Hi guys and gals. I am new here. Let me introduce myself. I have no formal training and started paying badminton when i was 24. I am now 29. Since last year, i began to take this game seriously. I am now so serious that i think of this game every night before i go to sleep! Since i have no formal training, i do not know the basics of footwork, lob, smash, etc. Till now, i don't even know the standard height of the net! Previously, i played the game with a bunch of guys with the mere intention to sweat and exercise. However, i now come to a level where i could play with ex-state players. Needless to say, i was thrashed initially but i now give them a good fight, still losing though! BTW, i only play doubles cause i am hopeless in single. I am feeling a little bit confused lately. After a game, many of my partners (ex-state players) will say that i should not have done this or that. I do not dispute cause I know they are right. I hope this forum will enlighthen me. I want to know:- 1) I am so use to return a smash by lifting the bird to the baseline preferably to the other court to make my opponent move. My partners said that i should not have lifted cause by doing so, we will always in the defensive mode. What should i do? 2) My partners said that i seldom drop. I will smash given every opportunity, though sometime i may be out of position to execute a good smash. I agree and this leads me to my next question, when do i drop? I always reckon that smash is a good winner in double. TIA!
Welcome to BadmintonForum! Best bet is to get a coach, learn the fundamentals, do the drills. Although there are some shots that are instinctive, and done by "feel", sometimes it's better to not do those and choose something simpler instead. Coaching is worth it. -dave
Thanks dave! I have seriously contemplated to get a coach but am i too late since i am now 29? I might be wrong but I believe that most players were coached when they were in their early teens.
For the Q1, the most important thing of defense is to make your opponent moving and waitting for the weak reply to turn the defense into attack. Liftting always gives the opponent to much time to reply! You may try to drive back. Of course, if the smash from your oppoenet is very sharp, it is very hard to drive back and you don't have too many choices. So try to drive the shuttle back more often, this will force your opponent to move quickly and doesn't give too many opportunities for your oppoenet to smash. But if your drive is not good, you will be killed in the net..... For the Q2, if you always smash, the oppoenet will get used to your tactic quickly. Like defense. move your oppoent to get weak return for smashing. If your smash is very good, combining the drop will make your smash more dangerious. Changing the pace and varying the reply are very important in badminton. If your oppoent knows the reply everytime, it is very hard to get the points. I hope this will help....
Well.....I started to have a coaching when I was turning 22....it's not too late. At least you will unerstand the game more, understand more in badminton. I bet you will get some knowledge that you never know or pay attention before.....Many people underestimate the importance of coaching and that is a really huge mistake. I have experienced some people who play very well but I can clearly see that they still have many bad habits (such as droping their racket when they 're in a net play or do not have a racket in position to execute a shot when doing a clear and much more.....) but they beated me....why??? The answer is "EXPERIENCE".....They have been through more games than me hence more variation of situations. But believe it or not.....The guy I played with and I lost 15:8.....He's been playing for 10-15 years but I've been playing just 2 years "WITH COACHING" By the way.....Kamen, are you from Malaysia???? My coach is Malaysian but he is coaching me in Australia.
I just arrived in Hong Kong almost 2 weeks ago, and I've been going to Cheung's club, and I'm actually joining as a member. Anyhow, every Wednesday there is a coach who coaches small groups (3 to 4) of players, and I've joined the group. There was a man aged 48 in my group last time, so I think you have you answer as to whether it is too late to receive coaching. Many adults here receive coaching because they want to improve. Coaching isn't only for young players with Olympic hopes! Phil
No, it's never too late to get coaching. You need to work out a plan with the coach (after assessment) to identify the things that need improving and when improvement can be expected to happen (work on one aspect at a time). Usually, when your opponents are smashing (i.e. attacking) and you are defending, you want to take every opportunity to turn the tables on them so lifting is a last resort but definitely lifting the smash back to the smasher is not a good thing to do (at least you are making him/her move to get into smashing position). One of the best thing to do is to drive the smash back to the front corners or the back corners so that by the time your opponents get to play the shot, the shuttle is already below net level (i.e. they will have to lift in order to have the shuttle come over the net). When you are attacking, smashing all the time will (a) tire you out (b) allow your opponents to get into a groove to return your smashes and turn the tables on you. So, mixing up your attack (smash, smash, quick drop, etc) will force your opponents into uncertainty so that they can't get set into a pattern to defend (this includes varying the position of your smashes - down the lines, at the players, etc).
Thanks, will drive the shuttle if opponent's smashes were flat and will vary the pace of the game by not smashing, smashing....... Hope i will not be lost during a game by concentrating too much on changing my old habits.
Hmmm..., I have concluded to receive coaching now. I think it is better to be taught the right fundamentals than me thinking endlessly to no avail on my game every night. I am just afraid that my future coach will lump me with a group of ten year old girls doing footwork together!
Agree that i must turn the table. Though it may seem impressive if i returned a few consecutive smashes with high return, at the end of the day, i am still in the defence. And, smashing all the time is really tiring.......
Kamen, try to watch some videos. IMHO, China women's double as good to watch and learn (though not so good for spectator viewing). Watch for situations how they turn defense into attack. Try to see exactly the stroke they play. Some smashes you just have to lift, some of them you can try to turn around your defense into attack. The drop situation is very difficult to explain. A lot is experience and how your feel - are you in position to play a good smash? If not, then drop might be better. Are opponents defensive positioning very good? then drop a couple of times to force them to move. Have you played 2/3 smashes in a row? Then play drop to change the tempo. These are just a few examples of situations. If after only 5 years of playing you are giving ex-state players a good fight, then I say that is very good.
Indeed! I always find that i am able to learn more while watching women double cause the pace of the men double is too quick! Most of the time, while watching from my tele, i could not see the shuttle when the men are playing! I think i should clarify on my ex-state players statement. These ex-state players are now in their late fourties or early fifties. Sorry if i have deceived you guys, i didn't mean to. Update, i have got hold of ong beng tiong's number. I "think" i will call him today to inquire about his coaching.
I am having the same situation in my current group coaching class. I am doing footwork together with 10-12 years old boys and girls. I am 42 and I am the most senior student in the group. but still, my target is to run faster than them. do you think it's possible?
Even though, I "might" not be the oldest in my group training, but surely there are a lot of young guns around me. Think this way, train with them, is way better than let them over run us and blow us out 15:0 in games...
Luckily, i engaged a private coach. It will most probably start next week. So, i don't think i will be lump into any group. lol! We senior guy are egoistic!
Technically if you can clear everything your opponent hit at you to the baseline you will eventually win the point. There are alot of doubles teams in the past relied on their defense to tire out their opponents. However, their offense is not bad either. As far as drops goes, its very simple. It must be used with a good smash since if you only smash your opponent will be standing on the back double's service line to return your smashes, and we all know the hardest smash slows down quite a bit by the time it travels to the back of the court unless it's a smash that goes straight down and lands around mid court. So the best approach is hit a few very hard smashes and you will have conditioned your opponent to stand back and set every time a bird goes up. At that time hit a tight drop to the net and you will find out how effective a drop can be. Good luck.
