(MS) Who has the smoothest footwork?

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by yeahehehehe, Feb 24, 2014.

  1. yeahehehehe

    yeahehehehe Regular Member

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    Hey all, i was quite bored so i decided to create a thread to see who do you think has the smoothest footwork in Mens Singles.

    For me, Chen Long. Why?

    He reaches and gets to shuttle everytime, he seldomly misses one.
    His footwork (for me) is smooth, he does'nt use chasses in getting to the shuttle.
    He is calm.
    The placement of his smashes are also good because he gets there first before the shuttle.

    IMO he has a smoother footwork than LCW.

    So...........who's your pick?
     
  2. insaint84

    insaint84 Regular Member

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    LCW and Lin Dan
     
  3. insaint84

    insaint84 Regular Member

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    look at olympics 2012 semi final lcw vs cl. That shows how good n fast on his footing ,whereas cl is always reacting. =p
     
  4. yeahehehehe

    yeahehehehe Regular Member

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  5. teoky

    teoky Regular Member

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    Lee Hyun Il move around court smoothly as well.
     
  6. insaint84

    insaint84 Regular Member

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    i have seen =)
    i'll also predict the cl will beat him in 2014 all england. But if they meet in world champ 2014 lcw will definitely beat cl.
     
  7. Justin L

    Justin L Regular Member

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    Yeah, now that you,yeahehehehe, mention it, I'm inclined to agree with you. Chen Long's ability to reach so many near-impossible shots and his quick recovery in getting back into position is amazing; more, he does it without appearing clumsy or untidy,simply astonishing, almost jaw-dropping and breathtaking a sight every time he does it.

    Often he seems to get the shuttle late as when he has to cover the long diagonal, yet he could just lift it over the net by millimeters (centimeters?) or clear it all the way to the back and return to base position in good time for the next shot, quite unsettling for his opponent. He makes it appear as if the court is just the right size for him, there's no corner he couldn't reach in time unless he's wrong-footed which happens infrequently and that very few players could do to him occasionally.

    His smashes, well, due to his court movement with ease and speed, he more often than not gets behind the shuttle early to thunder a booming,steep-angled smash that usually leaves his opponent stranded or scampering, should I say scrambling, for it.

    Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing him having to dive for a shot as often as Lee CW or even Lin Dan does, which bespeaks of Chen Long's astounding footwork.
     
    #7 Justin L, Feb 24, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2014
  8. Justin L

    Justin L Regular Member

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    The London 2012 semifinal is not representative of Chen Long's ability and footwork. To me he wasn't quite himself then. The last four meetings when Chen Long beat Lee CW is what should give us a good indication of his phenomenal feat.
     
  9. sautom88

    sautom88 Regular Member

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    IMHO CL's footwork seems to be the smoothest n the calmest but do u all realized that he is the tallest singles player in the top 20? I disagree that he is the smoothest, if he moves as much as LCW he will be out of the court! Some of the 'fluid' dancers in the court are LCW, LD, Taufik, Peter Gade. The most impressive one is LCW, considering he is also one of the 'shortest' top singles player now.
     
  10. Justin L

    Justin L Regular Member

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    Don't forget Chen Long's age, now just turned 25, and he is peaking any time soon. The earlier three occasions he beat Lee CW before LOG'12 was when he was 24 or younger and still rising but the last four times he beat Lee CW, I'd venture to say CL is up another level, more mature,steady and experienced (apart from the brief interregnum when he was out of sorts for reasons discussed in his thread).

    By footwork, I understand it to mean not only speed but being at the right place at the right time in court coverage and movement, seamlessly. Lee CW for his height or lack thereof means he has to run faster to cover the same ground as his taller opponent, which accounts for his speed of movement that is one of but not the only aspect of smooth footwork.

    Ask Lee CW how he felt playing Chen Long and he might probably say it is so difficult to get the shuttle past him or out of his reach - if I'm not wrong Lee CW once said something to this effect. For a tall,big man like Chen Long whose footwork enables him to be everywhere on court effortlessly and smoothly to return everything you throw at him, it can be intimidating for any of his opponents, and frustrating as well.

    The fact that Chen Long seldom need to dive and then scramble back onto his feet after reaching a far-off shot but,instead, his ability most of the time to lunge forward and stretch his racquet hand to the fullest to return the shot and quickly get back to base position - that to me is excellent footwork with speed,ease of movement and recovery.

    So, IMHO, Chen Long's footwork is the smoothest, arguably only slightly better than Lee CW or even Lin Dan. At the present moment, I have good grounds to believe Chen Long has outstripped Lee CW although not by much except that Chen Long should be able to beat Lee CW about say 70% of the time going forward. Undeniably, my opinion is still fairly subjective but I believe Chen Long's latest H2H with Lee CW, particularly their last four consecutive encounters, should lend some credence to my argument.
     
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  11. AlanY

    AlanY Regular Member

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    not just short but small as well, don't forget LCW (@60kg) has almost 20kg advantage over CL (@79kg).
    ask him to put a 20kg weight on his shoulder and make a few jump smashes!
     
  12. AlanY

    AlanY Regular Member

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    so, your logic is after I lost 4-5 times it'll be my turn next,
    or after i failed so many times in majors my luck going to turn this time?
     
  13. yeahehehehe

    yeahehehehe Regular Member

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    I totally agree with lin dan having a very good footwork, but i really think taufik hidayat has a better, smoother footwork....... Back in their prime
     
  14. pcll99

    pcll99 Regular Member

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    I like LD and Lee HI's footworks.

    For WS, I like LXR.
     
  15. renbo

    renbo Regular Member

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    I personnaly think Son Wan Ho has fantastic footwork. I really enjoy wathcing his move around the court.
     
  16. renbo

    renbo Regular Member

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    Tommy is also nice to watch moving. A bit like Sony, but more powerful.
     
  17. renbo

    renbo Regular Member

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    As for LD and LCW, the two really outstanding players on the circuit, I personally think LD is the fastest, but for smoothness, nothing equals LCW.
     
  18. AlanY

    AlanY Regular Member

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    if we are talking about the smoothest (as the OP suggested), not the best nor the most effective I propose Morten Frost as a contender.

    It seems that he is able to get to the 4 corners of the court in one step, always in control and never rushed.
     
  19. pcll99

    pcll99 Regular Member

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    what is the key to smooth footwork? heels off the ground? strong muscle?
     
    #19 pcll99, Feb 25, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2014
  20. AlanY

    AlanY Regular Member

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    effortless?
     

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