In a men's singles game, right after a serve, I have a low percentage when it comes to being able to return a smash from my opponent after I serve high and to the back (usually to their backhand). I've read about staying on the balls of my feet and being in a lower ready position so that my center of gravity isn't as high. But those smashes that hit the side of the court are almost unreachable. What can I do?

I think that this is much of a tip, but try getting there faster. If your just leaning over, then maybe that's the reason. You may also want to try to take a step. Just like when your doing footwork to the sides. It should take you probably 2 steps or less.

Try various of serves.

It's possible that ur opponents know ur serve very well already (I assume all of u being played in the same club for a period of time), and they can just predict ur serve and take advantage of it.

U might try some short serve as well to trick them.

1. Short serve can't be smashed back, however u need good defense at net for drop or quick response if they do a flat drive or so.

2. Various of serves, will take away their prediction. If u get them severtal times, they won't be able to just go to particular spots, and fully prepared to do a smash on ur serve.

yup if you go to www.playbadminton.com and download the singles match between gade and rasmusson. Gade short served that whole game, because rasmusson had an awesome smash.

Thanks for the tips so far guys/gals.

To LazyBuddy: I do vary my serves and it does help.

Any more tips?

Maybe work on your footwork a bit, since u did mention you had trouble getting to smashes that are aimed toward the side. Do drills where you have your partner smash it to you and you try to return it. Like he smashes to you, you return it, he sets you up, u smash it, he returns it, then you set him up, and so on.

If smashes are still to hard for you, then ask your partner to do fast drops.

Train hard on your lateral movement (side movement). In badminton, side movement to more people is harder than back and fore movement. Even for the pros, they have trouble returning the high quality down to the line smash.

Also try to relax. Knowing your opponent is going to smash will tense you up right after service. You are actually kind of frozen up. End up you cannot react fast enough, both mentally and physically. Relax, keep you feet moving, and hold the racquet up to about the chest. The proper lateral footwork takes time to master.

Before you master it, you can try to guess which side he is going to smash at. Kind of ‘dive’ on that side at the time your opponent smashes. You may have some success. This puts some pressure on him/her. (Kind of like the goalkeeper) If you successfully guess right a couple of time, you really putting a lot of pressure on him. He may lose some confidence. He also has to guess which side you will be going. He may hesitate a little. Hesitation is one of biggest flaw in smashing.

Backcourt smash to the line is powerful. But it is the worse if it doesn’t work. It leave the whole court open plus it use up a lot of energy and the worse the shuttle gets back right after both feet landed sometime with body a little out of position. In short, if it doesn’t work, he puts himself in the defense position right the way.

If you serve more to the middle of the backcourt, your opponent won't be able to smash past you as easily. You will be covering the court better. Serving to one of the deep corners is usually not a good idea if the opponent has a strong attack.

Serving short is another option, as others have suggested, but then you must be able to deal with the consequences: a good short serve usually forces a lift from the opponent, so be prepared to attack. If your attack isn't up to par, chances are you're going to have to clear the lift, thus handing over the initiative to the opponent. In other words, back to square one, leaving you in about the same situation as if you had served long in the first place...

A good long serve should still be your basic serve. Use a short serve sparingly, and well disguised, to keep your opponent closer to the net, thus reducing his/hers backcourt attacks on the long serves.

try serving always down the centre line as deep and high as possible as:

1. serving down the centre line reduces the angle of reply, hence the distance and difficulty you have in returning the smash


2. if serve right at back then more time to see the smash, which will be coming slower by the time it reaches you anyway.

3. serving extremley high so the shuttle is travelling almost vertically down when opponent is returning makes a good smash more difficult (infact any shot) as we have to create all power ourselves and the cork part is not facing the strings.


serving short with disguise ie. same technigue/motion as long serve keeps opponent guessing so harder to get all the way behind the shuttle to hit a effective smash as cant move before he knows which serve is coming.good luck.j.

Mag has a good point about serving to the centre.

The long serve in singles is a fairly fundamental thing. At the risk of saying the obvious, make sure the serve is right to the back and HIGH. A high serve that drops right down is much harder to time for a smash (or anything) than a flatter one.

Did I mention hit it to the back? The key to gauging the depth of your serve is not by tracking the flightpath and guessing where it would have landed, but by looking at the position of your opponents feet when they hit it. Indeally, your opponent should have his feet right OUTSIDE the back of the court, as they'll want to be hitting the shuttle in front of them (as the shuttle is going to be landing on the back line or there abouts). Although serving sounds pretty easy, it also requires a fair bit of practice in itself.

With a good serve, most people will find it hard to smash through you. If you do a good serve and they're still smashing through, then either they have a huge smash, or you need to work on your defense and side to side movement.

hmmmm./...

smashing to the side eh?



well i don't suggest you take an extra step...

this would slow you down... hell lot... in returning smashes




..well.... the best is strech................ as much as you can....... or a DIVING save...


really..... taking another step is a waste of time and by the time you are ready to return the shuttle......... the shuttle already hit the ground...

Diving save? Err... how does getting up need less time than taking a step?

Totally agree with Mag, James and Kiwiplayer that serving HIGH, thus causing the shuttle to come down perpendicularly to the ground, DEEP (i.e near the baseline) and close to the middle line is perhaps the best high serve to prevent your opponent from executing a deadly smash. It is very difficult to hit a clean shot when the cork is not pointing towards you or your racket strings on contact, but is actually on its side and the opponent may run the risk of hitting the feathers first! Yes it will also minimize his options of where to place the shuttle and the bird being hit high will allow you some precious time to prepare yourself for the return shot. But you need to practise your high serves to "perfection" otherwise you will still be at the mercy of your opponent, particularly if he has a good smash and is of a higher standard than you.

I consider diving returns as a desperate last-minute option just to save an almost impossible return. Because if your opponent is able to counter your return, it is very difficult for you to pick yourself up in time to defend your subsequent position. (Thus I have to agree with nSmash on this one. ) As such it would be preferable to be able to use an additional step or two, to the side in this case, to attempt the return shot. Therefore it will be advisable to train your footwork to achieve "fluidity" to the sidelines and back to the centre.

Originally posted by Loh
But you need to practise your high serves to "perfection" otherwise you will still be at the mercy of your opponent, particularly if he has a good smash and is of a higher standard than you.


Yup, need quality good consistent serves.

There's a specific technique for body positioning, movement, retuning the shuttle, recovery position. Lots of factors. Let's face it, you may not get 100% of the shuttles back.

If you're serving to the corner, you have to positon yourself slightly to that side of the court. Basis: straight smashes are faster than cross court smashes.

Your distance from the net has to be slightly more near the back of the court. If you are in the centre, you find yourself having to cover 6 points: two front corners(for drops), two side courts (for the smashes) and two rear court positions(for opponents clears).
Being nearer the back court slightly reduces the damage by the clear so now you can just concentrate potential replies to the 4 points; 2 forecourt, and 2 side court areas.

Whatever centre of gravity you have, the bounce and timing of the bounce is extremely important for effective movement. You have to sink low (i.e. vertically drop down), then push with your leg to whatever side you are receiving the smash. I.e your hips lower first before moving to the side. This is different from just trying to push off immediately in a diagonal movement sideways and down(this is slower and inhibits recovery).

Plant your leading foot to the side (simultaneously hitting shuttle) and to keep balance draw up your trailing leg slightly.

loh...


if you take another step and you manage to return.........

what if your opponent hit to the other side.....

you can't get there in time........ especially he hit your backhand




and... as for diving.... of course... you don't dive first...

try to strech as much as you can... if really cannot... then dive....

Originally posted by fhchiang
if you take another step and you manage to return.........

what if your opponent hit to the other side.....

you can't get there in time........ especially he hit your backhand


Do you mean two steps from the centre line to reach the side for a smash? Shouldn't need to unless you have very short legs.

If your opponent hits to the other side - I deliberately left that out because that wasn't the original question.

It is definately possible to reach the shuttle though. Watch a video of how a singles player does it. After the smash, watch the feet position and the bounce...

quote:
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Originally posted by fhchiang
if you take another step and you manage to return.........

what if your opponent hit to the other side.....

you can't get there in time........ especially he hit your backhand

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True, if you move sideways to return a shot and then simply stay there and watch the shuttle, then the otherside is left open.

Good footwork isn't just about moving fast, but about recovery as well (even more so, IHMO).

My coach played singles - and the one thing that was always said about his game - even by top 100 players in UK is that his serve was always very difficult to smash.

The secret?

Height and length - but the height was the main key - more often that not he would complain that the sports hall roof wasn't high enuf, i have seen very few players hit is as high as him - the shuttle would always be dropping vertically on the back line - easy to get behind, nightmare to hit.

Practice ur high serve - work on the length and then wrist strength to get the height - finally when all this is consitent coach says use more body action, this is very difficult to master as it take practice for consistency.

i wish i had it on video to show you :(

Neil

I'm messaging just to let you all know that I am constantly reading the
replies. I haven't had a chance to try out the tips yet but rest assured
I am mentally getting these things engrained in me.

------------
Side Note:
By the way, I consider myself a pretty decent player (having played for 5
and a half years now since high school freshman year) but my high school
did not at all emphasize the sport (sometimes even downplaying it) and so
I've never had a chance to get proper training. This, in part, explains
why I'm trying to make my college club, UCLA Badminton Club
(www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/UCLABadminton (http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/UCLABadminton)) more prominent in the
badminton community. Currently we are trying to find methods to fund an
official team (UCLA is part of the Southern California Collegiate
Badminton League). If you would like to contribute to our cause, please
definitely contact us. Anything at this point will be very well
accepted. Of course this is not a commercial promotion of the club. I am
simply trying to make our dream of an official team a reality.
-------------

Thanks so much guys and gals and keep those replies coming. I won't take these tips as an alternative to proper coaching but it surely helps to know.

Jason

well..

i watched World Class Player From My Country -Wong Choon Hann, Hafiz Hashim..... Indonesia- Taufik Hidayat.... China -Chen Hong...

all of them.... when returning smash... they just strech..... they didn't take another extra step...........try to watch Thomas Cup Final 2002 Or Any Other High Rated Tournament... and see how those BEST OF THE BEST play

also.... badminton... you must always think ahead... u can't just simply return and guess his next move.. you must anticipate his next move........ or leave one side open ........


btw...kiwi...

...when one smashes... i'm sure the shuttle cock is very fast... thus.... the return would be fast too.... so i really don't think you can get back to middle... and return from the other side if u take an extra step to return the first smash......

fhchiang, we've all seen the top players in action either live or on TV (I was at the All England semis in Birmingham this year). However, the way these top players play don't have much to do with how normal players play. For example, the top singles players do FAR more cross-court attacking shots than would be advisable for the rest of us. Such an aggressive attacking style is fine for these top atheletes, but for a player like me (UK county player) a much straighter, more conservative shot selection is required.

Having said that, I think you're getting confused with terminology. Nowhere did I (or others, I think) say anything about STEPPING sideways. I' talking about MOVING sideways. Just to clarify, yes, I mean lungeing, stretching and chasse-ing (sp?). However, if you're caught out of position and have to step across (proper full step) for the return of smash, one CAN return to cover the crosscourt smash on the otherside if you have to. If a player can't do that, then either 1) the return was weak 2) they mis-read the shot, or 3) their footwork needs work.

Also the return of a fast smash doesn't have to be fast.

Originally posted by fhchiang
i watched World Class Player From My Country -Wong Choon Hann, Hafiz Hashim..... Indonesia- Taufik Hidayat.... China -Chen Hong...

all of them.... when returning smash... they just strech..... they didn't take another extra step...........try to watch Thomas Cup Final 2002 Or Any Other High Rated Tournament... and see how those BEST OF THE BEST play


FHC,

May I remind you what the original question, posted by Vircon. was...


But those smashes that hit the side of the court are almost unreachable. What can I do?

Like you I have watched many high class tournaments. For a singles game, it is impossible to merely stretch to the side to receive a smash. (Unless you stand to that side or the smash is aimed at the body)

Lucky, you mentioned Wong CH and Taufik H. I just watched 5 mins of a match of theirs (S'pore Open 2001). In it, I saw BOTH players step to the side when trying to get the smash down the side of the court. Sometimes the step is a very small one. For me, the definition of a step is a movement of one leg from it's original position to another. From Kiwiplayer's description, his definition of lunge would fit my definition of a step. So maybe we do have some differences in terminology.

hmmm..... maybe...


did you watch China Open 2002 Final?

the match bettween WongCH and ChenH?


.in the last game..... there's a lot of strecthing

I had a problem returning smashes to the side a while back. It turned out that I wasn't serving deep enough, although I really thought that I was. So what I did was I exaggerated and served longer and longer until my oponent started to let the shuttle drop. It seems that most players go ahead and hit the shuttle if it's pretty close to being in so you can cheat a little by trying to serve a couple of inches out. It makes a BIG difference.

Also, when I play someone that has a strong smash I notice that standing back 1 or 2 feet helps tremendously. I couldn't believe how much more time I had to react. If your opponent keeps smashing your long serves well, try serving with a lower trajectory to change thing up. He'll most likely get used to taking his time getting ready to smash your high serves and won't expect a low long serve and may not have enough time to set up for a good smash.

A lot of you suggested that I watch videos of past matches but unfortunately in the United States badminton is not all shown on TV (I don't even think they tried to play any video of badminton during the recent Austrailian Olympics). Do any of you know of places where I can get videos (downloads?, websites?, etc.)?

Jason

Try,

www.playbadminton.com

Stan Bischof's site has some but somehow I can't get into it at the moment.


I'm pretty sure that whenever anybody shifts their balance, they would have to move their feet. The physical act of moving the feet implies making a step (to me)

Hey thanks Cheung. I've been to that site before and they only have a few (but good) videos of the US Open 2002. I can't wait to go to this year's US Open.

Jason

Well, I bought my VCDs in china. I knew ppl bought this kinda stuff in asian nations. More choices and surely cheaper.

The only site I found selling badminton VCD in US is:
http://www.hiquasports.com/badminton/vcd-guobao.htm

LazyBuddy: How's the quality of the videos from HiQua compared to, let's say, the ones at http://www.shuttleportal.com/%7Eplaybadminton.com (http://http://www.shuttleportal.com/%7Eplaybadminton.com/) ?

Jason

Well, the I have the site, too. The quality is not bad (at least, for small screen), plus it's free.

However, I did not buy the VCD from hiqua. So, can't say about quality. With my previous experience with VCDs, generally, they should have better quality (good image no matter small or large screen). However, $$$ is the pre-condition. ;)

Originally posted by Cheung
Try,

www.playbadminton.com

Stan Bischof's site has some but somehow I can't get into it at the moment.

it's working (http://www.worldbadminton.com/)

but no videos at the moment.

Originally posted by Cheung
it's working (http://www.worldbadminton.com/)

but no videos at the moment.

April is almost here and the mirror sites better be up ;)