I found this on the badmintonUK website message board. Funnily enough nobody has put up any replies. Lord Prose 12:24 pm monday june 4, 2001 Hey! Now then, I say... Do not play to improve your game else you will be spending ten times the amount of time to make an improvement than if you received even modest coaching to attain the same result. Do not be deceived into thinking you do not need coaching. If the world Number 1 needs and takes coaching think how badly you are in need of it. It's a pride thing though, isn't it? Dammit, by Jove, who me, coaching, what?! Not me, never, oh no, look at me, I can play, I'm good, see my style. Ooh, there's a coach at my club? Really? Still, I don't want to practise any routines in case the others think I'm inferior and need coaching... Ha-ha. I'm not being ordered about by some half-baked know-all! How many clubs run coaching sessions? How many members attend? How many attend with reluctance? Why so often is coaching a 'dirty word' in club scenes? Watch this space...
The author is a "Lord Prose". That reminds me of my playing days in UK. All the badminton clubs I went to bar one(across the country) were exactly like that. There was a private club in Wimbledon where one can see people being coached but otherwise very rare. In contrast, HK has many coaches. There are lots of classes for children through to adolescents. Many clubs with adults pay a coach to come along and help them train. Some of these clubs play league, some don't. Personally, I find that the impact of group coaching is helpful up to a certain level. Perhaps the coach's attention is spread out too thinly. But it's good that HKers have this attitude of learning rather than thinking they can improve by just playing.
well i quite agree with this. because when u play, u r more likely to continue ur mistakes unless there's somebody to remind u not to do that. and even so, it will still take a long time to get used to doing it that way without anybody telling u.
I live and play in the UK and I disagree with the fact that all people who do not have coaching think they are too good for it. I dont think you have asked the players if they actually have any desire to get any better. I play regularly in 2-3 clubs and the majority of the players do not have coaching. I myself do as I want to play for my county but most players dont want to play for the county, in fact they dont want to play for the first team in the club or in a high division. The reason all players play badminton is that they enjoy it. Does having coaching and getting better improve your enjoyment of the game? No I dont think it does. If someone enjoys playing in the 5th division and resembles someone who has two left feet on the court, does this mean that we have the right to tell them they need coaching and need to improve there game? No it doesnt and i dont think that gives us the right to tell them they are too stuck up to get coaching. Another point that you have not considered is that coaching is expensive. Not many people see that as a worthewhile payment when they are slowly getting better anyway. It costs me 22pounds per hour for coaching which includes shuttles and court costs. Although my coach is one of the best coaches in my county, I still think that this is expensive and feel quite sick handing the money over sometimes. The only reason I pay for the coaching is that I have a personal drive to get better and feel that in the long run its worth it. Again though not all people are 'fanatics' like you and I. Another point that i would also like to make before you are bored is that a great coach, great footwork, great fitness and great racket skills does not necessarily make you a great player. Game situations and tactics are mainly learnt through experience. I know many players who are much better than me play county standard, yet have never had any real coaching. Please never forget that all players play to enjoy themselves no matter what level they are and what aspirations they have. The heart and soul of badminton in the UK is the average player not the elite. I would put money on the fact that most tournaments, clubs, teams and social evenings are run by the average player. Just because you play a high standard and have payed for countless coaching sessions doesnt give you the right to tell people to get better. Just enjoy yourself and stop taking it all too seriously.
I personally do not have anything against anybody who just want to play for fun and not looking to improve. After certain age one should be happy just to be able to keep the level of play. I am just speaking for myself.
"Just because you play a high standard and have payed for countless coaching sessions doesn't give you the right to tell people to get better. " Is this statement referring to me? I think the original article more aimed at people who think they can improve by just playing games yet reject the idea of practising specific technical aspects of their game. Not at those who just play for fun or go to clubs for the social aspect/bit of exercise. A larger improvement in one's game comes about by balancing all components. As you quite rightly state, "Game situations and tactics are mainly learnt through experience." I didn't write the article. My impression is just that - an impression based on my experience. I thought it would be interesting for people to know some of the differences in attitudes and playing practices of people playing in different countries. OK, maybe it's only me whose interested in this......apologies.
?????? I don't know whether there's a difference any more. Cause I do almost nothing else. Like a team-mate says, the sessions are repetitive, once we reach, we run, then same old thing.cooler wrote: > > i myself prefer doing drills than playing games
An example of L.P.'s point: my club had two very good coaches give a two-day clinic which included lots of drills, and they encouraged us to continue doing the drills after they left. About 10 of 40 twice a week players have begun doing regluar drills and have improved more in the last two months than they ever did by just playing. It's a lot easier to find a practice partner now.
Cooler, that's like going on "practice dates," calling it quits for the night and just going home without ever getting a goodnight kiss. I'd try getting some coaching if I knew of anyone who coached in my area. I've asked some of the better players in my league for advice from time to time, but some of them get a bit too modest and tell me they've never coached anyone before and wouldn't know how to start. The problem is that there is just not much time and courtspace available for me to do drills and practice. Maybe I'd better move to Asia.
not all good players are automatically good coaches. Some players do things instinctively and wouldn't know how to transfer his know how into word and motion that other understand. Good coaching should possess good communication skill.
True, but in skills and coordiation-oriented sports, self-taught athletes competing at the highest levels are the exceptions, rather than the rule.
