Hitting the sweet spot?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by hkisgood, Sep 6, 2006.

  1. hkisgood

    hkisgood New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2006
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Milpitas, CA
    Hi I've been reading the threads but this is the first time I post. :)

    I recently watched a couple training videos and started to understand different techniques and strategies. But when I walk into a court I seem to have problem hitting the sweet spot (and therefore unable to produce the "BANG" sound). Because I swing too fast I can't tell if I am hitting lower or higher than I should. I've been thinking about painting a birdie head so that I know the exact position I hit by reading the string marks. Has anybody tried this? Is there any other better way to tell if I hit too low or too high?
     
  2. Monster

    Monster Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2005
    Messages:
    440
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Calgary, Canada
    Where exactly is the sweet spot? I normally smash with the bird in contact slightly above the mid area of the strings, not near the edge of the racket frame. That's my estimation after numerous smashes. Occasionally I do hit the bird near the frame and seems to be more faster. Maybe the more moment (torque) is produced with slightly more distance. Moment = F x D ?

    I don't really look at where the bird is wrt my racket when smashing. I mean, generally, you'd have to know where it is to hit or place. But I think the timing aspect has been imprinted into my head for such a particular execution. And this timing is more of my focus to get the sweet spot I feel is right.
     
    #2 Monster, Sep 6, 2006
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2006
  3. quik_silver

    quik_silver Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2005
    Messages:
    1,128
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Analyst
    Location:
    Toronto,Ontario
    Warm up with some clearings, usually when you do clearing, you can get the sweetspot frequently. Also, practice is everything. Have some clearing drills before learning how to aim with sweespots.
     
  4. __Lam

    __Lam Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Messages:
    909
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, Canada
    hit the stringbed on your palm and listen to the tone.
     
  5. evolution-Fung

    evolution-Fung Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2006
    Messages:
    90
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Clothing
    Location:
    Hong K0ng
    practise comes hitting the sweet spot, not producing the bang sound doesnt mean ur not hitting the sweet spot. your strings could be to high of a tension for u to handle or to low. the bang sound comes from u breaking the string not litterally but breaking the tensionn of the string kind of and using the full power of the string + power.
     
  6. quik_silver

    quik_silver Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2005
    Messages:
    1,128
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Analyst
    Location:
    Toronto,Ontario
    Hehehe, what does high tension mean to you? 23lbs? 28lbs? I kind of think the "BANG" sound is from hitting the sweetspot. :p

    Also, when you hear this "POP" sound, it's usually an indication that your string is gone. Have fun. :cool:
     
  7. Ranmira

    Ranmira Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2005
    Messages:
    65
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    EEE Student
    Location:
    Metro Manila, Philippines
    Meaning if I get that center hit-tone, I hit the sweetspot? Would this be a good way to find out? :cool:
     
  8. hkisgood

    hkisgood New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2006
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Milpitas, CA
    I tried for a few minutes and I can't sense any tone difference when I hit the stringbed to my palm... (my racket is ISO-TI-SwingPower SX @22lb, BG65TI)


    Indeed the string was done 2 years ago. It hasn't broken yet but I believe it has lost a lot of tension over the past 2 years. I tried my friend's newly strung racket @20lb and it felt a lot better. Should I re-string? (I always wonder if most people re-string only if the string snaps, or they re-string anyway after a certain period of time / use)
     
  9. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
    Brand Representative

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2005
    Messages:
    12,682
    Likes Received:
    290
    Occupation:
    Social Distancing Specialist
    Location:
    Southern California

    Not exactly. The "bang" or "boom" sound is from hitting the sweetspot squarely, hitting the sweetspot with a flat racket face. If you do not hit the sweetspot squarely, hitting it at an angle or cutting the shuttle, you will not make that "bang" or "boom" sound.
     
  10. t3tsubo

    t3tsubo Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2006
    Messages:
    458
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Edmonton AB, Canada
    try playing or practicing with some feather birdies, its hard to tell if your not hitting the sweetspot with plastic ones. However i can ALWAYs tell if ive hit the sweetspot in a smash/clear.
     
  11. quik_silver

    quik_silver Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2005
    Messages:
    1,128
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Analyst
    Location:
    Toronto,Ontario
    When I play with feather birds, I hear a lot of "pop" sound when I do clearings. Does that mean I am hitting near the swetspots or no?
     
  12. t3tsubo

    t3tsubo Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2006
    Messages:
    458
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Edmonton AB, Canada
    do a few clears. If it always pops and the pops sound (as in the sound of the pop... its easier to do it than describe it) is different every once in a while, then no, you dont know if your hitting the sweetspot well enough. You usually can tell when you've hit it, the bird feels really... crisp (no better word).
    If sometimes theres a pop and sometimes there isnt a pop, then you can generally say that when theres a pop youve hit the sweetspot

    this is all in my opinion. I might be wrong
     
  13. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2004
    Messages:
    6,526
    Likes Received:
    25
    Occupation:
    Designing and producing quality feather shuttlecoc
    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Usually a shot with a pop sound means you have got your timing right, no pop if timing is off. With right timing even an off-centre hit will have a pop sound.
     
  14. quik_silver

    quik_silver Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2005
    Messages:
    1,128
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Analyst
    Location:
    Toronto,Ontario
    Yay, I am not that bad with feather after all. (Only in clearings though...)
     
  15. evolution-Fung

    evolution-Fung Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2006
    Messages:
    90
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Clothing
    Location:
    Hong K0ng
    hit it on ur palm u already know that the sweet spot lies within the centre main strings, and u hit the racket head on ur palm moving up and down and the louder and clearer the sound is that is wehre the sweet spot is
     
  16. morewood

    morewood Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2006
    Messages:
    545
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    UK, Derbys.
    Video (have someone video) your training sessions it’s a great way to see what your doing, what you could improve.
     
  17. Monster

    Monster Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2005
    Messages:
    440
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Calgary, Canada
    i recently tried my friend's powerful racket strung at high tension. i felt that the sound was different. shuold i also try higher tension? he's got it strung at 25lbs but probably loosen a little, he claims. I currently use 21lbs but with his racket, i felt the power at 25lbs. i got the g-spot right this time?
     
  18. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2003
    Messages:
    4,642
    Likes Received:
    298
    Location:
    Surrey, UK
    "G-spot" and "sweetspot" are not the same thing, at least not when you are talking about a badminton sweetspot ;)
     
  19. morewood

    morewood Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2006
    Messages:
    545
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    UK, Derbys.
    Sweet spot, G spot, both mythical areas that seem to jump about a bit, but you know when you hit either.
     
  20. crosscourt

    crosscourt Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2006
    Messages:
    364
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Legal
    Location:
    Shanghai/London
    Hmm , I suppose they are both about timing and technique! And in the same way you might have to adjust your technique slightly to hit the sweetspot on any particular racquet the same applies to the other!!

    The sweet spot on a racket will also depend on the tension. A racket strung at say 20 lbs will have a fairly large sweetspot and so will be more forgiving if you don't his the exact centre of the sweetspot. A Racquet strung at say 32lbs will have a small sweetspot that will feel like you've swung a brick if you fail to hit the sweetspot dead centre.

    I think Isometric rackets are meant to have a larger sweetspot that oval rackets but I'm not sure how much of that is marketing and how much is science.
     

Share This Page