinic and introduced the local teacher, a former junior national team player. She started berating me for all the things I didn't (read: couldn't) teach her and basically my point was made for me. The most she asks me for now is help drilling.

Your profile doesn't give a hint as to where you might be or what the professional coaching opportunities there might be.

Hey could you let me know where & who to contact to get some decent intensive coaching in Korea: a Jae Lee Bok prodigy sounds good! Want to mix a week or two's badminton coaching for me and partner with a vacation : Korea sounds intriguing:cool: !
Currently guess i'm an intermediate player ( local leagues in the UK) and want to try and shift my game up a notch or two

[slamie]

IMO, when u teach her, just be patient, although both of u got frustrated, no need to yell or mad at each other. In my experience coaching my friend, I just teach them step by step from basic hit to smashes/drop shot,

For me, I just use logic to explain to her coz If I teach her technically, she won't get it. And surprisingly she can understand and do what I explain to her using that logic things and she play quite good now.

So i think both of u just need time. Just play regularly and tell her if she do sumtin wrong. Remember, not everyone can absorb sports technique easily, It might be harder to teach someone that never do sports than someone that always play sports or good at other sports.

Just enjoy ur time, since u said that she won't learn if she's being coach by other people rite? then it means she trust that u can teach her well enough. Moreover, she's ur girlfriend, just teach her patientlyand of course with full of love, haha...Coz no one know the power of love...lol...
Hope this help

slam

[azabaz_ipoh]

when i was young, the best way to start is use a small portion of the court. like mini tennis. just concentrate on letting her hitting the shuttle regularly. then, use a wider area. and more skills. bit by bit. i agree that start it as easy and fun and when she is addicted, only then you get serious. :D

[Hitsugaya]

well one thing i can advise at this time, cuz i'm gonna be killed if i dont go to bed soon, just putting this out there, i'm only 17, just make sure ur both enjoying it. Make it seem like fun instead of practise, for example when she messes up ease her guilt. Like u know tell her "it's all rite" and stuff, make her laugh and smile while practising, that should help u teach her more easily...trust me i've had this experience...i'll put more advice tomorrow during accounting lmao

[williamboo]

Hi, i don't know if i m fit to say this since i m just an assistant coach, just getting trained up to become a coach. I m a patience guy myself and i think this is the most important thing to keep in mind as a coach. Everything have to be learn step by step and not to rush and of course, not every person can master a technique in a short time so it takes quite a while to really able to get the shots right or grip right. Give more encouragement and praise your gf more often, so that she doesn't get frustrated. It works for me as an assistant coach, encouragement and patience. If you can give them a smile sometimes it will be even better. That's what i do when i coach. But for a good coach, mostly they are strict but with a little bit of smile, you may break down the barrier between coach and student. There are times to be strict and times to be friendly so just how we use those thing at a suitable situation.

[MSHSBadmPlayer]

Hi I have a weird problem. I am a pretty decent player. I like the game a lot. So my girlfriend decided to gift me by asking her to teach me how to play badminton. It was her gift to me, dunno how that works, but she has taken upon herself to learn badminton as I love it so much.

As a decent player I had previously helped a lot of people with their game, colleagues, team mates, juniors etc. So I was very confident. So coaching begins.

Day 1. All hell breaks loose. There is definite yellling, stubborness and a fight. Reasons unknown, taught nothing. Just disagreements over everything. I count that as my poor teaching abilities.

Day 2. Better this time, still teaching her how to hit a toss cleanly. Just cant get through. Grip is wrong. She keeps changing. I keep getting worked up. Again my bad.

Day 3. Tossing practice. No luck, no improvement, just much less disagreement. Hope!
..
..

Day 7. No improvements so far. She cant still make a clean overhead hit. Grip is awkward. Body mechanics all wrong. She is getting angry at herself.

So I need some help. I need to know what to teach her. I think partly because I have been playing for such a long time, I take everything for granted. I need some sort of hand book. Some sort of study plan. So I can break it down into tiny bits she can handle. She is a complete newbie at badminton and I am one at teaching.

Help. Getting desperate. :(

1. Patience
2. Patience
3. Patience

once you have those 3 listed above, you are ready to start.

as a coach of primary school students, i feel that i can offer some help. however, without patience, im pretty sure your gf will be turned off after some time.

firstly, you have to treat your gf as a complete newbie, which means to teach her things like ways to hold the shuttlecock, forehand/backhand grip. YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN AND EXPLAIN AND EXPLAIN, instead of just holding her hands and force her into holding the racket the correct way. teach her how to do it herself.

also, whenever she is doing something wrong, stop whatever both of you are doing and correct it. its PERFECTLY NORMAL for her grip to be wrong at times (most of the time actually). she isnt born with a racket in her hand! you just have to change it back when its wrong again and again again and again again and again again and again.

AND do not progress too fast! its amusing that you are already teaching her how to do an OVERHEAD (lobbing?) shot at day 7. at day7, most of my students will still be doing forehand lobbing with body facing the net, right hand up, wrist back and wrist hit the shuttle at the highest point. she has to get the basics right first!!!

I think partly because I have been playing for such a long time, I take everything for granted. -> you should NEVER do this. also, this proves that a professional player is not equal to a professional coach.

and there are more things than just these. for example, making your trainings attractive, fun, enjoyable (yes, this applies to all levels of play), yet the quality of training is maintained and your student learnt something from this training. if your training is just multi shuttles all the way, you'll probably not see her holding a racket again.

just my two cents, im more than happy if anyone can correct me if im wrong.

[hopsmashpro]

haha yer, my friend had the same problem. Her lil bro won't listen to her or the older brother who are both state championships. So now I have to coach him and he listens to every word i say @_@~

[daddxd]

Did you have experience to teach your wife or GF to drive? If so, you should know you will get the same feeling as you teach her badminton.You know what? A joke is: teaching your wife or GF to drive is a quickest way to get divorced or apart.

If you really want to teach her, 1) lower your expectation and be patient; 2) always encourage her for any tiny improvement and forgive her for any fault. However, it is always hard to do, easy to say, isn't it? :p

[Dealucis]

Hi I have a weird problem. I am a pretty decent player. I like the game a lot. So my girlfriend decided to gift me by asking her to teach me how to play badminton. It was her gift to me, dunno how that works, but she has taken upon herself to learn badminton as I love it so much.

As a decent player I had previously helped a lot of people with their game, colleagues, team mates, juniors etc. So I was very confident. So coaching begins.

Day 1. All hell breaks loose. There is definite yellling, stubborness and a fight. Reasons unknown, taught nothing. Just disagreements over everything. I count that as my poor teaching abilities.

Day 2. Better this time, still teaching her how to hit a toss cleanly. Just cant get through. Grip is wrong. She keeps changing. I keep getting worked up. Again my bad.

Day 3. Tossing practice. No luck, no improvement, just much less disagreement. Hope!
..
..

Day 7. No improvements so far. She cant still make a clean overhead hit. Grip is awkward. Body mechanics all wrong. She is getting angry at herself.

So I need some help. I need to know what to teach her. I think partly because I have been playing for such a long time, I take everything for granted. I need some sort of hand book. Some sort of study plan. So I can break it down into tiny bits she can handle. She is a complete newbie at badminton and I am one at teaching.

Help. Getting desperate. :(

CONGRATULATIONS! You just discovered how women works :D :D. But on a serious note, you should just tell her that if she wants to learn, she has to follow the basics you're teaching. If she keeps going amok, then, i think you should consider a looking for a new girl. Hate to think how after marriage life is going to be like, when you can't get along even when trying to teach/learn badminton.

[Moggy]

I think to coach someone you have to have a certain level of authority, which most males in a relationship DOESN'T have :p. Might be easier finding her a coach or just a friend to coach her...

[ctjcad]

CONGRATULATIONS! You just discovered how women works :D :D. But on a serious note, you should just tell her that if she wants to learn, she has to follow the basics you're teaching. If she keeps going amok, then, i think you should consider a looking for a new girl. Hate to think how after marriage life is going to be like, when you can't get along even when trying to teach/learn badminton.
..a_d_y_a's gf was teaching & testing him how to be............................patient..;)
Anyway, just make it a fun time playing with whoever you guys are teaching....esp. with beginners..:cool: ;)

[trainedtotrain]

Hi I have a weird problem. I am a pretty decent player. I like the game a lot. So my girlfriend decided to gift me by asking her to teach me how to play badminton. It was her gift to me, dunno how that works, but she has taken upon herself to learn badminton as I love it so much.

As a decent player I had previously helped a lot of people with their game, colleagues, team mates, juniors etc. So I was very confident. So coaching begins.

Day 1. All hell breaks loose. There is definite yellling, stubborness and a fight. Reasons unknown, taught nothing. Just disagreements over everything. I count that as my poor teaching abilities.

Day 2. Better this time, still teaching her how to hit a toss cleanly. Just cant get through. Grip is wrong. She keeps changing. I keep getting worked up. Again my bad.

Day 3. Tossing practice. No luck, no improvement, just much less disagreement. Hope!
..
..

Day 7. No improvements so far. She cant still make a clean overhead hit. Grip is awkward. Body mechanics all wrong. She is getting angry at herself.

So I need some help. I need to know what to teach her. I think partly because I have been playing for such a long time, I take everything for granted. I need some sort of hand book. Some sort of study plan. So I can break it down into tiny bits she can handle. She is a complete newbie at badminton and I am one at teaching.

Help. Getting desperate. :(

Hi guys,

It is not easy to be a coach. One must love the job and most importantly have the passion.

Authority is not given by yourself because you are a coach. Authority is given and accepted by the athlete themself.

Before you give any instructions to the athlete to do any physical or technical skill drills you must convince them that what you met out for them is able to bring them to the next phase of improvement.

It is an open discussion and if the athlete throw in questions you must be ready to answer and explain to them.

Till they have no doubt they will respect your training ideas and drills and they will work together with you.

I have been training athletes from age 9 to adults. Different age groups have different ways of teaching.

I am sure with my advise you soon will be able to teach your loved ones the game.

[quintessence]

Hi I have a weird problem. I am a pretty decent player. I like the game a lot. So my girlfriend decided to gift me by asking her to teach me how to play badminton. It was her gift to me, dunno how that works, but she has taken upon herself to learn badminton as I love it so much.

As a decent player I had previously helped a lot of people with their game, colleagues, team mates, juniors etc. So I was very confident. So coaching begins.

Day 1. All hell breaks loose. There is definite yellling, stubborness and a fight. Reasons unknown, taught nothing. Just disagreements over everything. I count that as my poor teaching abilities.

Day 2. Better this time, still teaching her how to hit a toss cleanly. Just cant get through. Grip is wrong. She keeps changing. I keep getting worked up. Again my bad.

Day 3. Tossing practice. No luck, no improvement, just much less disagreement. Hope!
..
..

Day 7. No improvements so far. She cant still make a clean overhead hit. Grip is awkward. Body mechanics all wrong. She is getting angry at herself.

So I need some help. I need to know what to teach her. I think partly because I have been playing for such a long time, I take everything for granted. I need some sort of hand book. Some sort of study plan. So I can break it down into tiny bits she can handle. She is a complete newbie at badminton and I am one at teaching.

Help. Getting desperate. :(

Hi ADYA,

This is a very practical problem. There are so many excellent sugguestions/recommendations here.

In two instances, two adults requested coaching instructions from me during plays on court. In both of these cases, they are too "defensive" or "intimidated" to admit their mistakes on court as I pointed out to them. Finally I had to admit that I am not specialized to coach adult, and I resigned.

I think one of the sugguestion that watching badminton competitions videos together is a very good approach in your case. If both of you have the patience to view the same badminton game repeatedly and analyst the weaknesses of the players in the game, then much of your problem will be solved. Many people cannot take criticism, especially in front of other people. Criticizing a third person and learn from their mistakes seems to be a better alternative. Then you will just practice a stoke/skill that is of particular interest to both of you.

One final sugguestion: you need to coach your own temper! The harder you yell your ideas across to your partner, the lesser she will be able to understand you!

Good luck in your coaching!
Quintessence

[ragen]

hi...im also "teaching" my gf playing badminton.
once i told her i will be very happy if she pick up badminton. and months later, she decided to learn.she ask me to teach, but i said no, i said, we just play together and we will learn together.

yea, she wants me to hit the shuttle to her. and be pampered, so, i start off with that and slowly make her run.

we jsut started a few weeks ago and she likes the game.
she is 19 and almost totally new to badminton. guys, surprisingly, she has a very very good reaction time. she can pick up almost all the smashes, net smashes, drop, angle smash, smash to body and all kinda shot that most fresher can not take. even she has no footwork and holt the grip very wrongly, she can return the shuttle. i was surprise too. she can jump and lunge excectly at the shuttle when it was rolling on the net.(even she hit it long). she return the shuttle anywhere, no excact direction, but the thing is, she is more than fast enough to hit the shuttle back.

because of her footwork really bad, she often tumble when moving back ward when taking clear shoot, but she can stand up so quickly and at least hit the shuttle(hitt he net)

she refuse to learn footwork as she does not want to be tired, and she say, at least she can take most of the smashes.

any idea to make her learn footwork? hmm, wait, the problem lies on my shot or she is just have fast reaction?

[LazyBuddy]

hi...im also "teaching" my gf playing badminton.
once i told her i will be very happy if she pick up badminton. and months later, she decided to learn.she ask me to teach, but i said no, i said, we just play together and we will learn together.

yea, she wants me to hit the shuttle to her. and be pampered, so, i start off with that and slowly make her run.

we jsut started a few weeks ago and she likes the game.
she is 19 and almost totally new to badminton. guys, surprisingly, she has a very very good reaction time. she can pick up almost all the smashes, net smashes, drop, angle smash, smash to body and all kinda shot that most fresher can not take. even she has no footwork and holt the grip very wrongly, she can return the shuttle. i was surprise too. she can jump and lunge excectly at the shuttle when it was rolling on the net.(even she hit it long). she return the shuttle anywhere, no excact direction, but the thing is, she is more than fast enough to hit the shuttle back.

because of her footwork really bad, she often tumble when moving back ward when taking clear shoot, but she can stand up so quickly and at least hit the shuttle(hitt he net)

she refuse to learn footwork as she does not want to be tired, and she say, at least she can take most of the smashes.

any idea to make her learn footwork? hmm, wait, the problem lies on my shot or she is just have fast reaction?


Hard...

1. She seems only wants to have fun rather than progress in a long run. Can not and no need to push.

2. She's already better than most beginners. Therefore, even less motivation for her to "trash the old" and "accpet the new".

[ragen]

Hard...

1. She seems only wants to have fun rather than progress in a long run. Can not and no need to push.

2. She's already better than most beginners. Therefore, even less motivation for her to "trash the old" and "accpet the new".

yuo, you are right, she can actually win all the girls and some of the boys when we had class badminton gethering last sunday. win by just able to return the shuttle over. most of the classmate is not trained ones(including me).

[pchospital]

hi...im also "teaching" my gf playing badminton.
once i told her i will be very happy if she pick up badminton. and months later, she decided to learn.she ask me to teach, but i said no, i said, we just play together and we will learn together.

yea, she wants me to hit the shuttle to her. and be pampered, so, i start off with that and slowly make her run.

we jsut started a few weeks ago and she likes the game.
she is 19 and almost totally new to badminton. guys, surprisingly, she has a very very good reaction time. she can pick up almost all the smashes, net smashes, drop, angle smash, smash to body and all kinda shot that most fresher can not take. even she has no footwork and holt the grip very wrongly, she can return the shuttle. i was surprise too. she can jump and lunge excectly at the shuttle when it was rolling on the net.(even she hit it long). she return the shuttle anywhere, no excact direction, but the thing is, she is more than fast enough to hit the shuttle back.

because of her footwork really bad, she often tumble when moving back ward when taking clear shoot, but she can stand up so quickly and at least hit the shuttle(hitt he net)

she refuse to learn footwork as she does not want to be tired, and she say, at least she can take most of the smashes.

any idea to make her learn footwork? hmm, wait, the problem lies on my shot or she is just have fast reaction?

IF she does tumble, have she got herself a pair of good badminton shoes?
It is important as she may hurt her legs, do take note if you are the caring bf:crying:

Ur wanting her to learn foot work must go slow. It will take time before one wants to really excel more in the game.:)

Try bring her to places where there are better players, then she will realize that she actually cant pick up many shuttle:cool:

[ragen]

yup, we bought the shoe when she start pick up the sport.
last night, she play with a lady who is rather good to me. she lost, it was 16-21 and 15-21. she got no preparation pose when recieving the service, and know nothing about smashing. all she know is to pick the shuttle and just hit it hard. where the lady have even more provetional movement than me. i was shock she can score that many. all the score come form the "accidentally" drive to the base line blindly, and return smash eg. the lady smash, she pick, and the lady was dead ont he spot and unable to take the return.

she say, aya, see dont need footwork also can almost win her. i said, if have footwork, may be can trash her.

she said, aya no need to be so competetive la...

nothing to say

i realise, her step was small and fast, the style of hitting is like those who play at the back yard during BBQ party and for fun(as long as the shuttle go over type), she can control the distance between the body and shuttle during hitting. she dive for the shuttle alot(i think because she often not in the position), and stand up very quickly. she can pick up alot of the shuttelk when opponent tap the shuttle from the net.

i think if she train well she will be a really good player

[Azianhero]

lol not to offend the girls out there but girls can be trouble to guys. As said from everybody else out there, patience is the number one thing that a coach needs. Also being mad at your GF isn't gunna improve her. Like 7 days isn't going to get her anywhere and in fact it probably takes at least 3-5 years to realize how hard the sport is and her learning style is also important. As a coach, you must be able to identify your GF's or players learning style because they WILL learn faster tat way. Examples would be a visual or kinetic learner. She might be able to learn faster if u demo how it looks like, or maybe she learns better by touching and maybe you'll have to hold her hand and show her the movement. Also you must be able to point out the mistakes and making sure that its the correct way to move on the court or the correct way to swing. Now you guys may be young but if u decided to become some sort of coach and depending on how long the relationship is gunna last, i suggest you sign up for a coaching degree and it can be just level 1, you don't really need level 2 or 3.

toddster (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/member.php?u=1169), thats quite mean of you to say that. He can teach his gf if he wants to or played mixed with her. This forum is not a place to bash players who just needs a word of advice or learn something. If your joking its not a good one.

[Gemcat]

yup, we bought the shoe when she start pick up the sport.
last night, she play with a lady who is rather good to me. she lost, it was 16-21 and 15-21. she got no preparation pose when recieving the service, and know nothing about smashing. all she know is to pick the shuttle and just hit it hard. where the lady have even more provetional movement than me. i was shock she can score that many. all the score come form the "accidentally" drive to the base line blindly, and return smash eg. the lady smash, she pick, and the lady was dead ont he spot and unable to take the return.

she say, aya, see dont need footwork also can almost win her. i said, if have footwork, may be can trash her.

she said, aya no need to be so competetive la...

nothing to say

i realise, her step was small and fast, the style of hitting is like those who play at the back yard during BBQ party and for fun(as long as the shuttle go over type), she can control the distance between the body and shuttle during hitting. she dive for the shuttle alot(i think because she often not in the position), and stand up very quickly. she can pick up alot of the shuttelk when opponent tap the shuttle from the net.

i think if she train well she will be a really good player

Well, get her to practice with you and play single with her. Then get her running. Maybe then she'll realize your point. But do go easy on her, as girls... I dunno, I don't particularly like to smash them, but then, my specialty is smashing.....

[pchospital]

I personally feel while in the court, there are no so call girls or ladies:crying:
All of us in the court are the same; and like what i tell all payers, all of us in the court are 25 yrs old and there is no old man or girls:cool:

[babytaru]

Hi I have a weird problem. I am a pretty decent player. I like the game a lot. So my girlfriend decided to gift me by asking her to teach me how to play badminton. It was her gift to me, dunno how that works, but she has taken upon herself to learn badminton as I love it so much.

As a decent player I had previously helped a lot of people with their game, colleagues, team mates, juniors etc. So I was very confident. So coaching begins.

Day 1. All hell breaks loose. There is definite yellling, stubborness and a fight. Reasons unknown, taught nothing. Just disagreements over everything. I count that as my poor teaching abilities.

Day 2. Better this time, still teaching her how to hit a toss cleanly. Just cant get through. Grip is wrong. She keeps changing. I keep getting worked up. Again my bad.

Day 3. Tossing practice. No luck, no improvement, just much less disagreement. Hope!
..
..

Day 7. No improvements so far. She cant still make a clean overhead hit. Grip is awkward. Body mechanics all wrong. She is getting angry at herself.

So I need some help. I need to know what to teach her. I think partly because I have been playing for such a long time, I take everything for granted. I need some sort of hand book. Some sort of study plan. So I can break it down into tiny bits she can handle. She is a complete newbie at badminton and I am one at teaching.

Help. Getting desperate. :(

I would like to coach my gf if i have one hahahaha.just play with better players to improve.:)

[Nextech0]

This isn't a problem for me because my girlfriend can beat me... lol.

I'm trying to coach my neighbour, though, which has proved to be quite difficult. I find myself amazed at how good coaches remain so patient when their students just don't get it. No matter how much I try to hammer the proper form into his head, he keeps running straight backwards when the bird goes over his head and sprinting into the net when I drop it. I have yet to completely lose my temper, but I have learned how hard and frustrating coaching can be.