L. J. Bok online coaching videos

Discussion in 'Coaching Forum' started by virco, Nov 22, 2012.

  1. virco

    virco New Member

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    On YouTube I have relatively often came across the tutorials/coaching videos of Lee Jae Bok, former Korean international player turned to coaching and all-round badminton ambassador. While his credentials look very solid I can't really figure out if his smash shot teaching is of true value or just an attempt at being original/less main-stream.

    All comments and opinions, particularly from players with a well trained, powerful, precise and efficient smash shot, will be highly appreciated.

    Thank you all in advance.

    Keep it flying!
     
  2. Borbor

    Borbor Regular Member

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    Speaking from first hand experience I can say that the method works. However, having said that I was still very much trying to experiment the more traditional method taught by FHF / ZJH / XJ for about 2 months (but it was CONSTANT experiment) before I tried LJB's method as shown in his video.

    The pro of LJB's method is, IMO there's less preparation time needed. One thing you don't realize is, the way he does it, even if you feel you're more square to the shuttle, in reality the moment you draw your racket back, you're turning your upper body. It's like trying to punch someone, that action forces you to have upper body rotation. It isn't as MUCH as the more traditional methods taught by ZJH / XJ or PR, but it's still there.

    It works, he personally went over this with me two weeks ago, and it felt solid. There's less moving parts, and the strike to me felt solid.

    In singles, or in cases where you have ample time to get behind a high lift / clear, traditional works. In doubles or in cases where you don't have the time to get all set and load up like FHF, LJB's method is a damn good option to consider. I was skeptical at first because my shoulder isn't in the greatest of shape and looking at the action seems to me would tweak it, but I needn't have worried. The action for the first 70-80% of it is pretty much identical to a punch in karate (something which I'm familiar with), and to my surprise the entire action was less tiring to execute.
     
  3. virco

    virco New Member

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    Interesting that you say that as it's about the same thing I thought too. To me LJB's arm and upper body movement employed for his smash shot look a bit like a Kyokushin gyaku-tsuki in it's straight linear delivery.

    I understand that you actually had in person coaching from him. Could you please tell me how much you think his style is a consequence of his somatic type, as I think that his apparently strong shoulders, arm and particularly wrist are the ones determining the efficiency of his strokes, more than it would work for a player with a less robust/muscular constitution.

    Thank you.
     
  4. amleto

    amleto Regular Member

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    recently saw one of his students. Instantly recognisable technique. Unfortunately it was employed when most players would do a reverse slice (cross court drop from b/h corner to f/h side). He may as well have just pan handled it and slapped the bird. It was so ugly.
     
  5. Borbor

    Borbor Regular Member

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    If you look at his earlier videos, (the play to win series) + the power smash video that is over 20 mins long, neither him (in his Carlton sweater) nor his student (in the orange shirt) were that "big". I'm sure they're athletic and strong in their own right, but it didn't seem to me they had shoulders like Rafael Nadal's left shoulder :D The man DOES have bear paws for hands, so I'm sure his grip strength is not lacking; and we all know that is quite important as far as power generation goes at the moment of contact.

    However, I think you need to have strong shoulders regardless of the method that you use, because it still is an overhead motion, and that holds especially true if you're using the more traditional method as it's basically the same motion as throwing a ball. Any baseball pitcher will tell you that the shoulder is pretty important (and if you take a note at how many pitchers' careers have been wrecked with an injured rotator cuff, you'd then know which part of the body that type of motion stresses the most).

    To me at the moment, it seems the most straightforward with the least confusion. contact is solid, action is less physical to execute and I setup the same way regardless if I'm going to hit a clear, smash or net drop and it's probably the first time playing badminton that I've really had that feeling where I can afford so much time that I can make up my mind at the moment I decide to release from the set position.

    edit -- Caveat: I think a lot of people are either worried / confused that his motion leads to a fly swatting motion. Executed properly, the two are polar opposites basically. The latter has no arm extension at the top, and there's no power to speak of. The former packs quite a punch, and the angle of the smash with the action is also fairly steep.
     
    #5 Borbor, Nov 23, 2012
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2012
  6. dontsim

    dontsim Regular Member

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    When I was being trained by Lee, one thing he was dead serious is that you have to have at least 2 hours of physical fitness warm up (not hitting the shuttle) before you start using the racket, that way he can built up your strength and stamina through the warm up and thats why most of his students can manage the basic strength required in his skill training.
     

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