Hi. I was drilling the other day and I notice that when I rotate my body to hit the shot, I basically switch my left foot with my right foot. While on the other hand, my senior said that your left foot should be at the same spot when you hit. So its almost like a pivot of your left foot but sometimes off the ground. Example of what my senior said: If my left foot is on a line. I do a smash. My left foot is still on the line, except my right foot is now forward. So which one is it? Can you just rotate your body? Or do you have to have your left foot on the same spot and put your right foot even further? I feel more comfortable with just rotating my body. Thanks.
It depends. If you're planning on remaining stationary after hitting the shuttle, then it's ok to just turn. Just be mindful of where your feet are placed. There should be some distance between your feet horizontally, not full side-on. Full side-on inhibits hip rotation. If you want to return to center after hitting (which you should), the hit should end with your right foot it front. Use your left foot to propel yourself forward. Hope this helps.
If you're right handed, you should have your body facing the right with your left feet in front and the right feet in behind. Bend your right leg down a little bit and lean towards the back to prepair for the shot. When striking the shuttle, rotate your body so that you'll be facing forward, and your right foot should be pushed farward and lifted.. and also use your left foot to propell your whole body farward to generate more power, and to prepair for the next shot.. Well basicly like this IMO: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Badminton_Peter_Gade.jpg
Thanks for both the replies. I understand the concept of how the two legs should push forward. But its hard to explain my question and it can only be answered by the answering the question I asked like this: If my left foot is a on a line, hovering over it a bit, weight shifted to my right food. After the smash. My left foot is still on the line, except my right foot is now forward. Or should the left foot be even further over the line? Or can the finishing placement of my foots just be switched? Like a scissor jump, (Most clearly shown in his last two smashes) which is what I'm doing. Sorry if this is confusing. Thanks for trying to help. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJjSAlLTCKI Notice how sometimes the smasher would simply just rotate his body and have basically the right leg starting point switch with the left. Which is what I do. WAIT! Even better video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDTEc8rWWMo&feature=related At 1:00, notice how where his right foot started, is where his left foot ended.
There are different footwork patterns for different situations, so no answer will be correct in all circumstances. The scissor jump is a good choice when you have enough time to get behind the shuttle. It assists body rotation and helps you to recover forwards. With this footwork pattern, the feet will (roughly) swap positions. That assumes a vertical scissor jump. Very often you will still be moving backwards/sideways while in the air, so the take-off and landing positions of the feet will be different. Still, the feet "swap around".
Agree with Gollum, there different way every situation. Depend on where the bird is, in your right side, right above you or at the left side, at your front, or you're late. The most important thing for me is, we must quickly position our body behind the bird.
Thanks Gollum. I understand now its like that swap around but not perfectly swapped. =] Any other suggestions will be nice.
When we clear or smash we must make sure that we get behind the shuttle, and your footwork is employed to do just that. If the incoming shuttle is a good clear and of good length, the need to be behind the shuttle to reply with a clear or smash takes added urgency, and will almost always require that you step back your right (playing) foot. This will give you more room or space to hit the shuttle with a longer backswing. The forward swing of your racquet requires that the left foot goes backward. The faster and farther you can spring back your right foot the better. This also will help you to handle a fick serve in doubles when you are standing right at the front service line to receive a serve. The principle is to never allow the shuttle to pass over your head, and you do this by using your right foot to place yourself in a new loaction (backwards) so that you are now behind the shuttle. In short use footwork to get behind the shuttle.
Assume you are making a javellin throw. While on impact, it is a good to have a little lift off and land on the right leg. More flexibility and freedom of movement. Some even jump smash. There should be a force moving to the front back to be middle/base. Good luck dude. See more videos.
I always use a move I copied from Lin Dan. It's really great to counter attacking clears to your backhand. I'll try to explain te movement as well as i can. 1) Do your split step 2) Take a big step backwards with your racket foot. 3) Do a scissor jump, while going backwards. (You jump with your right foot, backwards so you get behind the shuttle, and while in the air you smash and do your scissor jump. It's important not to jump upwards to much, but to jump backwards.) 4) The landing: put your left leg backwards, behind your torso and land on your left foot. It's important to put your left foot as much backwards as you can, and your right foot forward. While your landing throw your weight to the front, so you'll fall back towards the net. If you don't throw your weight to the front, you'll never be able to reach the next shuttle, assuming your opponent returned your smash. I find it a very usefull peace of footwork, but it is quite hard to master. It is the soul reason why all pro's fear Lin Dan's backhand smash ;-) They'dd rather clear to his forhand.
