Many of us pay a lot of attention to detail to equipment to try to improve our smash power. Can you actually notice a difference? For myself, I can't!! It's my opponents and people in my club who tell me I smash hard and it doesn't seem to be due to equipment. For example, I used to play having just learnt by watching people and reading. My smash wasn't very good even though I would be putting a lot of effort in it. Now(after technique changes), I put perhaps less effort but get more out of it. However, it wasn't me who noticed, it was others around me.... How about you?
The right racquet can only help you to have nicer feelings of smashing, other than that, nothing. (According to physics....the main force is from your arm, not the racquet) So, I have been lifting heavy stuff and practicing timing of hitting, and of course, my smashing is improving little by little every month.
While getting the latest and greatest equipment may or may not help me extract more juice out of my smash, using the wrong equipment will definitely sap the power or even the ability out of my smashes. Case in point: I used to use a 2U Ti-6. But because of an arm injury, I can no longer generate enough head speed from the 2U racquet. My smashes were either too flat or too slow (or both). Since switching to my 5U (79g) BK, I am able to regain the head speed, and my smashes have been revived. At the end of the day, the equipment is always about whether it can make the best use of what you have to offer. -Rick
I've been playing for years and I noticed that most of those who has good technique don't seem to sweat much when it comes to smashing. Their arm swing and wrist motion seems to work just like any other shot that they're doing. There had been many moments when they just pick up ANY racquet for the purpose of entertaining themselves, they still do smashes with the similar power and speed, except for perhaps the usual sound etc. So the conclusion is a no brainer : good equipment don't make you better; good technique does. Still, there's a big difference in one guy I know when he does it with his MP55 compared to my Cab 20; the raw power released by the MP seems to be double or more than of using Cab 20. I concur with Traum: an equipment is only as good as your ability to make use of them. Me. Have my smashing improved? After a three month period of 'proper learning', power in my smashes had dipped a little but steeper and more accurate, and I've also improved on two components of smashing which I have ignored for a long time - timing as well as when to do it. Timing-wise, this had declined a little, for I am now learning to do the hip rotation as (right to front, left to back) as well as correct finger pronation. I wanna get the movement correct first before concentrating on power. When to do it, been improving a little as I no longer smash just because the shuttle is high but wait for the correct 'opportunity' as well as condition before executing it. Won more rallies this way, save more energy, caught off-balanced less often than before. Overall : Physical Aspects - declined Technical - improved Is it possible to actually improve on all of them at the same time?
Has my smash improved? Definitely! December I used to have a really bad smash. No power at all. After trying out a friend's Rapier (Black Knight) racquet, my smash improved and I bought that. Then I felt I had more power but the racquet was holding me back so I got a Forza TiTech 2200 CF and it REALLY IMPROVED. After getting used to it for 2 weeks, I can smash alot harder compared to before. I think I reached the stage where equipment won't matter now, it's all going to be muscles and technique since the Forza is really stiff.
Well I can smash good with almost any racket but my problem is really timing and my smash is easily readable and even at a fast pace, it's still countered. I have problems with my jump smash. My timing in that is just way off. any tips for it? Well I guess I could say I improved my smash. The first time I heard that you smash with the wrist was already a month ago. I was a bit awkward at first but I think I'm improving.
Sorry to bring this up. If ur smash has serious problem in timing, and could be relatively easily countered, how u decribe it to be "good"? Is that actually means just "powerful" or "fast"?
Exactly, "powerful" or "fast" doesn't equal to "good" smashes. Smashes are supposed to be "effective" and "surprised" attacks, if you just quick smash to the people's racquet, it's easy to have it returned.
sorry about that Maybe its good in a way that its fast and that's just it. So how can you make it effective anyway?
Forgot to mention, my smash is now a jump smash most of the time and hardly a stationary smash. I usually stationary drive or snap really hard when it's the beginning of the rally and my partner is serving and the opponents try to hit it to my forehand.. if they hit to backhand I usually clear or drop.
I'm an on-and-off type of smasher. Some days, I'm able to smash hard and steep, edging the tape, while other days, I feel no matter how much effort I put into the smash, it can be returned by somebody blind-folded using non-dominant hand. I think it all boils down to my technique as I am not very strong in the wrist and so my smashes involve much arm swing and rotation. One thing I notice though, is whether I'm jump-smashing or standing-smashing, if I make an "äaaahhh" sound during the smash, it seems to fly faster??!! It could just be a pure psychological effect though.
This, I cannot do. I noticed how some people could shout and hammer the shuttle harder but when I try it, I find that my timing almost always goes off. It seems to interfere with my brain co-ordinating the movement of my body for the smash. I do agree with Hugo though, somehow shouting brings out the beast in the person, like Wolverine when his berserker rage takes over... So, generally, I'm a rather quiet player on the court, pausing only to talk with my partner about the opponent's weakness as I see them or encouraging him to 'tapau' (sorry, only Asians would understand this... ) the game.
Maybe it's the gym? The speed of my smash varies on the gym. Like in a brown gym my smash are terrible but in the RA Centre at ottawa or a community centre, my smashes are much better!
I think that equpiment DOES matter to some extent. For example, im not very scrawny. Im stronger then alota peps i see playing badminton but this one guy seems to smash harder then me even tho hes really skinny. Im prety sure its not my technique because i've been taking leassons for a while now. I use a ti 5 which is meant more for control while as that guy uses a mp 99. He smashes considerably harder then me even tho hes way weaker then me. Although i think it helps in smashes, it does not help in skill. If you canot do a shot, a racket will not help. If you are not quick enough or have good enough reflexes, a racket will not make you a overall better player.
is that from your own comparison or someone else's comparison.. i think my smash is weak while my friend tells me its pretty good.
both My friend who also plays badminton thinks his smashes are harder too. He works out everynow and then. Hes not a "buff" guy but hes alot stronger then the skinny guy who smashes really hard. Yet the skinny guy smashes harder then both of us. (we both have the right smashing technique)
Did a test on the 'scissor' switch aka hip rotation ie kick right leg front, left leg back just now and I did somehow feel as if my reach is higher now, but the strain on my still recovering shoulder is appearing again. The movement felt mentally normal and natural, but not to the body though. Why is that? Felt as if the mind is doing it, but the body is resisting.
This is common in many sports Monica Seles grunting might be the most noticeable I think breathing out during the execution of a movement relaxes the upper body.
My smash improved for 2 reasons 1. Went to a head heavy racket 2. Strung up high But If I switched to any other racket now I would guess that the difference would be minimal. besides which what's an extra 10mph to your game when it comes down to it?
