How can I improve my smash?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Luka, Sep 2, 2001.

  1. Luka

    Luka Guest

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

    Maverick Guest

    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!!
     
  3. Johno

    Johno Guest

    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
     
  4. Maverick

    Maverick Guest

    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.
     
  5. jayes

    jayes Guest

    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. :)
     
  6. VINCENT

    VINCENT Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    41
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Clerk
    Location:
    Hong Kong
    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.
     
  7. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,818
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    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.
     
  8. raymond

    raymond Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    1,251
    Likes Received:
    74
    Occupation:
    Top Secret
    Location:
    USA
    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.
     
  9. SystemicAnomaly

    SystemicAnomaly Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2004
    Messages:
    1,298
    Likes Received:
    26
    Occupation:
    pre-Occupied
    Location:
    Santa Clara, CA
    try again

    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?
     
  10. SystemicAnomaly

    SystemicAnomaly Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2004
    Messages:
    1,298
    Likes Received:
    26
    Occupation:
    pre-Occupied
    Location:
    Santa Clara, CA
    plyometrics

    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).
     
  11. ovk

    ovk Guest

    raymond: superb smashing advice summary! (nt)

    (nt)
     
  12. jessie james

    jessie james Guest

    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
     
  13. caligula

    caligula Guest

    Re: try again

    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!!!
     
  14. Maverick

    Maverick Guest

    Re: try again

    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!!
     
  15. Maverick

    Maverick Guest

    Re: try again

    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.
     
  16. jessie james

    jessie james Guest

    well said Raymond
    that should help the gentleman
     
  17. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,818
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    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.
     
  18. caligula

    caligula Guest

    Re: try again

    Oh dear - not only have I struck a sensitive chord with you by giving my honest feedback to your approach and manner which has promted your further outrage - but I can see that not only do you need lessons in constructive response - you also need lessons in English and sayings...

    "That's the pot calling the kettle black" is the saying my dear - consider todays lesson complete.
     
  19. Maverick

    Maverick Guest

    Re: try again

    Honest feedback u say?? So if i give my honest feedback, u brand me arrogant?? Freedom of speech doesn't seemed to go down too well with ur chain of thoughts. Another sign of ur communistic background. So where do u come from??

    Outrage?? How do u know i am outraged?? By my exclamation marks or from the way i write?? These posts are all lifeless and emotional states of mind can't be deduced. Your first post in response to mine seemed filled with exclamations as well. Does that mean u are outraged as well?? If that's the case, well then, calm down kid.

    And as for the sensitive cord issue. Since u responded to my post first, i wonder who has struck a sensitive cord?

    Is that the only lesson u can give?? Pot kettle black is just a short form of wat u said above. Your lack of exposue to this language as used throughout the world is appalling i must say. Have a look at other forums throughout the world and u will see this phrase crop up more than once.

    The lesson for today?? Broaden ur narrow mind.
     
  20. Maverick

    Maverick Guest

    Re: try again

    And if u happen to refer to my spelling for "kettle", that was a typo error that can happen to anyone who types quickly. Again, please broaden ur narrow mind.

    And also, u haven't answer my earlier question. Are u a regular poster in this forum posting under a different name?? Trying not to ruin ur reputation, hypocrite?
     

Share This Page