i realise Kwun is trying to avoid repeating posts, but after reading all the other topics i think this has been adressed in some ways, but i still would like to ask a question or two. I understand that forearm pronation is essential to generate alot of power, and if im well balanced and connect properly, baseline to baseline clears ( of pretty close to it anyway )are not a problem usually, but when it comes to smash alot of the time, my power just disappears. I noticed it particularly when i used a wilson n-code(same idea as nanospeed i think) . I realise these rely alot more on pronation to generate power and so my huge loss was more obvious to me so i want to sort it out. so, Obviously grip will effect the pronation. Looking at the pictures on this site, the forehand grip seems to have the "V" shape created by your thumb and forefinger, straight down the centre of the racket. I was once told that it is better to rotate the racket slighly inwards when looking for a power grip ( so that when you hold it out in front of you the inside face is slightly angled up ) Which grip if either do you reccomend? Secondly , should the movement of the forearm be coupled to wrist for power? Or should the wrist me used only for direction and deception? And finally, how do you practice the pronation? its a difficult idea to picture in your head i feel. are there any movements you can compare it to or visualise when performing it? thanks in advance for any advice.
I have to run and I will come back and respond in more detail to this post later. But as for practicing, it's a very, very similar movement to throwing a ball (providing you're using proper overhand throwing technique!)
I wouldn't say that it is really that similar to throwing a ball. I believe for throwing a football there is supination at release. Anyways, the stroke is really more than just pronation. The concept here is to generate rotational velocity through rotational movements (body rotation, internal shoulder rotation, pronation) and then to convert this rotational velocity into a high linear velocity through extension (overhead abduction, elbow extension and radial deviation(i think)). Now that we know the basic biomechanics of it all, let's talk about how to improve power..... hmmm how about practising hitting smashes?! A basic principle in power training is to practise the whole movement until it gives you no more benefits. Then, take a step back and train the main simple movements involved before going forwards again to practise the whole movement. Finally, train the muscle groups involved followed by the main simple movements followed by the full complex movement. The idea here is that technique is the most important in determining power, followed by neuromuscular activation followed by muscle mass. Another concept to keep in mind is that of the "strength deficit". Basically suppose that your muscular system can generate a maximum 100 Nm of torque through pronation when working with a weight doing slow lever movements. As you decrease the weight, you would expect acceleration of the weight to increase linearly according to Newton's second law, but practically speaking a low mass weight (e.g. your racquet) will accelerate away from your hand resulting in a lower torque applied = less acceleration. To combat this effect your nervous system has to fire more quickly to keep the applied torque high. What does this mean in terms of training? Most likely your pronators are sufficiently strong, they probably lack firing speed. So, doing plain old up down reps with weights isn't the solution, you have to do quick reactive movements instead.
jst hold your racquet out in front of you, and, keeping your wrist locked, rotate the racquet forwards and backwards. that's your basic pronation and supranation movements. if you want to get better, then just do reps of this, 30 seconds as fast as you can, rest and repeat. also, technique wise, you may be doing it wrong. the only way is to get a coach to correct it. only way if you want to make the improvement permanent. maybe don't try so hard. if you feel unhappy with your smash, most people try harder and harder until all technique is lost and you just slug it. try dropping first, do it till it feels right. then half-smashes, the add some more each time till it feels guuuuuuuuuuuuuuud.
thanks. some solid advice there. Ill cocentrate on these points tonights and see what difference i can make. Cheers.
Stumblingfeet, that's an excellent description of the biomechanics involved. I agree that a good smash comes from much more than a sharp pronation of the forearm. The setup before the smash plays a pivotal role in the quality of the smash, much more so than the speed of the pronation action, in my opinion. If prior to contact there's good compression on the right leg (for a right hander) followed by the extension of the right leg, rotation through the hips, torso, and shoulders, and the racquet carriage is correct (chest expanded, arms drawn back), then you've already done most of the work for generating a good smash. Wayne Young
Of course, it is possible to generate enough power to clear the bird using only the forearm and fingers. In fact we usually train our clears using a stroke with little preparatory movements. Now, this stroke does in fact use pronation as its main movement. However, the best way to train this ability for most people does not involve weights, but rather it involves hitting the shuttle and practising the stroke. Think about your training this way: the training you do can either improve performance directly or increase your potential for performance. So then generally a training cycle involves creating potential, then closing the gap. But for beginner and intermediate athletes, there is a huge gap to begin with, so the main emphasis there is close that performance gap and get to the stage where a cyclical potential-performance periodization becomes useful.
So i was talking to some friends tonight and one mention that all the best players when photos of their smashes are taken, they look like this http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Students/Organizations/badminton/chris_smash.jpg no i have no idea who this guy is and his body angle looks a bit odd but it was the fastest demonstration of the wrist angle after the shuttle is hit i could find on google . so i tried a few shots making sure my wrist ended like this. And whatda know, instant improvment. not a huge amount , but enough to know that i have the right idea. Obviously huge refinement needed from this very crude idea, but hey, anyone else with the same problem as me, give it a shot, and see if it helps. Thanks again for all the advice. Much appreciated.
The interesting thing with this is that when you first teach this to new people, you can tell that they don't really believe one can clear full court with only forearm pronation. One issue with teaching clearing with minimal set-up is that one has to be careful that the players don't develop easy to read telegraphs - minimal set-up for clearing and dropping, and full-set up for smashing. I'm not sure I completely understand. Would you mind giving an example to illustrate the difference between the two? Thanks. Wayne Young
Interesting read. His name is Christoph Lossin and he has myotonia congenita, a type of muscular dystrophy. Here's the article: http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q86myo.html
