When you do a lunge with your racket foot (so if you are right handed, you lunge with your right foot), do you rest your trailing foot behind and at the side? That means your shoe base will not be in contact with the court but it will rest on the side. And by doing so, your trailing foot appears to be in sleep mode while the racket foot takes the load of your weight? Is that the proper lunge for retrieving a drop shot?
Yes, that is correct. But the left foot is not exactly in sleep mode... it's stretched out to maximize reach and to maintain balance, as should be your left arm. If you do this right, there should be scuff marks on your left shoe by the base of your great toe.
Thanks Visor. How do we spring back up from that position once we are done with the lunge? Do we push off with the racket foot and in doing so, the left foot will automatically turn such that its base is now in contact with the court once again?
Yep, as your lunging leg is now preloaded, you can now push off and up and back. Watch some of LD vs LCW games with slow mo replays and you'll understand.
But note on that push-off: If you have gone "too far" with your lunge --such that your knee is too far bent and is ahead of your foot (i.e. angle at knee is much more than 90 degrees) --you will find it very hard to push-off AND you could hurt your knee. Therefore when practicing lunging, make sure to "kick" your right foot out a little more just before the heel lands. That will give you extra reach and slow your body's momentum from going too far past your planted foot. Here is print (free) and video (pay) instructions to accompany visor's excellent idea of watching the pros on youtube. http://www.badmintonbible.com/articles/footwork/movement-elements/lunge-technique.php http://www.badmintonbible.com/videos/lunge-technique.php
Why does my lunging foot keep on slipping. I lunge and my first point of contact on my lunging foot is my heel, right? And in doing so, it feels like my heel wants to slip.
a) Shoe is too slippery or worn out b) Floor is too slippery/dirty c) Your foot is too dorsiflexed (toes pointed up too high) such that you are landing on almost the back of your heel, thus no grip from the shoe.
