recognizing what your shots are doing

Discussion in 'General Forum' started by bighook, Nov 22, 2004.

  1. bighook

    bighook New Member

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    I notice alot of players just hit shots with little or no thought behind them.Some just smash with all abandonment while others just drop continuously.The question is if these shots are not all out winners what are they doing for you.When you hit a smash are you going for a winner or are you trying to force the opponent into giving a reply which you can do more with?Recognizing what your shots are doing is an important part of the game.

    When you start a rally your first reply to the serve has to be almost perfect in order to get a foothold in the rally.If that clear isn't deep enough and or high enough to avoid being cut off you are already playing catchup.If your dropshot is too slow with not enough deception or has the not a steep enough trajectory are you going to get a return you can deal with or not.Depending upon your opponents capabilities such as footwork and shot making ability you need to determine what returns they are capable of making and this can be done in a scouting of your opponent or in the early stages of the game as you see what replies you get.

    A rally example of this is as follows.A high deep serve followed by a straight dropshot.If the dropshot is effective a late net reply not too tight and accessible for any number of shots is available or a clear back to you may come .If the shot is ineffective a tight net reply comes which leaves you with only another haphazard net reply available along with a scrambling footwork leaving you once again behind in the rally.Here is another example if you are late in the backcourt if you hit a dropshot while falling backwards in response this leaves you late for any net reply.Sometimes the gamble pays off but alot of times it doesn't.This is where hitting that high deep clear off balance comes in because it gives you a chance to recover and start the rally over again from a position where it is difficult for the opponent to finish the rally.

    Let say the shoe is on the other foot and you are forced to take a dropshot late .If you try to hit a tight net reply from further back you may leave yourself open for tight net reply which you can't retrieve and leave yourself open to exploitation of the backcourt from a flat push.If you clear the dropshot you can recover and try to exploit the next return.If you hit a flat block net reply further away from the net you make a tighter net reply much more difficult and force the movement to the net and give yourself that extra split second to cover the back court .

    Alot of people fail to recognize that badminton is much more of a thinking persons game.This means recognizing what your shots are doing for yourself and what your opponents shots are doing and trying to beat each other in a physical battle of whits .This is why having a full arsenal of shots for each and every situation on the court makes you a better all around player.The trick is recognizing whether they do what you want or not .This is where the expression" getting caught up in playing the opponents type of game" comes from.Anyways food for thought and discussion. :)
     
  2. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    Fully agree. I think you need to constantly keep thinking about what you are doing in thew rally.

    Take it from the serve. When you hit a serve, you should be able to recognise whether the serve was good or bad, and position yourself for the most obvious reply-If it was a high serve, but short, then prepare for either a smash or a drop, as it is more likely that that the opponent will play an attacking shot. If it was a good deep high serve, then you musnt prepare too much for an attacking stroke, but be ready for a clear, or less attacking drop. Once he has taken the shot you then need to evaluate whether his shot was a quality shot or not, and decide on which shot would be most effective in helping you to win the rally (NOT winning the point from this third shot-well onjly in exceptional circumstances) Then the process starts again.

    A classic case is at the net. I see many people in control of the rally, they take a net shot close to the net, slightly below the level of the net. their opponent wasnt ready for the kill, so they make a tight net shot that is high quality. they then move back to the base postion, and even though the opponent was not ready for a kill, he takes it near to the ground, dribbles it over the net and the control of the rally is given away. After you play a net shot, evaluate whether it was good or not. If it was great, you may not even have to take a step back at all. If it was alright, then a half skip back, then prepare to go for a kill. If it was not very good you need to prepare for all kinds of shots (pushes, deep lifts, kill). If it was good you only really need to think about the kill, considering if it was good, then a lift would be deep, and a push would be impossible.

    This example happens at even a high level at some points. In TC2004 Final 2nd MS bao vs Kenneth in the third game when kenneth played a net shot, because he was tired and bao had previousley played pushes to the back kenneth was moving back after his netshots, allowing bao to give a net reply back, making kenneth lift. (BTW Bao also didi this a few times too, in one instance they replied 4 netshots to the same position!)
     
  3. Dill

    Dill Regular Member

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    What about those of us who hit and think about all the options and try to stay about 3-4 shots ahead???

    In doubles I hit several clears/drops always to the same position because it draws the isolated man towards them in turn it draws the other man in to cover the gap and then hit into the space or between the two where the isolated man thinks the next shot is going where the others go and is caught out along with the bystander.

    I'm sure people look uninvolved but it's part of the game, kind of!
     
  4. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    well yes you may well look more than one shot in advance, in fact as a rally lasts longer than 1 shot then it would be wrong not to.

    however you cant complete everything at once. like when you learn footwork you have to learn each individual movement, then start to connect each other, as the movements vary depending on where you are coming from and going to.
     
  5. bighook

    bighook New Member

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    Doubles requires good communication and also a strategy of placing shots for more predictable returns.By hitting down the middle you not only may confuse the opponents as to whose shot it is you also greatly reduce the angle of returns available enabling the front person a better chance of cutting off or intercepting the returns.This stategy is also recognition of what your shots are doing.Of course drops lose their effectiveness if you don't have either a strong smash or clear.The same can be said for defence.If you defend and your shots go up the middle for your opponents to kill then you are not recognizing that placement is just as important as the act of getting the shot back.Of course this is all dependent on being capable of hitting a full range of returns.

    The opponent once he spots a weakness goes all out to exploit it.In singles it is often the backhand.In doubles it is the weaker defender or the less consistent player who shots are hit to.In doubles is your smash steep enough to force higher returns or is it too flat allowing your opponents the ability to drive the bird back fast and flat changing the attack to defense.The drops have to have good disguise or they will lead you to giving an easy net reply which might force your partner to give up the lift rather than forcing your opponents to hurriedly lift and scramble back to a defensive posture.Only upon recognition of whether your shots are having the purpose you intend for them can change occur towards higher play.

    Whether your shots need refinement for power and deception or perhaps your shot selection is not appropriate for that certain opponent or time in the rally is all based upon recognition and learning.Now of course when playing a game this is hard to do but unless you analyze what is successful and what is not you are playing pretty haphazardly.Good players don't just leave shots to chance but know and practice their shots to achieve certain returns and play rallies that push the opponents into either missing the shot or hitting unforced errors.It is not just enough to go through the motions of hitting and running around to be successful.With practice you can be what is often called a digger.This means you just follow whatever your opponent hits and are just simply retrieving.Sometimes this strategy is effective but it also means you are doing more of the work in running around.Very hard to keep up in a tournament.With shot recognition you can share the running making the most of every rally.The process isn't easy but is a necessary step in becoming a better player.
     

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