i think it is under the racket shoulder. I almost can do nothing for it. Dodging the bird and return it is too late for me. What do you think?
Judging from last Friday, my nose is most vulnerable to a smash! I think you're probably right but - I think the neck/shoulder area is pretty hard to cover effectively
Depends on how far back you are in the court, that smash may be going out. I always find that is a high risk shot when aim that high on a body. I think a few inches away from the hip on the racket hand side is a safer spot. Just my 2 cents.
racket shoulder is vunerable only if you intend to lift it back to the baseline. otherwise, the more appropriate return would be to drive it flat/down towards your opponent and nullifying their attack as a result.
I think with the amazing defending capabilities of todays players (especially in MD), the most effective and sought out target are the racquet hand hips. That's where most pros seem to aim for. As Kwun pointed out, if they do return it, at least it won't be a flat drive back, but most often a weaker lift or net return. I can't remember ever seeing a pro getting nailed in the arm pit *LOL*, but you do see smashes go uncontested through the racquet hip area quite often.
just to add some personal experience. as mentioned, the racket shoulder is vulnerable only if you intend to lift. while the better return is the drive back. if your mind is stuck on the idea of defense means lifting and lifting back, you will try to lift all the time even when it is shoulder height. you need to train your reflex such that when you see a shoulder height "smash" coming along, you will automatically drive it instead of lifting. personally i find that doing more driving drills really really help on this. make sure you have a partner who will feed drive to you at a comfortable speed and always try to pressure you in different part of the body. if you do that many weeks/months/years, you will find that you muscles will respond to the incoming shot faster than your mind can think.
well, i guess for me anything around the chest and shoulder(right), becomes quite hard to return. but like kwun said we probably have to have the reflexes and anticipation
If you managed to hit someone in the nuts then you'd be well set for the next couple points lol. I've never ever seen anyone get hit in the nuts though. Seriously though I agree with just off to the racket hand side of the hip.
hmmm...i have....i was playing Mixed the other day in a Uni match, and their woman keep lifting the shuttle to us. Me and my partner managed to smack their guy in the nuts at least 3 times. Not that we were aiming for it,....
Agree with cooler. I got smash in my right eye once when standing too near the net... Everything looks yellowish for a few mins after that not forgetting the pain that comes with it...
The racket hand hip is definitely very hard to return, well, very hard to drive back strong. If you drop, gonna get killed, if you lift, you're on defensive again.
whether or not a smash to the racket hand hip is hard to return or not depends on how you're trained to take a smash there. If you're trained to take it forehand, then its definetely going to be hard. I can return a smash to my hip quite easily using a backhand motion. However its harder for me to return a smash that's aimed just below my armpit unless I crouch low enough to take it above my shoulder. Probably the best part of the body would be between the hip and shoulder, racket side. The return would most likely be a flat one, so you can charge at that net immediately.
depending on who I'm playing of course, I've found success smashing on the backhand side, above the hip. I guess maybe its because they have to spend that split second longer to reach backhand rather than just dropping the racquet head forehand side. but thats just me, and like I said, it all depends on who I'm playing. I know that area's a bitch for me to return smashes from!! but I'm not the best player in the world either
correcting mistake i should say it is the racket armpits, not under racket shoulder. Bending the wrist in a very awkward way to return the smash is extremely difficult. Even if you make it, it should be a very weak return, resulting a more deadly net kill.
