Hi all, I've tried doing a search, but I think I probably used the wrong keywords.. Anyway, does anyone know of exercises that can be done to help maintain balance? I've noticed that when I take a baseline shot and the opponent returns to the front, I can take that shot, but I will be off balanced and will have to take an extra step forward. Which of course slows me down a lot. In other words, I can't 'brake' properly.. I think it requires my ankle to be strengthened... but how? Joanne
Perhaps you are running too much? Failing to brake suggests moving too fast near the end... and I think proper lunging here is key. Timed correctly will give you the extra reach you need, and if executed correctly will leave you with a foot planted and ready to push off with I've been meaning to practice this for a while... I guess I will have to settle for the extra step or two. Of course there could be other issues too... are you slow because of the extra step, or because of a not so well placed return? <of which I am sometimes guilty >
Coach Zhao JianHua deals with this problem in Episode 3 of the instructional badminton series. If your not chinese there are subtitles.. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36499&page=27
There's a straightforward answer and a roundabout answer to this. The roundabout answer: why are you being so pressured by your opponent in the first place? Is your previous shot not effective? Are you not preparing yourself for the shot by getting into good position? Don't let yourself get into a bad situation in the first place. The straightforward answer: you need to learn how to absorb more power with your lunge. So many people focus on producing power, but not as many worry about absorbing power. Try doing a lunge where you stop instantly. At first you might only be able to do this with a shallow lunge. Gradually, increase the distance and power with which you lunge, until you're essentially jumping forward but still landing instantly.
A few pointers: a) Try to use correct footwork from back to center to front. b) Train your right tigh muscle (if you are right handed), its important to be able to hold and to recover. c) train your abdominal core!! The back and abdominal trunk area is where most of the stability comes from. Strenght here will halp you keep your body upright and not "fall trough" making you put the other leg forwar as well after the lounge.. d) Try to make the last step much longer!! The longer the faster, and the better balance, and also the better off you will be to return behind the service line after your net-shot. (but the long lounge step requires strength as pointed out) Cheers, Twobeer
i think ur actually running to the front of the net instead of lunging which helps you get their faster and also its easier to move back.
Thanks for all your replies. I will try the techniques suggested.. Only 1 problem.. I don't want my thigh muscles any bigger.. Seriously! I'm not exactly that tall, so with any bigger thigh muscles I'll really look like popeye. Lunging eh.. oki.. will try it. Thanks
You should also use your trailing foot ie non racket foot as a brake as described by others regarding the lunge. 1) Then bring this foot up alongside racket foot to help push back after the shot in recovery. Recovery position will obviously depend on whether you are covering a net return from your opponent, 2) if so then a chasse type movement in recovery will be used to be ready for pounce forward. During a whole game your racquet leg takes much more punishment than the other. If you've lifted from the net to rearcourt then you would recover to a biased central base position to cover their reply. Usually you will have more time so can use the first method.
Seriously if you train both legs (not to get unproportional),, train for strenght not for size!!!) I am pretty sure it will not look bad.. (In most cases woman sprinters etc, has quite nice looking legs, as the muscles also burn fat ).. Cheers, Twobeer
I am surprised no one has mentionned that maybe your problem simply is the angle of your knee when you land your last step with your racket-side foot... If the angle is not big enough (MUST be greater than 90 degrees), your own body, which has cumulated energy because of speed and weight, will want to continue forward and you have to "push" with an equal force with your leg, or you will start leaning forward which can provoke the need of another step. Briefly, bigger the angle (formed by the flexion of your knee), easier it is to "kill" the speed fo your motion and stop without the need of an extra step. I believe the video which was proposed by one of my "predecessors" has that explanation in it.
here are some sources for lunging i forgot to warn you to be careful and do them properly or you get hurt http://www.badzone.co.uk/coaches corner/thelunge.html
Well then, next time, be more precise because a long step does not mean bigger angle unless your non-racket-side leg stays still from the beginning to the end of your step. Nevertheless, point taken.
err.. i'm confused by what you guys mean if you take a longer step, at contact for the lunge you have more hip flexion and less knee flexion. this puts both the hip extensors and knee extensors in their prime strength range
In the 2nd pic, won't Gade be off-balance? That's pretty much what I meant by being off-balanced. By the time I recover from that awkward position, I'll have lost precious time. I will either take an extra step forward, or will be forced to put my none-racquet hand on the floor to keep myself from falling flat on the floor. I just remembered.. I face this problem particularly from when I do an overhead shot and then run cross-court to take a forehand net. For backhand I'm rarely off-balanced, but seem to really have a problem with the forehand side. Wider angle.. I'll have to analyse my footwork.. but if I'm not wrong my lunge is usually reasonably wide.. I'm usually off-balanced because of the speed that I'm moving.. inertia. Twobeer, Have you seen women sprinters' legs up close? Well, I haven't, but from pictures I think their legs are pretty muscular.. it may burn fat, but.. muscles replace the fat.. I can't even cross my right thigh over my left anymore.. haha.. left leg over right yes, muscles not as 'Popeyish'. All this badminton talk is making me crave for a badminton court.. arrgh.. stuck with this forum till Saturday... Will try out all I've read the next chance I get.
Balance is the key!! When running fast it will be much harder both to time the last step to get the angle so long so that it helps "breaking" the momentum forward.. Also it requires physical strength in the lounging leg.. But many people forget that the abs and back muscles (core) are even more important to maintain balance and not "fall trough"... The picture with Gade shows great balance and aligning the center of gravcity above the leg vertivally so he does not fall trough.. It could be that your footwork in the backhand corner needs improvement to quicker get to th center, do a push off and then get to the front. That said.. sooner or later we will all be "late" to the net sometimes.. so core strenght and balance is always good. Another way to think about is your non racket arm.. Its important to use it as a counter balance to maintane balance properly (both pictures show this .. Yes, it's difficult to properly time the "last" step when running like crazy just to get there in time Actually I have.. But not hardly as many as I would like and as close as I would like to Well, lean muscles are good looking (I think).. Bulky bodybuilder type (size over function) are not good looking in my opinion haha.. me to.. I am of to training.. But my legs are pretty weak after my jumping program excersises to increasee my vertical /Twobeer
Look carefully at Gade's front foot. The toe is actually pointing in an outwards direction. That helps stabilise the ankle joint. Sun Jun's front foot would also turn outwards in a similar manner. If it were turned inwards, he is more likely to get injury. e.g. Xia Xuan Ze.
i am relating to Gabriyel's suggestion of keeping the angle of your knee >90 degree. if you are to land your heels of your racket leg on your final step, technically you would maintain the angle of your knee >90 degree.
