There are 4 MAJOR Factors that affect smash speed... 1.weight of your racket - heavier racket do produce the punch you need when smashing, i use 2U. 2.string tension - IMO only, the optimal string tension is somewhere between 22-24. I would suggest string it to 25 coz it will stretch and loose tension and will settle to around 22-24 tension. 3.power - that's your part, practice practice practice...
i hope your not numbering that in terms of importance work on form and strokes first, thats the most important. Also, doing some weights for your arms (or pushups) wont hurt either
okay, so what kinda of weight training should i do? can you be more specific, like which part of the muscles?
well there are some threads that answer this question, but basically you want to work out the whole arm. Many people i know tend to focus on the shoulder and the areas around it rather than doing wrist curls and such. check out the "body kinetics for power strokes" further down in general form, it tells you some good technique. (sry didnt know how to put a link to other thread)
be sure when you smash, your racket is also going fast. to be more specific, some players swing back, wait for the opportunity, and then swing forward to smash. i've found that my smash is a lot faster and a lot more powerful if i track the bird, get in position and what not with my racket head in front, and then when i'm ready swing back and forward in one continuous movement. hope that helps.
increase your wrist speed, arm speed, etc. Generating a quick/fast smash involves a swinging the racket quickly. However it also helps to have correct smashing techinque, which involves using the leg muscles, hip transfer, then arm to generate the power and speed. Practice
yeb.. Rotator cuffs play a large roll in smashing so work out the areas that rotate during a smash/stroke but in the end technique is probly the most important, a weaker player can out smash a strong player, if he had better technique.
Personally, I will put the equipment issues to be the last things to worry about. The correct form of stroke, strength, timing, accuracy (placement), footwork, are all much more important than the racket / string factors.
The faster the racquet head moves the greater the speed of shuttle, therefore, timing and speed are the most imortant aspects for increasing smash speed, that inconjuction with striking the shuttle at the earlist moment and the angle of smash.
Pronation? Kwun's "little finger" technique? (Hehehe!!!) Shuttle direct contact at right angle to racket face? Fastest hand speed at time of contact at the highest point of your swinging arc? Continuous arm movement forward with follow through action? Arm outstretched and not bent at the elbow? Body slightly forward and not falling backward when hitting the bird? Good balance, with the help of your other limbs? Eyes on the bird!!!
Hi. Thanks for all your advice guys. I'd really like to add more power to my smash as i feel that it's really lacking at this point. Most of the time, i end up just dropping it to the front since I know that my smash will easily be received anyway. Wanted to know specific (weight) training methods for wrists/shoulders which I can follow.
I think there is an over-emphasis on weight training for the wrists/shoulders. Yes your muscles must be strong enough overall to be able to execute proper strokes and maintain general physical fitness. The coordination of all the senses come into play for the optimum shot. Ever seen small-built players with power-packed smashes? Have you ever thought of how it is possible for them to pack such punches? Proper execution of strokes at the right timing makes a lot of difference. Yes, it used to be for players to tie a long string to a weight and use both hands and fingers to bring in the weight to try to strengthen the wrists. Or players can use the dumb-bell to do the wrist exercises, graduating from the lighter to the heavier weights. But now, many prefer to use the heavier squash racket to train the wrist as well as the shoulders as though they are playing with a badminton racket. This is prefered because they are using an object as close to the badminton racket rather than the dumb bell. Some prefer something that is the real thing by practising with a badminton racket with the cover on. But at the recent Singapore Open, the Japanese players, I was told, were using tennis rackets to strengthen their wrists! Please don't try this without practising with the lighter racket first until you feel you are ready for the heavier tennis racket, otherwise you may damage your wrist instead of strengthening it.
1. Improve technique 2. Increase racquet head speed do 1 by study and practice do 2 by training. Not so much strength training, but speed training. If you don't want to use a heavy squash racquet, you can swing a badminton racquet with the head cover still on. Preferably an older steel shafted model due to the extra strain placed on the shaft. Carlton used to sell a product called the Speed Trainer, which was basically a head cover with a hole cut in the middle. I don't know if you were only supposed to swing with it, or actually play with it.
I THINK THIS INSULT IS UNCALLED FOR... just sharing my ideas, and by the way the list is not in priorities, of course skill is important but what is skill if you don't first buy a racket then have it stringed...
I dont think this was intended to be an insult; rather a statement. It should be apparent that equipment plays a secondary role, however it might not have been that apparent. gil g <-- Remember that a good smash does not mean a powerful smash. Of course a powerful smash is an asset, but without placement and angle, i dont care how hard you hit it, If i'm set, I'm going to block it back with little effort. Develop your technique towards placement. In doubles, you should be trying to draw a weak return from yoru opponents, not pounding a straight winner passed them. In singles, the smash is more often used as a winner, but again the court is so open that in the situations where you are smashing, its placement that matters more than power -- you're not expecting your opponent to dig the smash at all, so power is once again, secondary. But believe me, I know your frustration. At 5'6", 140 pounds, Im definately not known for my muscle girth. However, that doesn't mean I cant pound a smash every once in a while when I nail the setup, but it does mean that I have to work a lot harder at generating power, and more importantly, placement and angle. Work on using your hips, back/spine, abs, pecs, shoulder/arms, and wrist pronation all as one giant power generator.
if a small person has good technique and can do a good smash, dont you think someone with strong arms and the same technique will smash a lot harder? If your small and have good technique, you wont always be playing someone with worse form. Im just saying that stronger arms combined with good technique will maximize the power of the smash
