I'm sort of confused as to what i'm doing and if it's correct in singles I'm able to set my opponent up in troublesome situations that force them to pop up the bird (traveling at half court length) for a good smash, but when I do smash, my opponents always seem to be able to return my smashes at ease. I am smashing away from the opponent, and they are out of position but for some reason they always manage to get to the bird quick enough... SO i'm wondering should I smash or should I do something else like a drop? Should I save my smashes for just those net kills?
If you're smashing from half court with your opponent out of position you should have confidence that your first shot or second shot should be a winner. Watch some tapes and talk to a coach about getting more angle and power on your smash.
Sometimes you should should try smashing at your oppenent when they are out of position. If they struggle to get to the shuttle and play a half court return leaving a big gap on the other side, the first thing they will do is rush to cover the other side, so you can wrong foot them by hitting to where they were just standing. You need to mix up where you hit the smashes so your opponent can't predict where they'll go.
