Please correct me here if I'm wrong.. I believe that the two most common injury causes are 1) Impact damage to joints and 2) tearing of muscles n tendons due to the rapid deceleration of the players movement (e.g. post hitting the shuttle). Part A My limited observation on medium to high level training suggest that badminton athletes are put through physical regimes which are 1) high in impact and 2) speed and power training that focuses on acceleration with little focus on improving the athletes physical ability to cope with high deceleration. To continue focusing on item two first, yes we send the players to the gym and they pump steel. but does pumping steel engage all the necessary small muscle groups involved in a badminton swing motion? my guess is no. to put it frankly badminton players of this level are put through accelerative training thatwith high level of muscle tearing and recovery and process repeated over and over again which will gradually bring deceleration tear resistance to the small muscle groups involved. Continued in Part B below. You may be thinking now that the above training gets players the results intended (eg improve power n speed) and though not without detriment to their physical condition no pain no gain right? Afterall these are well accepted training ROUTINES which all badminton players are put through right??? Let's consider this. Are the 'traditional' training method used now the most efficient training possible to achieve desired result. e.g. is running best for weight loss with maximum results a) per hour b) per effort c) per potential injury? Traditionaly most would say Yes. However growing number of sports advisors will debunk this as a myth. Another example is the common misconception that consuming lean meat instead of fatty cuts lowers the risk of getting fat when the main culprit is bad searches n excess carbo in our diet. Part B Badminton itself is a high impact speed n power sport on court. Players and trainers should consider reducing high impact routines and re-gauge benefits n effectiveness of each routine. reconsider different training which May help them achieve their intended objective with in the shortest time with least damage. I feel it is time we think out of the box. badminton does not belong to the most enduring playere alone but with advancing the processes to achieve our objectives the most efficiently. Penny for your thoughts
Just spontaneously, I feel that the players who learned to move smoothly with their footwork at an early age will not be as prone to joint and muscle impact (indonesian style/hu yun, ponsana etc). It would be interesting to know how the top MS chinese players were preparing for elite level, because they seem very strong and resistant to injuries. Just look at players like DuP and Chen Long (maybe LinD when he was active), they feel almost immortal, and they can still use extra gears of pace and explosion. I feel that things like interval running and explosive practice is beneficial but it tears a lot on your body; if we want to be as optimal as possible perhaps training should be more careful about building up the necessary muscles (without impact) before stressing them. I've long felt like static exercises like (physical) yoga would be very beneficial to badminton players as a complement to the gym. It's good for strengthening your body as a whole instead of muscle pieces, as well as adding a lot of flexibility and balance.
