I'm a pretty good player in my highschool team, and I can pull of most shots moderately well but one problem I always come up against. I play my best when i'm relaxed and just playing, having fun and such. But after awhile of playing I get tired and can't relax as well and my playing starts to get worse. This has cost me many games, especially ones where I beat them pretty easily the first round, then after that start to lose my skill and lose. This also happens when the coach is practicing with us and I can't play normally because of the pressure she puts on us (she does a lot >.>). But then after practice, during free hit time, I can pull of the shots I couldn't during practice . So I figured out the problem but can't think of anyway to fix it. Any tips? Hard to think of it as a fun relaxing game when yur sweating and tired. =p I did do it once though and was winning, but I guess my opponent thought I was messin around and got pissed, and started being a sore loser heh.
Well if it's a tired-ness issue, I suggest working hard on your cardio. If it's a pressure thing, the unfortunately teh only thing that can cure this is playing in al ot of tournaments/tough games until you adapt.
mm... alright. It looks like i'll just have to practice on my consistency throughout a whole game and be able to do it before season starts. We're entering a stronger league and our team is only freshman and sophomores ;_;. All our varsity graduated too... Have to train 3 times as hard to be able to stand a chance ^^
sounds like its prob fitness related like westwood said. the easiest way to get fitter is actually the exercise bike, as you can go for longer and keep your heart rate up more easily, but it doesnt do much for the leg muscles compared to to others, so if your able , running is probably the best for raw fitness, mixed with maybe skipping rope too. or footwork drills played fast too.
As well as fitness, the coach might be giving you routines of consistently higher quality than that in your games. That's why it's harder. In your games, not all opponents are as consistent, you get easier shots and hey presto, you got easier games If they make mistakes, then that helps a great deal. Later on, other opponents are giving you more shots where you are forced to play high quality. It's difficult to reproduce that quality in your shots and you start losing confidence in yourself.
3 steps to a more consistent game increase your fitness so your not tired make yourself dam tired, then work on consistent strokes then (make sure you can still pull off all you shots when tired) (this is during practice) work on your mental toughness and dont beat yourself up after missing a shot
Ok, I'll try out all that you've said. My coach has been thinking about doing some jump rope training too instead of suicides and their variations. (heard her talking with some friends of hers) I should buy a jumprope to use at home too. Thx for the tips =)
Hey Adone, Just from that reply, it sounds like you're quite hard on yourself... Take it easy and enjoy the game. Sure train hard etc, but it sounds like your game suffers from pressure, and you don't have to add more on than what's already there from the coach, atmosphere in a tourney etc. Next time you get stressed, think of something funny that makes you laugh, like imagine your opponent's shorts fell off when they went for a jump smash or something. It'll loosen you up abit.
Just remember, like everything else, the ability to play well under pressure is a skill. It is probably one of the most important skills in badminton (and many other things). But, it is something that can be developed. All the moves in the world are useless unless you can display them in a pressure situation. What you should do is feel that pressure, understand it, then channel it to heighten your focus on the game. Use pressure positively to affect your game!
Practice makes it perfect. I do agree with others, as the problem is a combination of factors, such as higher level of playing (against coach) and mental strength. Don't be discouraged by the game/drill result too much. Listen to the coach, and analyze your strength and weakness. No point to focus on a particular game or drill session result.
harder than it sounds with a yelling coach and punishment always an option. Example: "If I can smash your drop you'll give me 10 laps around the gym!" then stands right in front of the net. Really scares the crap outta ya ^^'' Anyway I think im improving on my game now. I was playing pretty well even though an tiring amount of running beforehand. I even beat a person who destroyed me last year =). Thx all for the tips.
Good job on the improvement! I hope your coach isn't too negative or harsh, because that's never productive.
For some reason, I really enjoy working out and over time I really got used to being all sweaty and tired. When someone makes me do push ups because I got owned and lost a bet, I actually enjoy doing it . Anyways, it would be better if you got used to being tired or become accustomed to it though constant cardio or something of the sort. Before, I used to play worse as I got more tired, but now I play best when i'm starting to feel the sweat. This might not work for you, but if you want to improve your endurance and reflexes/foot speed try something like DDR (Thats just me though I LOVE the game). My endurance increased quite abit when I reached heavy level and this is what actually made me start to feel comfortable when i'm drenched in sweat.
DDR Ftw! I don't play often enough for it to help my endurance though =[. I should really buy myself a good quality hard ddr mat for home and play more ^^. Ty =). You described her point blank ''^^. Interesting enough she's an awesome person AFTER practice. Takes us out and stuff and jokes around and all that. She has a tendency to smash you over and over when she gets pissed though. (when we're practicing drops, drives, clears, etc.)
