"to read a couple of books". I found them quite interesting 1) Outliers - M Gladwell. It's a popular book that you may have read already. 2) Bounce - Matthew Syed. Written by a top table tennis player. Very well written. Very clear. Some of the greatest successes are results of coincidences or fortunate circumstances. Can it shape our badminton learning?
"Bounce" by Matthew Syed is a great book and on my list of books that I thoroughly enjoy. I highly recommend it for athletes/people looking for more incite into success and the processes that are taken to get there. Great examples and evidence presented in the book for sure. Have yet to read Outliers but maybe on a upcoming flight will crack that one open and give it a read.
If we're talking about success as a student of the game of badminton in learning and improving ourselves, then here's what I've read: talent is overrated by Geoff Colvin the talent code by Daniel Coyle the inner game of tennis the game before the game by Pia Nilsson (yes I know it's a golf book; I just put it here because that's the other competitive sport that I play; and believe me if you can get a hang of the mental game in golf; getting a hang of the mental game during a badminton match would seem 10x easier to grasp)
Outliers is not as specific to sports but principles are similar. Bounce is more interesting. Just as I read this, I had a chat to a father of an elite player in one country. Interesting to say, that the elite player had a chance to go to Indonesia to train for 6 months (in fact the head coach offered the chance) and declined. My immediate reaction was "wasted opportunity". Experience counts. That player finds it difficult to get past a certain level in international tournaments. One can not help but wonder "what if..."