to badrad

yep. during the winter months my thumb is completely dry and cracks painfully. i used to use bandages and cloth tapes, but they always tear and leaves messy gunk. the electrical tape is relatively cheap and fairly pliable and doesn't leave any gummy residue on the thumb.

an interesting note: i used to use flourescent bandages because they were quite soft and manageable, but expensive and not too durable. i stopped using them when one of my friends told me that the bright colors on my thumb and index finger made it easier for them to see what shot I make, since i wait until the last instant to roll the racquet with my thumb and fingers if i want to make a direction change prior to release.

 

Prob it was the most Pc way of saying that the Colorful bandages were too much of a distraction! I am just kidding! No offense pls!

 

yogi, yeah, i had an unfair advantage to blind my opponent with the bright bandages prior to my shots... heheheh...

jason, blister on your thumb? depending on where the blister is, may be that you are holding the racquet too tight. your towel grip on the MP100 was a bit worn when i saw it last Friday. bandages or tape will help a bit, just be careful with an open blister when you remove the tape. (ouch...)

BTW, this Friday the center will be closed early due to the holiday...

 

guildford is open this coming sunday, and i am running the training session in the morning. get there for 9:30, pay the drop-in of $3, we train until 11 and then you can play some matches against the other juniors and the coaches. be prepared for running and drills.

 

by bus you will probably want to get a connector between Lougheed mall (or wherever is closest to you) and to Guildford Town Center (or Guildford Mall). it's going to require a couple transfers, but you can check it out on www.bctransit.com to find the best connection info and schedule.

because of the easter holiday finding places to play this weekend is scarce. if you are serious about training for that tournament you and your partner do need to log in more court time than just the one night a week of hacking around. i think there is drop in at cameron on saturday afternoon but i won't be able to come by then. try for guildford if you can...

 

no prob jason - just do what you want to do. the group is there every sunday. if you are serious about improving like you indicate in all your other postings you have to make up your mind as to your own commitment.

on the subject of commitment: there is one 14 year old kid on the program who during the snowfall last week walked 15 blocks and was camped out in front of the school at 8 am that i was doing a training session, the session did not start until 9, but he wanted to make sure he did not miss us on the way in. so he waited for an hour in the snow.
every weekend when i train with my wife and daughter he would be there and watch the entire time we are practicing. we now invite him to train with us. whenever we are playing locally i will ask if he can make it. he normally does and shows up promptly ready to either practice or play games. i told him to do fitness and weight training exercises on his own time. guess what - he comes back a week later and questions me about specifics of the exercises (specifics that you would only know by doing them). he does them without anybody having to push him.

he doesn't want to compete yet because he feels he is not ready, but he has a good idea what level he is at. he is also now able to watch an opponent and figure out their game and adapt his play against them. he doesn't blame his equipment when he makes a bad shot, he's very happy playing with his 95vf that he got for xmas present, he doesn't make faces at his partner when they screw up. i think he is on his way to being one of the top juniors in bc.

 

good idea. i see him tonight, but i think last i asked him for an email address, he didn't have one. he is a very good student and athlete, i think he doesn't have much time surfing.

 

Badrad you need to move to Toronto! Hehe

 

whether or not he becomes a top player, his ethics and dedication is much to be admired, and a model for good sportmanship. This kid is something coaches dream about.

 

He is 14 years old - should be careful with weight exercises. This is a topic not even pacific among top level coaches. Some say weights do good while others are totally against.

 

Why are weights bad? I'm not doing any weights at the moment but was thinking about it. I am 16.

 

viver: understood. the weight exercises i prescribe for early teens are just wrist exercises for him to strengthen his wrist and forearm. he has already been doing other weights long before i met him, but i warned him of the physical concerns with starting weights too early. he has modified his weight training to endurance and reps instead of bulk. btw, even my daughter has not started weights yet, but has started with the wrist exercises.

badminton newbie: weight training at an early age (ie early teens) is always a concern since the body has not fully developed as yet. one concern is with the increase of strength developed by the training, bones that are still growing could be misaligned and stunted by the muscle and therefore height of some might be limited. another concern is that especially with lifting (ie over your head) could damage growing bone, the bone is still relatively fragile and pliable. in general like any type of hard exercise program, always check with your own family doctor first for an informed opinion on your body prior to starting.

kwun: i mentioned the forum to him. he has little time for the internet, he said he'd rather have badminton instead. i thought that was a cool answer from him.