Hi all, Just started pickup interest in badminton after a long break. Got rather bored you see with the game, as i felt that i was not going anywhere with it. Anyone else had this drought? Anyway, starting playing properly again, mainly singles and the odd occasional doubles. However i realised that i very rarely smashed whilst playing, even when it was the right shot to go for. I thought it may have been a confidence problem since i had not played for a while. The tuesday just gone i had a few games of singles. First few games were ok, generally trying to out manoeuvre, but no smashes. So i decide to try and concentrate just on smashes in the next game. Built up a 10-5 lead so i took this lead and experimented. Any chance i had i tried killing the shuttle when it was feasibly possible. I noticed that i felt very uncomfortable when i was attacking especially with a smash. Anyone had this feeling before. Well the game continued on and it went from 10-5 to 13-13 to 17-14. Yes i was very lucky indeed. But i did notice at the end that my mental attitude kicked in to help me win. There have been many threads about positive mental attitudes towards playing your game, trust me it does help. Looking back i could see the confidence build up with each rally. And with the confidence growing i was able to feel better about where and how i was smashing. If i had lost that game, i guess it would have been a serious blow to my confidence overall. Had one last game and this time with the confidence flowing and a positive mental attitude to match i walked away with a 15-2 victory. I wasn't big headed or anything like that, i just felt that i was pleased with how i played. Is this what players call.."Being in the Zone!"? I'll like to hear your experiences if you could, what helps you build your confidence up?
Well one things for sure when you get a losing streak, your confidence goes way down. I don't really know if I have a confidence problem but one thing's for sure, you must not be intimidated by your opponent, however high the skill level. Great discipline and concentration is whats needed. As for being "in the zone" I think it comes out naturally if your confidence is high.
interesting topic, Kc_uk, we haven't directly talked much about confidence here. however, i believe much of what we always are trying to do is to increase our confidence in our play. everytime we play and everytime we do drills, we are building confidence on our stroke and choice of shots. naturally, everybody are more confident of taking a shot that they are more comfortable with, in your case, it will be playing positions, ie, drops and clears, and trying to out maneuver your opponent. you haven't used much smashes during matches, and thus you are less confident in doing it, and everytime that idea comes across your mind, you hesitate and may choose otherwise. i suggest doing more full court singles smash drills, and build up your confidence off match, and sooner or later, the confident will migrate to matches. i hope my analysis make sense. about being in the zone, for me, being in the zone is when i surprise myself. when i am in the zone, i feel that i can tell my opponent's move before they do, making quality shots/footwork without having to think about it.
I think that for the most of us, confidence is built by positive feedback (i.e. I can smash winners on my opponent) and is lost by negative feedback (i.e. That guy returns my smashes like they were nothing). With that being said, I think that overall we shouldn't base our perceptions or confidence on what our opponents do with the shot. For example, your smash might not be working because your opponent knows that you will be smashing. A well placed clear or drop-shot now and then will increase the effectiveness of your smash or vice versa. Of course, things like hitting the shuttle out is a completely different story
First of all, good choiche to pick up badminton again ! Like Kwun said, drills are good for confidence. I like to emphasize another aspect : the confidence that is obtained at moments you don't expect. A few examples of moments that may lead to grow in confidence : - notice that you exceute a shot in a way you didn't know you were able to - notice that you 'suddenly' see the empty spots on the opponent's court - know that there is always reason to fight by winning a set 15-13 after 13-0 down - notice that you can smash 4 times in a row during a rally without hitting in the net - notice that during a doubles match, you and your partner feel how to play together (i remember that after a doubles league match, my partner and i went to celebrate our gameplay with a beer, although we lost the particular match) Those moments suddenly happen, and probably arise while your'e in the mentioned 'zone' . By rememering them, by knowing you are able to do such things, they become tools to use in your games. While reading your post, Kc_uk, i was surprised about your remark 'If i had lost that game, i guess it would have been a serious blow to my confidence overall.' You experimented with the smashing, and felt better with it every rally. I think that fact is more important than the fact wether you win or lose the match. Happy smashing !
And also you might get your confidence up if you returned the shot poorly and the opponent misses it or somehow made a terrible mistake. You may think that the opponent is not that good and you may use that to your advantage but don't get too cocky.
