How much of a budget wise choice are you making if you decide to go to China to train

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Birdy, Jan 9, 2014.

  1. Birdy

    Birdy Regular Member

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    If you're from Canada where private lessons can range from 40-70/ hour and group lessons around 20-30/1.5 hours and you're maybe spending 400-500 a month on that.

    Would you say it's more wise to just spend maybe 1.5 thousand dollars to just fly to china stay in a cheap hotel and do training every day for 1 month?

    After taking into account quality of training, which one saves more time, and the better results, which choice would you say is better? What would you need to consider to make your choice?
     
  2. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    if you have the time, sure. i have seen people who have arranged such "camp" in the summer before.

    also you have to take into account other factors, like living expense, living style, culture, and simply being away from your family for a few months.

    for those who has the means and time and drive to do it, i'd for sure say go for it. as for many of us, it is already too late and too unfeasible.
     
  3. catman

    catman Regular Member

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    Here is detailed description of training in China in Table Tennis from Canadian player. If you speak the language it's probably lot better. It's an interesting read - leatherback is the user who went to China.
    http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=18471
     
  4. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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  5. raymond

    raymond Regular Member

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    I'm actually skeptical about those oversea training. For one, you can find ex-national team coaches here. Another factor, you go there as short-term students. The coaches there see you as $$, as there'd be no pay-off in terms of your achievements. So I suspect there won't be much accountability. While exchange rate could help, you pretty much would have no place to live, thus accommodation could be expensive also.
     
  6. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    well, it depends. how many hours coaching can you get here for $1800?

    over there, you get to be there for a month, say 20 days, 6 hours a day. on top of that, you get fed and places to stay.

    maybe a good choice for your parents to get rid of you for a month. :)
     
  7. raymond

    raymond Regular Member

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    It's actually not $1800. Estimated air-fare is extra $1000.

    For 20 days, 1-hr private lesson a day, you would spend $1600. A lot of clubs here offer six days a week training at ~$400/month, 2 hours a day. That would be 6 days/week x 4 weeks/month x 2 hours/day * 2 months = 96 hours for ~$800. You still have $400 left in your pocket, plus you don't need to separate with you kid for the entire month! :) With this training, hopefully, you find someone that is more accountable for the result you'd achieve (unlike those remote coaches, sort of like "one night stand"), and training class size with better coach/student ratio.

    If you can get such intensive program, they may actually give you better pricing per hour than usual (sort of analogous to volume sale price).

    Years ago, I'd attended a local group training with a reputable ex-National Chinese coach (how about Li Ling Wei herself?). That group class was so over-booked, that you've students using the space between 2 adjacent courts. How much individual attention can you get? I'm not saying it is definitely like that in those Chinese training camp, but definitely worth checking out before you sign up. Other than a reputable coach heading it, who're the assistant coaches? After all, you might just at best get the attention of the assistant coach (or even student of such coaches)!
     
    #7 raymond, Jan 9, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2014
  8. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    agree. the quality of training is the key here.

    surely, there is extra costs incurred in going overseas, but it also means you don't need to feed him at home, or maybe some parents just want some peace and quiet at home.

    as for the training camps here in the US, it depends on the gym, I don't think you will be getting Halim level coaches in those camps. i have seen some HS kids coaching in some of the gyms and honestly i think they can't even swing the racket properly.

    in general the quality of coaches in Asia is much higher. many countries have certification for coaches and thus they maintain a good level of coaching skill. no one ever bother about those here, so as a result, there is a big disparity in the coach quality.
     
  9. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    I think you have a point. Anything shorter than two weeks is probably not worth the effort. It can take one week or so to acclimatise. Recovery from jet lag and traveling will need to be factored in.

    As we know, it takes time to build a rapport with the coach.

    Having said that, I would still have gone if given the opportunity. A chance to meet different people, learn some culture in addition to badminton. What you put in is what you get out. Many professionals go for conferences overseas for learning ~ I see the same analogy here.
     
  10. Birdy

    Birdy Regular Member

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    Thanks! Something like that is really attractive. Hmm, but is this just for kids? I noticed it does say 11 and up but in "fees and sign up" section it said "n additional, we will hire two workers to supervise the kids and help for their needs." When they say 11 and up do they mean up to a certain age?

    I'd be interested in this. Something with a planned 1 month routine surrounded by others who are training for the same purpose would be quite a motivation.
     
  11. Birdy

    Birdy Regular Member

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    I'm not sure I understand. In other words, are you saying that the real coaches probably will charge you just as much as you would get in Canada or that you will get scammed by fake coaches even if you do find cheap lessons?
     
  12. Birdy

    Birdy Regular Member

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    For 1800, you could get about 36 hours of private lessons here assuming the cost is 50/lesson.

    But for 1800 in China, assuming the cost of 1 hour session of private is 10$, then you could get 180 hours.

    But over there, you also save lots of money from stringing fees.

    Nah, i'm paying for myself. haha. My parents can't afford it.
     
  13. catman

    catman Regular Member

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    What level player are you?
     
  14. craigandy

    craigandy Regular Member

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    If it is just the basics you are learning then just stay put I am sure your local coaches in Canada are more than capable to teach that, how well you apply these teachings is down to you. If you are advanced you can't really put a price on the the experience and confidence you can gain from going and doing stuff overseas within a completely different culture so go for it.
     
  15. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    You are richer than your parents?
     
  16. craigandy

    craigandy Regular Member

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    Not having enough disposable income to pay for your pesky children to go on 1 month trips to china to play badminton does not neccessarily mean you are poorer than your child who saves up all his money to spend solely on badminton:D
     
  17. catman

    catman Regular Member

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    Exactly, my Ping Pong friends who went to China said the same thing, coaching is not great especially for foreigners (these guys didn't speak Mandarin), they were also not given access to the top coaches and players. But the practice partners were all fantastic (much higher level than Canadian players) and they all benefitted from playing variety of high level players. I am thinking the Badminton training would be very similar.
     
  18. raymond

    raymond Regular Member

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    As someone already pointed out, what's your objective/expectation? Are you looking for high standard of training than what you can find locally? How do you know you'd get higher standard? Who will be training with you? Better, about the same, or weaker than you? Qualification of the coaches as players themselves and as coaches? How do they spend those 6 hours (how much are for games)? Would the training hall be overcrowded? How much of the generic stuff catering to a large group of people is what you really need yourself (but not what someone else need)? Do you really care about the sight-seeing part? Or the meeting other players part? Are you not able to find someone that can beat you locally that urges you to find challenges elsewhere/

    If you've the time and money, maybe you can compare this alternative with another one in which you organize your own small group (2-4 people) and train everyday with a known good local coach. You'd know who the other teammates are, and their levels. You can have 1-2 hours of small group lesson in the morning, and another 1-2 hours of lesson in afternoon. The remaining time you can simply practice on your own. This may produce better results. And you won't be paying for air fare, and the middle-persons.
     
    #18 raymond, Jan 10, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2014
  19. Birdy

    Birdy Regular Member

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    True, important to think about. For me, I'm still learning but I really do want to improve fast particularly having a fixed, set, or some sort of training routine rather than a routine that's random. And I originally felt that maybe budget wise rather than spending all these money here in Canada I might as well go China get better training and maybe more intense and structured training and improve faster.

    I guess for now, I will mostly just keep searching for a training group .. and then go there next year or something.

    Again thanks for all responses to everyone and things for me to think about.
     
  20. jencon13

    jencon13 Regular Member

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    Put it this way. In Australia (Melb) if ur connected you can do these type of programs also. In terms of price... when u square it all out... in my honest opinion.. unless ur doing something real dodgy i dont BELIEVE it will come out THAT much cheaper... Ur time/extra costs / etc. HOWEVER... people who seem to go on these programs, generally improve significantly, had a buddy of mine go over to malaysia for 2months do one of these programs.. train every day, he came back a lot better than me (previously at the same level) and is now in the nationals team lol. So Yeah if your keen go for it.
     

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