After a few drop shot, your opponent swing and do a high clear shot. Assume that you have enough time to move back. Why pros still bent their back and lifted up their left arm and then slam the bird? Why not move a bit more and relax for a return clear shot? (I mean move a bit more and take the shot when the bird in front of you) I always feel someday that I will hurt my back if I keep always doing it. Is this kind of move neccessary? Or is it the pros want the stroke "look" like a professional player?
it is because they are late. even if they are pros, it is impossible to have such fast footwork to move behind the shuttle on every stroke to take the birdie in front of the body. just see how a pro can execute a thundering fast clear, most of us amateurs will be falling behind on our bottoms!! "moving a bit more" is much easier said than done! most of us spend years just trying to start moving at all.
definetly. Bending your back is a last-resort move. I find that it makes me move even further back due to the momentum of the swing, making me more off-position. If I had the time to make it back far enough, I could be leaning forward during the stroke and return to position much faster.
The back bends, but your back leg moves backward to anchor it so that while you do bend to get to the shuttle, the recovery and the stroke is off the leg and not the muscles of the back. You definitely do not want to push back using your back, it would be only a question of time before you throw something out of gear.
Well, if you are fast enough in your movements, you are certainly at an advantage and have more options! But, have you also seen even pros having to take the bird well past them just to try to save the shot, because they are too slow? Unfortunately, in a tight match, seldom does one have the luxury of 'enough time' to move unnecessarily away from a position which can allow oneself to hit the bird early, quicker or faster. A step more backwards or forewards could mean a loss of precious seconds which could deprive the striker of making a good shot or forcing him to take the bird lower. Taking a high clear means having to look up to see where the bird is. It seems quite natural for one to bend backwards to do this. How far backward one bends will depend on his own position vis-a-vis the shuttle. If the shuttle is directly overhead, the player will have to bend backwards less to be able to see and hit the shuttle in front of him. If the shuttle should fly further back past him, he has to bend more backwards to strike unless he prefers to move a step or two back, in which case the shuttle may have fallen lower thus making more difficult for him to play a good stroke. Bending backwards can also help the striker to generate more power from the forward movement of the hips and shoulders and to provide the subsequent momentum or rhythm as opposed to standing almost still to receive the shuttle. The non-racket arm is outstretched mainly for balance which is an important component of the game.
If you play a drop shot, and your opponent has to take the shuttle below net height, the biggest threat is a tight net reply. You have to be prepared to cover the net reply more than the lift. The lift does not put you under as much pressure so you can afford to be a bit late to it. What you do want to be able to get behind the shuttle for is a weak/short lift after your drop shot.
