Future of Chen Jin

**Maximum** · 11-29-2007, 05:14 AM

yeah, LCW is only well known starting this year where he won a couple of SS titles... Before that, he's only well known in his own country, not many ppl from around the world know him...
Whereas for CJ, ppl know him from the moment he steps in the senior badminton group...
So I think in the future, ppl will remember CJ more than LCW

**Morten** · 11-29-2007, 06:39 AM

Watched Chen Jin during Denmark Open. He is the most defensive player in the chinese armada at the moment and hes court coverage, together with psycial condition is amazing. What he lacks is that killer shot which makes him able to get those "easy" points. The 3rd set between LCW and CJ in China Open this year shows the difference between those two players, whereas LCW plays defensively but sometimes break in with a steep smash, crosscourt etc CJ seems to be stuck on his defensive playstyle and when meeting players who match his stamina he has no weapons to break in with and he gets desperate and tries to counterattack but then makes lots of mistakes.

He has been on the circuit for quite some time( since 2004 i think) but has the potential to become the best. Hes playstyle on outwearing the opponents however might take the toll on him since its can wore him out when he gets older and might end up in lots of injuries. One thing to be said which i admire is hes fair play and by that will in the future become a "crowds man".

**coryprice** · 11-29-2007, 09:56 AM

Morten,

I have not seen what I would say are tons of matches or anything of Chen Jin, but from what I've seen would lead me to agree with you on his defensiveness.

He seems to be reacting to other players a lot in his rallies, whereas a lot of the other players are often deciding what they want to do in the rally, as far as speeding it up, going for the quick attack, tiring their opponent out, or whatever.

I think that might be something that comes with experience. He might be nervous or a little intimidated by the more experienced players. I do know that when he won the World Juniors in Vancouver in 2004, he was quite more dominant in his style, and controlled his rallies more than he does now.

Cory

**twobeer** · 11-29-2007, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Genesis

I've watched quite a few matches so far...and I've never seen any single player play we well as Chen Jin did in the China Open 2007 vs Peter Gade. His retrieving, reflexes, and around the head skills...just amazing. His sportsmanship showed too when he asked the crowd to applaud Gade multiple times and even gave a big thumbs up in his direction, despite Gade's complaint about him shouting too much when the bird landed out.

It is not very hard to applaude and give thumbs up to your oppenent when you are winning. I would think he would show more true sportsmanship if he did the same when being beaten.... Giving thumbs up to your opponent when you loose.. that is real sportsmanship..

Praising your opponent when he looses could actually be taken as an insult (if he feels he is having a bad-day, abd calls agianst him etc..)..

He didn't give thumbs up and applaud his opponent as vigourusly in the semis when he lost to LCW

/Twobeer

**bic33** · 11-29-2007, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Shifty

i'm not so sure about Chen Jin going further than Lin Dan. what is he now, 21? Lin Dan reached world no.1 at the age of 20. Taufik got into the AE finals at 18. Chen Jin, to me, is the "always there" player. he'll always give any player a run for his money. he can do very well. but he just doesn't have the tools to stand out above the rest. say what you like about Lin Dan, but he wins so much, and does so well all the time. he's around 15,000 points a head of Lee Choong Wei. that's a massive margin of dominance. whereas the next 4-5 players are very close. ]

he's got good technique, good movement, good stamina. but he doesn't possess anything which stands him out. Taufik's known for his net play and backhand. Lee Choong Wei for his steep smashes. Lin Dan for his ferocity. Bao Chunlai for his steep and accurate shots. but Chen Jin is simply a good all rounder. he can play good enough to keep them sweating and swearing. BUT, he can't play above them. which is why he'll never really be that great. he's got a style like Lin Dan, with decent smashes. he just lacks the ability to finish off.

you posted what's on my mind...

**bananakid** · 11-29-2007, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by twobeer

It is not very hard to applaude and give thumbs up to your oppenent when you are winning. I would think he would show more true sportsmanship if he did the same when being beaten.... Giving thumbs up to your opponent when you loose.. that is real sportsmanship..

Praising your opponent when he looses could actually be taken as an insult (if he feels he is having a bad-day, abd calls agianst him etc..)..

He didn't give thumbs up and applaud his opponent as vigourusly in the semis when he lost to LCW

/Twobeer

Chen Jin showed his respect to LCW after he lost the tight semi-final(Hong Kong open 06) match against LCW... Don't expect too much... It's not something the losing player must do, since it is an option and not a must do.

**stumblingfeet** · 11-29-2007, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by coryprice

Thinking about the fitness aspect, as I've seen it talked about in quite a few different discussions, it was once said that Wayne Gretzky (from ice hockey if there's some out there who don't know who he is) had the best fitness and that allowed him to play longer than other players.

I'm from Edmonton and know a few people, so to speak, and I was told that he didn't last longer on the ice than other players, but he recovered faster than them. He was able to get back to full strength faster.

I think that would be key for a badminton player. Not necessarily stamina, though that's important to, but the ability to get your heart rate and breathing back to normal faster. I wonder if that's the secret behind Lin Dan, but I've never been close enough to notice such things as breathing...

Cory

People tend to overstress the importance of physical abilities in skill sports like badminton and hockey. Of course, you need a certain profile of physical ability to play a particular style at a particular level of play, but the key thing in both sports is still skill.

Gretzky wasn't great because he had some physical advantage over others. He was great because read offensive situations, make appropriate decisions and execute his action plan better than defensive players could counter him.

**coryprice** · 11-29-2007, 11:34 AM

I agree, stumblingfeet, 100 percent. But of course you also have more opportunities to do those things, read the opposition, make brilliant plays, if you're on the ice more. But you're right, he was a good player for those reasons more than his physical fitness.

Cory

**No one** · 11-29-2007, 02:33 PM

yep CJ was very good too when he lost the very close MSF for the 2006 Thai Open against Chen Yu. He was winning in the third set 20-18 and Chen Yu came back to win. Afterwards CJ gave CY a hug. Well they are on the same team but still.....

**Shifty** · 11-29-2007, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by No one

I should really avoid predictions

. I just think, of all the top MS players right now, excluding taufik, LCW's the most interesting to watch....Chen Jin, Chen Hong, Chen Yu, Bao CL and even Lin Dan are alright to watch but (as you say) they all have--or have had--the same coaches and so their style is very similar.

yes, but you asked, when did Lee start making his mark. and my answer, or opinion, is that he hasn't really made much of a mark for himself.

back to Chen Jin. i would class him probably defensive, not because he can't play aggressive, but because when he's aggressive, like i say, he doesn't possess the skill to be aggressive enough to win. against the top players, he just doesn't carry the firepower to beat them. i think he likes to play fast and attacking. but it never gets him anywhere.

**pjswift** · 11-29-2007, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by bananakid

Chen Jin showed his respect to LCW after he lost the tight semi-final(Hong Kong open 06) match against LCW... Don't expect too much... It's not something the losing player must do, since it is an option and not a must do.

So what did CJ mean when he gave PG the thumbs up since it's also an option and not a must do?

**pjswift** · 11-29-2007, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by Shifty

... Chen Jin is simply a good all rounder. he can play good enough to keep them sweating and swearing. BUT, he can't play above them. which is why he'll never really be that great. he's got a style like Lin Dan, with decent smashes. he just lacks the ability to finish off.

CJ lacks the ability to finish off? Well, he finished off both WCH and TH in MCO. And this when he was in a clearly struggling state against two more highly experienced players.CJ has better mental stamina than poor LD;he just lacks better weapons against super fit and top skilled players like LCW.

**jug8man** · 11-29-2007, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by pjswift

CJ lacks the ability to finish off? Well, he finished off both WCH and TH in MCO. And this when he was in a clearly struggling state against two more highly experienced players.CJ has better mental stamina than poor LD;he just lacks better weapons against super fit and top skilled players like LCW.

mmmmmmmmm CJ could barely finish off an injured WCH in MCO semis. the match stretched to a full (& I mean fuuuulllll) rubber match to the very end. CJ clearly did display the inability to take full advantage of WCH's condition.

So I have to agree with the other's that CJ seem to be lacking the abiltiy to finish off opponents.

**Shifty** · 11-29-2007, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by pjswift

CJ lacks the ability to finish off? Well, he finished off both WCH and TH in MCO. And this when he was in a clearly struggling state against two more highly experienced players.CJ has better mental stamina than poor LD;he just lacks better weapons against super fit and top skilled players like LCW.

yes. but how many times has he done that, consistently, against everyone.

**pjswift** · 11-30-2007, 02:40 AM

Originally Posted by jug8man

mmmmmmmmm CJ could barely finish off an injured WCH in MCO semis. the match stretched to a full (& I mean fuuuulllll) rubber match to the very end. CJ clearly did display the inability to take full advantage of WCH's condition.

So I have to agree with the other's that CJ seem to be lacking the abiltiy to finish off opponents.

Let's have the full picture. What about TH?

**pjswift** · 11-30-2007, 02:43 AM

Originally Posted by Shifty

yes. but how many times has he done that, consistently, against everyone.

For someone of his experience relative to his opponents, more times than expected.Why don't you do some research and give us some real figures to back up your impression?

**jug8man** · 11-30-2007, 03:05 AM

Originally Posted by pjswift

Let's have the full picture. What about TH?

Taufik Hidayat is an offensive initiatior. This works perfectly well into Chen Jin's tactic of 'wait & see' @ 'reacting to opponents actions' as other members have put it in this thread.

Who comes up on top depends who played the better game on that day. in MCO 2007, It was Chen Jin who was the better man againts a Taufik Hidayat whom 'broke out of character' and played 3 big ones back to back taking all runners up spots.