I notice that it almost always happens (98%) with WS/WD players... rather than MS/WD. Does it mean women players are: 1) tactically more astute to play mind games? 2) morally lacking in scruples/honour? 3) just plain bitchy? Opinions welcomed.
. I believe in (1), that women players are tactically more astute to play mind games. But it is the same shuttlecock for players on both sides of the court. So, where is the advantage or disadvantage? .
It's just for mind games and sometimes because they aren't as tired as the player requesting the shuttle change so it can help keep the pressure on. And sometimes cos the shuttles aren't actually damaged
Yeah, frequently they wanna mess with the minds of the opponents, a test of wills you can call it - "look, the umpire agrees with me" (and by implication is on my/our side, hah!") This just occurred to me: the physical reason might be that even a mildly damaged shuttle (eg. 5%), will affect the smash-speeds of the women players, more so than those of the guys. Either which, of course... will ruffle the feathers of the ladies standing opposite. s
Depends on the preceeding point, IME - if it's a hard-fought one with no errors and good play from both sides, the other side is usually amenable to change. I'd say shuttle condition is not quite symmetrical over both sides: one side has to serve, and some prefer to serve with an old shuttle, some with a new one.
i'm not a pro player. but i never understood why a player doesn't agree to change shuttles! if my opponent wants to change the shuttle for purely tactical reasons (and i know it...) i change the shuttle anyway! my opponent arguing with the referree distracts me far more than the change of the shuttle! i literally NEVER in my life refused to change a shuttle. short glimpse at the referree, nod your head, change it and go on. and think to yourself: "that won't help you! i'm gonna outplay you with every fu**** shuttle you like, bastard." i'm male fwiw...
forgot that one: if my opponent denies to change the shuttle, i'm gonna break a feather at the next possible occasion and change it then. not a big deal. but most important: never ever be distracted by such bull****!!!
The shuttle might be the same for both players, but not all players are the same. What I'm getting at is: some are better defenders, some are better attackers. My theory is that defenders are more likely to prefer faster shuttles when playing against weaker defenders/better attackers because they themselves can still defend it, whilst their opponent cannot. And vice versa
The other thing, is that a side that is winning points with a shuttle - why change it if it is still ok? From a mental aspect, a change of shuttle, from one perfectly good one to another perfectly good one - is still a change, and does make a difference in the minds of the players. If we are winning points, and the shuttle is ok, we certainly wouldn't want to change it. My two cents worth.
. When one wants to change the shuttlecock, one needs to have the agreement from both the opponent and the umpire. In theory, the shuttlecock needs not be changed if its flight/speed is OK. I haven't seen this for a long, long time at tournaments nowadays - Calling in a shuttlecock tester to check if the shuttlecock's flight/speed is OK. .
That's right. I have seen in some of the finals, when one side wants to change, the other doesn't and the umpire wants to see the shuttle. The umpire often tells them to continue, but usually the next point they change anyway.
. At our 2012 Australian Under-13 Interstate Series, let's see how many times players want to change their shuttlecocks per game. See you there. .
We don see this in tennis, do we?I tend to pick newer balls to serve, it's a clear advantage and everyone knows it. The receiver never complaints and just get on with the game.In badminton, if it's damaged, change it. If the opponents wants to disrupt the flow or game momentum, let them. Involving the umpire causes even more disruption.
I must say, rejecting a shuttle change from your opponent usually does makes thing more complicated and longer. It's best if the umpires decide after each point whether he or she should accept a change of shuttle if requested and make a quick decision. Otherwise it's just a big mess. Some players like slower birds than faster birds, so after a few rallies, it slows down a bit, it's an advantage to that one side. My friend who service judged a match at US Open told me that there was one match where the players asked for like almost 40 shuttle changes throughout the match. I forgot which match, I think it was singles. Over 20 shuttles were used.
Just the thread I was looking for (my pick was nr.3 as well when I first saw this tread ) http://tennis.si.com/2012/04/29/mar...ew-rivalry-takes-hold/?sct=hp_wr_a2&eref=sihp
Yep . The line between 1 and 3 is thin enough anyway but the way most ladies shake hands afterwards can hardly be attributed to tactical mind games