A few weeks ago, I went to a particular gym. I was watching the elite group of that club playing, and I was thinking to myself, based on their technical ability and tactics, I can fit in pretty well. Their power, speed, tactics and mental toughness were all within what i considered acceptable range of my own abilities, so i figured, it would be a good matchup to play with this group. Then, when i got to the court, I found I just couldn't perform. ANd it was because of the court conditions-- the floor was VERY slippery. Now, i know that a lot of people have suggestions for things like that... bring a wet towel, spit on the floor, etc. But my purpose in starting this thread is just to highlight that different court conditions do affect my playing ability-- conversely, they may enhance my opponents' abilities, depending on their styles as well. This thread is meant to just maybe bring to foreground some of your observations about how court conditions affect your way of playing. I never really payed much attention to it before because i'd never played at a place as slippery as this. In my case, when I'm pushed to the rearcourt, I need good traction. A lack of good traction is crippling to me. Moreso than to some players, it seems. My arm isn't super powerful, so much of the range or power of my shots comes from hip rotation, which doesn't work unless my feet are gripping the floor, weather i'm doing a standing hit or a jumping one-- in the case of a jumping one, more traction just means that I can make a more stable jump in the first place. Also, traction means that I can take off from a spot and get to my destination quickly (if possible early) to get at a bird. Without traction, it feels as if I'm taking things too late-- I tend to position myself on court dependant on what i consider I'm fast enough to get, because being fast on my feet is one of my key attributes. But without traction, that's all wasted. So... I'd say in my case, in order to be efficient on my feet, i need traction. In order for me to make consistent shots, especially power ones like base to base clears or baseline smashes, I NEED traction for my hip rotations, otherwise it just doesn't have enough oomph. In that particular situation at that particular gym, the lack of traction i think led to technical failures, and then i lost games to people that I think I should have scored more evenly or even beaten. Conditions that work in my favor, i dunno. just to name a few. Heat. If a gym is hot, slower birds doesn't really bother me. But the heat itself doesn't slow me down much-- i find that while some people get exponentially more tired in hot or humid gym conditions, I can survive just fine and don't lose all that much function. Lighting is a no brainer-- if the gym has open windows, it's usually easier to see if you don't have to look at the sky as a background to a yellow or white bird lol. I don't know. What are some conditions that have affected your play, more than what might be obvious for everyone else?
Another condition that i find useful may be cold, dry air, where birds fly faster. Some people tend to dislike faster flying birds, but for me, I prefer it-- I find that it's harder to smash faster flying birds (because when people lob or clear, you have less time to get behind or on top of the bird) but that my drops (which I use more effectively than my smashes) are sharper and quicker as a result. Also, my attack clears (also more effective, in general, than my smashes) are also more pressuring. Now, i know-- if i was a well rounded player, things like this wouldn't happen. But knowing that some players have different preferences and different weaknesses, that's what this thread is about. I'm saying that a cold dry gym where things move fast is more beneficial to me than most players.
Boy will you not like to play in the tropics: humidity is so high that a ruffled shuttle stays ruffled no matter how much you try to smooth it. The shuttle slows down very rapidly, within a few rallies.
i used to have this problem with different courts too, its almost like tennis clay court players dont make good grass court players. But over all one has to get used to these conditions cause no 2 halls are the same, and generally speaking better players adjust quicker. I also carry different tension rackets for different halls.
Given my size and knee conditions, a slippery court is a killer. The other time I have problem is ones with super high roofs that offer no depth perception, like Talisman center. Poor visibility I can deal with as I play is a tough gym already and I can usually take drift no too badly, though my style changes a bit.
I first thoguht ceiling-hight would bother me...My first 3 fits were only barely on the stringbed. btu after 5 min it was great. lobs, clears and serves were just a breeze. and with a high hall I really mean higher than 15m. It's a hall used for cemmercials stuff and basketbal mainly, and quiet high to accomodate a couple of thousands of people. actually, as my coach and dad told me, I was jumpinG higher than ever. (more time to get beneath teh really high lobs, and I mistimed some jumps forcing me to extend airtime. you knwo that feelign when you're already goign down, btu still need to play the shot?) so high ceilings aren't really a killer. windows are though, I completly lose track if it goes through a slit of daylight...
Different light/vision condition of a gym (especially non-badminton designated mult purpose gym) is the factor bothers me the most. With multiple lines (for different sports) on the floor, and certain "blind spot" from windows/walls/lights, it will take me quite a few games or even sessions to get used to some of the gyms.
THere's one other thing that i noticed about the way i play on different courts, and it has to do with things just ouside the sides of the courts. If, for example, the next court is placed really close, or if there's a basketball net or something on the side (even if it's not actually IN the court) i tend to play as if the court was narrower than it actually is. I mean, I have trouble aiming for sidelines. It's a bad habit that I've been trying to correct. Similarly, if i can't see the base line of my opponent's court, I have trouble hitting long clears. I can get 'sharper' as i play more on a court, but these are definately little annoyances.
for myself, I find that, everytime I play at a new place, like you, I watch other people play first and then would think that I should be able to play at the same level or better than them. But then I would suck so bad. Not sure why, but this always happens to me at new venues. However, after maybe 3 seesions, then I tend to play much better. bchaiyow
I agree. Some of the local gym, due to space limitation, the courts could be just inches (yeah, inches) away from wall or other courts. It's definitely a mental effect for players, especially the new visitors.
In terms of adapting to new environment, I would probably adapt to different lighting the fastest and court surface the slowest.
I think I am more of the opposite way. As most of the local gyms' floor condition kinda worse to none, any good surface (i.e. VRC, C1/2, etc) can well spoil me.
My town doesn't really have an indoor place to play during the summer; during the school year I can play in my school or at a local university. But what annoys me is sunlight and heavy wind, hahahahahha. Wind is the worst.
