There is always one player that comes to mind when we talk about the greats. Yang Yang. Everyone says that he is so great because of his correct decision making skills. How does one improve the decision which shots to play? How do you know that a shot is the best choice to make? Control players seem to have a better idea of the ideal shot to make at a given time then aggressive players right? Besides playing to the corners and trying to fake them out, other ideas would be helpful. Be specific if you can.
Notice the positioning of the opponent. If you are smashing first smash to his body then if he returns with a clear put the bird out of his reach eg drop smash elsewhere. hope this helps.
I think with enough experience, you develop like a sixth sense. An instinct as to where you place your shots.
Bruce Lee once described in an interview how he bypasses his opponent's guard. He concluded this topic with "And when the chance comes up, I don,t hit. (shows fist) It hits all by itself". The thing is he was so used to and conditioned to fighting that his body moved naturally with the best response. I agree with manduki. Experience is really the prime factor to anticipating shots and making the best decisions. The second most important is watching your opponent and analyzing him on the short- and long-run. Both require some sensibility. Isn't badminton a fun, smart game?
I think it is a physical chess game. If I can borrow from the TV show "Survivors" OUTSMART and OUTPLAY your opponent.
