How can I improve my smash?

[Luka]

Are there any special drills or exercises. Please tell me all that you know about improving smash and also how to improve the precision.

[Maverick]

Why are so many people asking such weird questions?? There no quick pill to success!! To improve on you smash or any other aspect of the game for that matter, is PRACTICE and hard work!!

[Johno]

Yea, but the question was, if anybody knows any drills that could be used to improve a smash, meaning that they will be used in practice,
It was a simple question, i'm sure everybody knows ways to improve a smash, but players at international level will use different ways of improving a smash then the likes of players that are not at that level.
Maybe there are some people that use this website that know different than normal methods.
We know that there is no quick way to improve skill based performance.
I hope that there are some people that could help answer the question that was first asked

[Maverick]

You can hope all u want my friend. Nobody's gonna write 'a drill' that would improve one's smash (if there's any in the first place). As i said earlier, it's just PRACTICE.

[jayes]

To improve on your smashes, you need practices - lots of them in fact, and your precision will come naturally - you have to have an aim/goal at first of course to where you want to place the shuttle and not smashing blindly.

There are a few drills/practices and I'll share with you the two simpler ones (for intermediates?).

1) the cheapest and easy one: Ask your playing partner to serve directly at you high, and you attempt to smash it down - close to the net and vertical as possible. One variation of this is the partner will attempt to return your smash and you try to smash that again.
2) A tad bit more difficult than previous: Ask your playing partner to serve you high but away from you and you will attempt to smash that birdie. For example, if you are right handed, stand on the left receiving area and your partner serves to the right serving area.

Try to use jump smashes on both examples above and you will find different body positions on smashing.

Cheers.

[VINCENT]

If you accept my recommendation, first thing to do is the weight training. Buy a dumbells with weight 3-5 Kg. lift it up and down, and trun it with your wrist 10-20 times a day. With in a week you will feel the different. However, slowly train your muscle up otherwise you will hurt your arm. If it works, then write to me for the next step.

[Cheung]

Any smash can be improved with practice.....but a better technique leads to greater success.

Look back at previous postings using the search function. There are a few pointers on how to improve smashing.

[raymond]

The following is what I "know" (but may still be in practising stage) via my previous coaches, books, self-reflection, observation of better players:

- always take the bird in front of you (not behind, not on the side). this means your
smash practise has to go with footwork (most probably going backward). Running
front-and-back may be an interesting drill.
- Practise half smash. In real game situations, chances are you'd be on the move
while you smash. Have a feeder feeding you high serves alternating between two
sides. You need to maintain your balance while hitting the bird at reasonable
sharply downward angle; full power is not important. Key is recovery.
- Make all preparation look very much alike so that deception later becomes a
possible element.
- If you just start out practising this, timing is more important than muscle power.
In physics, forces (which have magnitue and direction) can be added together.
Let your shoulder turn, upper arm swing, lower arm swing and wrist uncock/snap,
as well as your trunk turning, and leg moving forward all flow smoothly. Get this
coordination timing down first.
- When it comes to musle power, I believe in addition to general major muscle
group conditioning, training your forward/fingers is very important. Afterall you
can't deliver detrimental blow if you let your racque fly off your hand.
- Make sure you take your shots high (i.e. don't drop your arm)
- At a more advanced level, practise taking a peek of where your opponents are
before hitting the bird. There could be a few things you can check, such as their
openings, their distance from the net, the preparation stance, position of their
racque etc.

In addition to lots of practice, one just have to watch for feedback; compare the
result with a set of performance criteria. Do your shots tend to go to
one side, too high, too flat? Check/adjust your racque face when you make
contact. Also, have a knowledgeable practice partner to watch you and serve as
your mirror would be helpful (or have a video camera to record your own practice
and playback to examine against a set of performance criteria afterward).

Take it one step at a time. The above are just my two cents. I too have
a curiosity to find out how to do this important element better. Any constructive
critism and new ideas would be welcome.

[SystemicAnomaly]

practice is not all that useful if the technique is flawed. have your smash evaluated by someone who is qualified. check previous postings on this message board for tips on mechanics. above all, keep your grip, arm, and body RELAXED during the setup and execution of your smash.

check out the video on smashing under badminton at www.sportsid.com for some instruction that may help.

drill:

try the old clear-smash-drop drill to help with your smash. be sure to stay relaxed and start the drill hitting half-speed smashes. work up gradually to 3/4 speed smashes as long as you and your partner can handle it. again, stay relaxed.


oh yeah, one more thing... did i mention that you should stay relaxed?

[SystemicAnomaly]

i wouldn't reccomend weight training w/o also including plyometrics. plyometrics develops fast twitch muscles which will help with power (speed strength), whereas most weight training programs tend to develop more of the intermediate twitch muscles for size & brute strength (not as useful for badminton).

[ovk]

(nt)

[jessie james]

ovk wrote a lot on how to smash; its great
so if you hit the shuttle in front of you, body side ways, weight transfer basic stuff to practice.
Something to verify. Take your racquet in your hand and simulate a smash at slow motion.
Make sure you hit that bird without any angle at all; if you do:
its not the stroke your looking for and youll loose lots of speed and accuracy.
Second:
slow down your speed but improve your accuracy.. i mean hit the side of the court while smashing... it wont come back and that will improve your smash and your game.
good game

[caligula]

this is a much more objective and constructive response to the arrogant one's provided by Maverick!! Such arrogance such be left out of internet forums where people are trying to share best practices and pull on the expertise of constructive and authorised persons...
Shame on you Maverick!!!

[Maverick]

Do u understand English or a single word in my posts?? I said practise is the key!!!
So you are saying that implying practise is considered arrogant??

Well then, if u are so sensitive to a FACT, then crawl back under the hole u came from!!

As Jack Nicoleson said in A Few Good Men: "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"

Since u are relying to my posts in this manner, a few in this forum will deemed yourself to be arrogent as well.

From the words u used (eg, share, constructive, authorised...), u sound like a bloody communist!!! Shame on u as well!!

And before i forget, crawl back under the hole u came from!!

[Maverick]

And Caligula,

I have never seen ur name around and this seems like the first time. Are u one of those regular posters here posting under another name so as not to make yourself look like a fool??

U mean to say that ur post is constructive?? Pot cattle black me thinks.

[jessie james]

well said Raymond
that should help the gentleman

[Cheung]

Some common additional things I noticed in players who are less advanced (Including myself!):


1) not relaxed enough and trying to force the racquet head through the shuttle.

2) Elbow too low on impact with the shuttle. In preparation, keep the elbow behind oneself, not too close to the body. On striking the shuttle, the elbow shold have been leading the arm so that the elbow is almost vertically above the body.

3) Limited wrist movement

4) Limited body rotation, legs and hips. Lee Hyun Il of Korea is a player who has very good hip rotation technique but you have to watch him very carefully and slowly on the slow motion of the VCR.