Which do you guys think is more important? I'm a relatively fit guy and I'm surprised at how someone who would be much slower than me doing a lap around a track could seem less tired than I am after a couple games :crying:. I would also be able to outrun them endurance wise as well so it's no just in a sprint. Does fitness really matter that much in badminton or does good placement of your shots make up for that and more?
Technique and shot placement are primary. Footwork and rhythm of movement are right up there as well. Fitness is of course important. Depends on the opposition as well. 3 days back I played three games of doubles. Pace was high and rallies longer - I got out of breath in 3 games. Last night, I played 4 singles (fairly tight games) and 2 doubles. Muscles ache a bit now. Shortness of breath much the same.
I think I have to say fitness. If you're playing someone at your own level and the rallies go on forever, footwork helps you maneuver around the court more efficiently but you do get tired after awhile. But also placement of the shuttles takes a big part of this topic as well. I can beat a lot of players well all players in my school who have huge amounts of stamina while I have low average stamina. You need a good combination of both , I'm working on stamina the most right now.
You may seem fitter than them, in short sprint and in long jog. However, you all are running the same track. On badminton court, if he has better technique/tactic than you, you may end up running more than them, under pressure more (thus needs to burst faster), and perhaps less efficiently also (thus use more energy). At the end of a few games, the difference may show.
Don't you think you've just answered your own rhetorical question? That was also a rhetorical question, by the way.
technique > fitness all the way. i've seen older players here in singapore and when i say older i mean at least 50 years old going toe to toe with younger players like maybe 25-ish. These younger players know how to play. they smash hard and are quick. however, these what we call "uncles" are able to cope up through techniques. in short, difference in technique > difference in fitness.
On a beginners/intermediate level, I'd def go for technique>fitness! Slow overweight women with good shots constantly beat fit 20-year-old guys that play for the first time...;-) From a certain level on, fitness comes into play (more so in singles obv). You can compensate for worse technical skills by running more and vice versa (BUT: a basic level of both has to be there anyways...).
I would say it's techniques and good placement from experience. But if both players are similar in terms of level, then whoever stamina can last longer will likely win as he/she will be able to play more accurate shots.
Good placement and technique is extremely important in my opinion. Someone who is very fit doesn't necessarily has smooth and efficient footwork. Someone with smooth efficient footwork and good technique can compensate a certain lack of fitness, obvious examples are veteran (former top-level players) who can cope with much younger opponents due to their technique and experience.
Whilst you have lots of good posts from other people, something important to remember that, at a top level, the difference between players is the speed at which they move (which is linked to footwork efficiency). This is neither fitness nor hitting technique related. But, if you have two players with equal quality of shots, but one is able to move off the mark faster than the other, the faster player will usually win, and this is often the difference between county and national standard players: speed. Build explosive strength in your legs, and stamina will automatically come as movements become easier. Build stamina specifically however, then you still won't have the speed to be the best. You will be too "one paced" to compete with the top players. Of course, all these players have excellent technique. A hint though - faster players develop better technique, because they get into position to hit good shots and stay in more rallies, and hence practice more. Slow players will play fewer rallies, and hence will not necessarily be able to improve as quickly.
that's like saying that american football player is fit so he can play olympic badminton. fitness is generally very important in all sports, but what you're lacking is technique. while you can probably out last him on the court retrieving shots, your opponent with better technique AND strategy might be able to outplay you in a shorter period of time, and minimize the number of shots to beat you you need all three, fitness, technique, and strategy. have one without another will put you at a disadvantage if your opponent has all of them. if you have really hit endurance and your opponent has really good technique and really good placement(strategy), then it could be a very long game for you but close game nonetheless. so what you need to do is play to your advantage, if you know your placement isn't so good but you can last very long on the court, use high success rate shots, prolong the rally and tire your opponent out.
I thought the OP was complaining that he was much tired than his opponent, not that he lost to his (less fit) opponent. Since the two of them are in the same few games, they'd have exchanged the same number of shots, more or less. But not all shots are the same. Most likely, his opponent successfully made him run more, faster, under more pressure than he made his opponent.
Based on what you describe though you have not indicate the level of skills, it could be down to efficiency of foot work. You may be fitter than your opponent but if he is moving you around much more or you are using more energy to get to the shuttle, you will definitely feel more tired. Next time you go to the courts, observe the difference in how a good player and a beginner move. You will notice that most beginner run to hit the shuttle and then stay at the same spot and then run to do the next hit. This is what I call chasing the shuttle. Contrast that with a good player where he "glides" around the court because he will recover to a position where he is able to hit the next shot.
I'm an intermediate level player. I seem to be moving my opponent a similar amount around the court but in the end, I usually end up more tired than them. I've taken private and group lessons a while back so my footwork is not poor per se, but there's definitely room for improvement. I guess I need to work on both then and more so on my technique and placement than my fitness.
What everyone said... Plus anticipation. How well you anticipate your opponent's next shot is also very important in your efficiency.
what everyone + visor said + how good ru at sprints? maybe you're better at endurance but he's faster at speed running than you're, and thus you're getting tired faster?
in a U21 singles match I move decently fast and have solid shots, but... he clearly was better strategically and moved more efficiently than i did i got some smashes and drops back through sheer footspeed, but didnt have much gas in the 3rd set as his shots were placed very well. technique > speed
