Imho, one of the first steps to developing your badminton game as a beginner is to start anticipating your opponents shots, and learning to accept the instincts of your reflexes. However, one of the first steps to developing your badminton game as a more advanced player is to stop anticipating your opponents deceptive shots, and to position yourself such that you can get any shot your opponent makes. Obvious statement I'd hope, but one people seem to forget often -- Deception is only useful if it works. Deception should not be given priority over the _quality_ of the shot, simply because your opponent might not "fall" for your "deception", and thus you've just hit a weaker shot. Play the high percentage shots, and WORK towards SETTING up yourself for a WINNER. Deception has it's place, but I think it might be overrated. I hear people rating about so-and-so's trick shot, or that amazing no-look drop, and it blows my mind. What does everyone else think?
deception are meant for advanced+ players. Problem starts when beginners mimicing monkey see monkey do deception routines taken from advance players. Learning deception is fine but many C and lower players use them so much as their core strokes that it overriden their core strokes, if they have any.
agree 100% , one must learn to play the shot correctly first before they think about deception. here is another excellent thread on deception to provoke more thoughts: http://www.badmintonforum.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6561
Agree with above. Deception could be a bonus, to be added to already well established fundamentals. Good "estimation / prediction" on opponents should surely help. However, the player him/herself still need ability to excute the stroke(s) / movement(s). Therefore, the "order of learning" is important. Running is surely faster, but u need to know how to walk properly first.
I would say that for really good players deception is important when they are playing other good players because their good opponent would get most normal shots. Obviously though if you are just learning there is no point deceptive shots because they wont work most times.
Nod, without proper coaching, most beginners tend to and wanna to learn the cool looking deceptive shots. In real rallies, deception work if the user is in control of a rally. Deception is nearly impossible if the player is constantly playing catch up and is out of position. If one dont have the footwork, strokes, accuracy, consistency to be in a controlling situation of a rally, having deceptive shot making skill is quite useless. Of course there are some defensive deception shots that might come in handy in some situation for bailing you out but not enough to convert a panicky situation into a controlling situation.
Well, there's more than one type of deception...if you accept that disguise is part of deception. Deception might be over-rated and over-used, but disguise is essential. e.g. I would say Disguise is when you can play several different shots with the same motion. i.e. overhead forehand drop, slice-drop, reverse-slice-drop, fast-drop, smash, clear. To get good disguise you need to: prepare the same for all these shots use a short stroke (if you use a big swing for smashes and clears, but not for drops, you are giving your opponent clues) Whereas I would say Deception is where you deliberately give your opponent a false clue. i.e. look in one direction but hit in another, big backswing but slow stroke (so as to play a net shot but make it look like you are going to lob), etc. I think you are more likely to make errors using deception than if you have disguise. Deception should be used sparingly, or your opponent will expect it. have you seen the article on Deception by Martin Dew-Hattens on badders.com?
One funny thing i noticed about deception is. It only works on more advance players because they anticipate my shots so when I do a deception it might work because I get them moving on my first stroke but it does not work on beginngers because they have no anticipation, i was like doing a net-lift deception on a beginnger and he just stood there and didn't even move until I hit my shot so i made a fool out of myself. lol
In my experience deception is something that is individual to all players, we all have deception but in different ways. The most obvious is looking one way during a short service and playing the shuttle somewhere else. The emphasis on deception is the forehand strokes, wether they be from the back or front of the court. Because all of our shots from the back are supposed to look the same (the most basic form of deception) the term deception has different meanings to different people. My idea of deception is to outwit your opponent and make them do something that you expect, and they follow your ruse but they do not know what you intend ie. sending them the wrong way. In reality people are coached not to anticipate where the shuttle is supposed to be going but to wait until it has been struck and then react. This is the main reason for deception, people anticipate too much and watch a racket or the preparation for a shot and move too quickly. Players need to wait for the shuttle to be struck and follow the bird. Afterall it's the shuttle we need to hit!!
At the higher levels of the game, deception is a must. You don't have to use it every shot, but you have to show that you have it. You need it to keep the opponents honest and not reacting before you play your shot. When you play someone who you can telegraph, you can cheat off of your formation and intercept shots early, or receive smashes comfortably. Because really, at the advanced level, you're never going to be able to smash your way to a win, or drop your way to one, for that matter. If you don't mix things up and keep your opponent guessing whether he's defending a smash or a drop, you're not going to win. What I've learned is this: I'm not scared at all of super hard smashers (these are the easiest people to beat), nor am I scared of those with exquisite touch at the net. What scares me is when I play someone and I can't tell, even as he's swinging, what his next shot is going to be.
Or at what speed and projectile or spin it is coming to you at, so that you don't return for eg. into the net because of mis-timing your return.
