How to improve smashes?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by kevyeoh, Sep 16, 2006.

  1. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2006
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Pg, Malaysia
    i wish to smash harder...
    any specific training i should be doing?
    what type of weight training i should be doing?
     
  2. kwun

    kwun Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2002
    Messages:
    41,043
    Likes Received:
    2,066
    Occupation:
    BC Janitor
    Location:
    Santa Clara, CA, USA
    this is probably the most asked question in the technique forum. please do a search and you will find a lot of answers.
     
  3. kevyeoh

    kevyeoh Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2006
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Pg, Malaysia
    ok...i'll try reading all of the threads...i do notice a few threads is asking about how to smash..
    but for my question, it's more to adding power to the smash...
    what type of weight training should i be doing to improve it?
    i think my technique should be right already....
     
  4. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2003
    Messages:
    4,642
    Likes Received:
    298
    Location:
    Surrey, UK
    Again, read the forums. All common aspects of training for smashes have been discussed ad nauseam, including weight training.
     
  5. loosai

    loosai Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2004
    Messages:
    933
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    play badminton
    Location:
    kuala lumpur
    b4 improve smashes, for me, how to hold the racket and the grip size is mean points.
     
  6. morewood

    morewood Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2006
    Messages:
    545
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    UK, Derbys.
    I would avoid weight training specificially for badminton. IMporving your smash is more about technique than brute power.
     
  7. __Lam

    __Lam Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Messages:
    909
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, Canada
    actually, well i wouldn't avoid it, just do it in your spare time. after wrist training your wrist becomes alot more powerful and flexible, you can execute trickier and wristier shots, like the backhand clears and smashes.
     
  8. __Lam

    __Lam Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Messages:
    909
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, Canada
    well i wouldn't avoid it all together, after i wrist trained i found alot of shots becoming more powerful and accurate, shots were easy to do and you can perform alot of wristy and tricky shots too, just do it during your spare time and don't train like crazy, only during spare time, unless your pro and need to get as fit as you can.
     
  9. starx

    starx Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2006
    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    court
    The first learn the clear


    [​IMG]
     
  10. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2005
    Messages:
    4,123
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    EU
    if you ask me: those two players are to late with their legs and abdominons (sp?)
    a clear/smash is a like a cracking whip: the sequence starts with your legs, followed by your (side)abdominal muscles, shoulder, elbow, wrist...

    In that illustrations it's not 'linked'. their shoudler rotates alogn with their entire body. looks weird.

    and for a more 'offensive' clear that ahs a faster trajectory (liek my coach said: it's gotta be fast, and the shuttle just 'dies' above the backline) you should hit the clear (ánd smash) a bit in front of you. not directly above..
     
  11. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2004
    Messages:
    6,526
    Likes Received:
    25
    Occupation:
    Designing and producing quality feather shuttlecoc
    Location:
    Hong Kong
    What is wrong with your smash? If it lacks power, then it could be due to :
    1. Slow arm swing
    2. Arm bent or swing interrupted
    3. Short backswing
    4. Wrist not used enough, or used too early or too late
    5. Leaning or moving back at impact, thus not putting body weight into shot.
    Your answer lies in one or more of the above.
     
  12. ouijaouija

    ouijaouija Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2006
    Messages:
    100
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    New York
    Today I found out I do better with a light head racket, and not with my powerblade!

    Apparently you need that 'handshake grip' to get the most power right? But I don't do it like that, but I don't really see a disadvantage to using this method?

    ALso, in regards to clears, my clears are kinda ok, but near the end of the game they will suck. I think its all about positiong, when yo uget that perfect clear it hits that sweet spot, but I can't do them all the time, a lot of the time my clears end up being forearms, because my forearms go just as far.

    Still I am rubbish, but I will practise.
     
  13. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2003
    Messages:
    4,642
    Likes Received:
    298
    Location:
    Surrey, UK
    The grip is fundamental. If you get it wrong, you will limit your power.

    I can't be sure whether your grip is okay, but it should be approximately like a handshake grip. If the angle is radically different, then you have a big problem.

    If you use a panhandle grip for smashes, then you can kiss your power goodbye. This is the most common technical error in badminton. A plague o' panhandling!

    Unfortunately, the correct grip will make no sense to you unless you also understand the technique for using it.
     
  14. ouijaouija

    ouijaouija Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2006
    Messages:
    100
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    New York
    I don't know, I guess I'd have to take a piccy of how i hold it.

    Its more like that, Only because this way I seem to be able to smash it in a straight line, whereas doing the handshake method my clears and smashes all go to the left, sometimes way off the court. Maybe I should try learning that way, only it doens't feel confortable on my wrist.

    Pics here, any tips would be helpful.

    How it should be?

    [​IMG]

    How I hold it

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Tianjin

    Tianjin Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2006
    Messages:
    126
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Canada
    I am not a specialist. But from those pictures, you seem to be holding it too much like a clenched fist. You should spread your fingers more, not hold it like a clench fist. You should be able to pass a pen between your grip and the V that your index and thumb makes.

    Holding it like a first, you don't have enough leverage.
     
  16. ouijaouija

    ouijaouija Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2006
    Messages:
    100
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    New York
    yeh I hold it very loose, just in the picture i was just trying to show the angle
     
  17. the_oro

    the_oro Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2006
    Messages:
    146
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    pretty boring profile -_-
    Location:
    in the bathtub
     
    #17 the_oro, Dec 30, 2006
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2006
  18. Tianjin

    Tianjin Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2006
    Messages:
    126
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Canada
    It's not about the tightness or looseness. It's that you should spread your fingers more. And in doing so you should cover more distance vertically. There should also be a gap between the grip and the vertex of the V. In that picture, I cannot see the gap. A racket could be held loosely without that gap.
     
  19. a_n_d_y

    a_n_d_y Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2006
    Messages:
    64
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    high school
    Location:
    Maple Ridge, BC
    Yes yes...we all go through this stage, wanting to smash harder.

    The first step is to have the correct grip, as said by gollum. You can find pictures on the forums. I think kwun has a huge post all about grips.

    After that, you need to tell us how you smash. Alot of begginers smash like they're slicing the bird downwards and forward at the same time, which gives an ok smash, but flat, and probably less power.

    If that's how you do your smashes, then you need to start learning the correct or better method. What i do is that i get in the position of clearing,(non racquet arm up, racquet behind your head, right leg behind your left if your right handed), and position my left hand to where the birdy is coming. Then, I just give her on the swing, and right before impact, i snap my wrist with extra force from index finger(i think??). Oh, and remmeber use your entire body as a force, while keeping the arm RELAXED, and using it like a whip.

    It'll take a while to take in all that, but do it step by step, and i would advise to not put too much swing speed and power at first since you probably want to save the energy for more training. Not only that, you learn a half smash too.
     
  20. azn_123

    azn_123 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2006
    Messages:
    1,663
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    vancouver,canada
    give the racquet a nice loose grip. That is more of a forced clam on the grip. Smash isn't hard to learn, If you can do a clear from your baseline to the oppenents then your ok. Next comes the swing,timing etc. hope this helps cheers:D :eek: :crying: :)
     

Share This Page