How do you beat someone without clearing

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by BadJY, Nov 22, 2007.

  1. BadJY

    BadJY Regular Member

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    Hey guys,

    I know this may seem impossible, but I wish to know how to beat someone without clearing to him for a whole game (Or some clearing, but limit clearing to the minimum). The reason for this: He has an extremely fast smash. There is no way I can catch it. I've tried numerous times, it only works if he hits directly on the racket. Other than his smash his skill is pretty basic, but he will smash if at any time the birdie is high. He can also clear full court backhand(I don't know how he does this, he never took lessons and he doesn't use wrist that much).

    Thanks
     
  2. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

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    1) serve short
    2) don't clear
    3) don't lob, or lob very high
    4) keep everything low

    have done/had to do this a number of times...it's hard work ;)
    The trick is seeing/knowing when you can clear and when you can't
     
  3. Loopy

    Loopy Regular Member

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    That's easy, make a REAL clear.... You know, a real one, near the baseline?
    Because I am assuming you don't clear very well...
     
  4. BadJY

    BadJY Regular Member

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    Well, actually I don't think that's the problem. Sometimes I clear from baseline to outside of the baseline(a fault), and he will still smash it and I still can't catch it (most people say he has a very powerful smash).
     
  5. Loopy

    Loopy Regular Member

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    Then make an attacking clear, which are difficult to smash, yet alone give it power, because the attacking clear is fast. It should be your bread and butter. The strategy though is to clear where he isn't there. That's not easy though, and it is something that I'm personally trying to implement continually (ie. thinking tactics while playing and see where he is at all time....).
     
    #5 Loopy, Nov 22, 2007
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2007
  6. Shifty

    Shifty Regular Member

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    i don't think you should be avoiding his smashes. that just means you're not improving on your weakness. in a friendly game, let him keep smashing. just make sure you learn from each smash. have confidence that you can get every shot back. if you have that confidence, and keep telling yourself that, it makes it a lot easier.

    and stay light on your feet. don't get really set in your position. stay low but quick.

    in a game that counts, play to the net. if you play good net shots, his lifts won't be excellent, and you'll be able to attack yourself. but have variation. if he plays to the net after you play a drop from the back court, play several shots back to the net, and several flicks to the back. that keeps him guessing.
     
  7. Hierkommtnils

    Hierkommtnils Regular Member

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    Maybe you should improve your smash defense instead of thinking not to clear the whole game.
     
  8. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    What shuttle model and speed do you use?

    /Twobeer
     
  9. wun.sun

    wun.sun Regular Member

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    As the above members have said, keep improving on your smash defense. This is a great opportunity for you, as you don't find people with smashes you can't get all the time very often. So, use him to help you train your smash defense. I'm sure their are tips/techniques around this forum.

    In a game, if you really don't want to encounter his smash, then keep everything flat.
     
  10. Shifty

    Shifty Regular Member

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    i know it feels really bad, cos i have someone in my team, who for juniors, has a mega smash. the first time i played him, i was really shaking and stuff. the last time i played him, and though i lost, it was much closer than last time. and most of it was to do with me feeling confident that his smash wasn't something to be scared of. because there are a lot more scarier things. like Chuck Norris' roundhouse kick....
     
  11. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    One of my school students has a powerful smash, which he uses to win games of singles very easily against most of his opponents.

    It doesn't work against me, however. Okay, so I have better defence than his other opponents; but that's not the point. His smash is still powerful enough to cause me problems.

    It doesn't work because I don't give him time to use it. I force him to be late to the shuttle, by playing shallow clears and lifts, together with net play. I exploit his movement weakness, so that he's caught between the back and the front, and never gets fully behind the shuttle to play a powerful smash.

    You have to make things difficult for your opponent. You cannot allow him time to set up a perfect smashing position. Make sure your lifts and clears are difficult to read, so that he has to be ready for net shots and drop shots too. This will slow down his movement to the rearcourt.

    Don't forget the simple tactic of hitting to his backhand. A shallow lift to the backhand corner can be devastating; let's see if he can clear full court on his backhand when the shuttle is behind him. ;)
     
    #11 Gollum, Nov 23, 2007
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2007
  12. Capnx

    Capnx Regular Member

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    Totally agree with Gollum. You have to disguise your shots more, put more variety, and go on the offence yourself. When you smash in singles, you wana aim for the side lines. When you clear, try attacking his backhand. Even if he clears it back, often it won't be so deep that you can go on the offence right away with a good drop or a half smash to the open court. The point is to make him move more and cause him to be unbalanced.
     
  13. Sgbad

    Sgbad Regular Member

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    If you guys are playing singles, it is almost impossible for you to not clear/min clear throughout the game. Singles is a game more on placement and getting your opponent to move around the court and attacking at the most appropriate time. If you are talking about doubles, then try to get play shots near the net and get him to lift, instead of you being on the defensive side.
     
  14. crashandburn

    crashandburn Regular Member

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    easy

    easy solution...use Armortec 900 Technique (4U for you i think...) !!! :D:D:D:D
     
  15. extremenanopowe

    extremenanopowe Regular Member

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    apart from the tips given. U gotta be like McEnroe. Tell him "You can't be serious". The cock was wide.....

    Just beef up your confidence or match whatever he does. Am sure you'll beat him sometime. Train hard.
    rgds
     
  16. BadJY

    BadJY Regular Member

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    The problem is I never get to play friendly games with him. He is the type to only play people when the matches count/are important. And I don't know anybody else who has a smash as fast as him.
     
  17. Shifty

    Shifty Regular Member

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    sounds like my dilemma with my guy. but that's just tough. perhaps you can train your defense more. get a friend to stand at the net with a stack of shuttles and throw them to you. it cuts down the reaction time you have. this drill can be split into several types. one is just half-court, and this trains your reflexes of your wrist. the other is to do full court, to train everything combined, as you have to defend both outwide and to the body. this is harder than it sounds, so don't get angry for not getting everything. the other kind of drill you can do, maybe at home even, is to mark out the width of the singles court, and have a friend/family point at different sides of that court, then you move there to mimic a defend against smash on that side. have them make it random, and as you get better, have them hold and change the direction you have to go. this is to purely train your speed of movement into each side(left and right) of the court to defend the smash. but remember, don't get set in your base. there's always a drop.

    most importantly, if you're doing this with a friend, remember to return the favour. the fact that he doesn't play much other than important matches may help you. if you train hard enough, you might sneak in a stunner when you play him. cos he won't know what you're doing, and you can get a lot better, then wack him in the face.
     
  18. DivingBirdie

    DivingBirdie Regular Member

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    Frankly speaking, if his smash is so overly powerful like you described, there's only 2 possibilities:

    1) he's probably technically superior. That means that even if you avoid lobbing him, he'll prolly find out soon enough and so you'll still get beaten to pulp.

    2) especially when you say that his skills are pretty basic apart from his smash, it leads us to conclude that it's actually you who's below par in defending smashes. So you should be working on that.

    Finally it's usually extra difficult to refrain from clearing in singles, even at professional levels. You may see the reluctance of top singles player to hit high shuttles to big hitters like LD(especially on crucial points), but overall there's still a significant number of clears in the whole match. Significant enough to determine the winner.

    Try flatter, attacking clears too
     
  19. kimchipride

    kimchipride Regular Member

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    This is well said and I completely agree with everything he says. I'd like to add that if his skills are basic apart from his smash, just make him run and hit to corners.
     
  20. Elixau

    Elixau Regular Member

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    Play net shots with him! :D
     

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