Footwork to Backhand and Forehand Corners

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by KazeCloud, Feb 23, 2008.

  1. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

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    When I move to my backhand side I put my left leg behind my right. When I go to my forehand corner should I do the same? Left leg behind my right, or left leg over the right? I thought you go left over the right foot because then you won't be facing the net, but sideways, so are already turned with shoulders facing the birdie, ready to swing. Is this correct? Or is it just individual likings?
     
  2. chiisu

    chiisu Regular Member

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    i personally always put my left leg behind my right leg
     
  3. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Shots to your forehand and backhand corners, if hit with speed, will pose a problem if they get past your head. Therefore footwork to handle these shots will require you "stretch" your reach so that you are behind the shuttle instead of the shuttle being behind your head. The way to stretch is to move your "playing" foot backwards so that you move into a new position that now allows you to hit the shuttle in front. For the forehand you move backwards with your right ("playing" foot) foot. For the backhand corner you also move "backwards" towards the back with your right foot but this time with your toes towards the back, which means you are facing the back of the court and your back is facing the net. The principle is to "make more room" for yourself to get behind the shuttle.
     
  4. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

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    Okay. But after you take that initial step, do you move with the left over right foot or right over left foot for the forehand corner?
     
  5. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    To return a shot on the forehand back corner you make more room for yourself by moving your right foot back for a new base. This will enable you to hit the shuttle in front, but as you hit the shuttle your left foot must move or skip back to allow your swing more space for a more powerful shot. Remember as you hit the shuttle, the left foot in front is in the way which you must move back. You do this by what some call it an "exchange" of right/left feet, but landing on a location further back. This "exchange" will also allow you to move towards the net much easier.
     
  6. mcjoel

    mcjoel Regular Member

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    I recommend the episode 15 of the badminton training guide by Zhao Jianhua & Xiao Jie where full court footwork is explained. It is simple but it takes time to get that into muscle memory :)
     
  7. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    err, you didn't tell us if you were left or right handed
     
  8. YinLoung

    YinLoung Regular Member

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    You can always try super overhead.
     
  9. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Lets take a typical forehand corner shot-the smash. To execute this shot you must move back with your right foot (right "playing" foot, assuming you are right-handed), your left shoulder to the net, with eyes on the shuttle. Next is the racquet backswing, drawn up behind body, and using left arm as counterbalance. At this point your right foot is still behind and your left foot in front. A split second before you start your forward swing, your left foot must skip backwards to near your right foot or even slightly behind. This will remove any impediment to your forward swing. Without this "big leap" backwards from the left foot, you just cannot hit any shot with power efficiently. As you start your forward swing, elbow up and bent, wrist cocked, and racquet head down in small of back, your body balance is now changed to a more forward orientation. Just before impact, your arm will straighten, wrist just uncocking, and weight coming through as body turns square to net. At end of smash your right foot will be further back than its position before your final backward step and your left foot will be behind your right foot.
     
  10. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

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    Taneepak thanks for your great description of how to move your feet when you hit the shuttle. But I'm asking about the footwork of going back.

    Please take a look at this example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKleqY5X4Q8

    Starting on 0:33 he goes to the forehand corner where he puts left over right.

    Starting on 1:54 he goes to the backhand corner where he takes a bit of a hop skip with his left foot. If he continues to move back I think he would move his left foot behind his right.

    Both of these footwork is what I use.
     
  11. OSFcross

    OSFcross Regular Member

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    My trainer taught me to just backstep (like sidestepping backwards, different from backpedalling) . I don't know about you, but for me it's faster this way. For deep corner shots, I tend to do 1 backstep, then a right-left-right to slow myself down and remain in rhythm for the shot. I never cross my legs or turn full side-on.
     
    #11 OSFcross, Feb 24, 2008
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2008
  12. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    I see now that you are looking at the complete footwork. The forehand footwork as shown in the video is one way, although it does not look very efficient because the second step with the left foot puts the player facing the back court, not unlike the footwork for the backhand clear. A better and faster way would be to push off with your right foot and turn your body sideways so that it faces diagonally towards the right side of the net, then skip back with both legs to hit the shuttle. This way you are always facing the front and at no time is your right leg facing the back right hand corner.

    In the forehand shot the right and left leg will finish close together or with the right foot slightly in front of the left leg if you do not turn the body when hitting the shot. But if you turn your body when hitting the shuttle then your right leg will finish in front of your left leg.

    The overhead (round-the-head) shot is typical with the typical skipping, and the finish with the right leg in front of the left is mandatory otherwise there wiil be a loss of power.
     
  13. coachgary

    coachgary Regular Member

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    To the forehand and backhand corners essentially the racquet foot needs to be placed nearer the back line than the non racquet foot.

    If you watch one of the CCTV videos, think its episode 3, the lady shows the footwork to the backhand corner. She shows a turn of the body firstly, step over with right then left then place right at contact with shuttle. (3 steps to contact). In practice this doesn't happen very often, even with pro players. Mostly will turn their body to angle towards backhand corner, step with left towards corner, chasse, then turn and hit placing racquet foot on contact.

    To the forehand corner it seems there are more subtle differences and types of footwork depending on the type of shot you are retrieving and time you have to play. Some will have a front crossover with non racquet leg, or a rear crossover, sometimes it will be a two footed take off and landing, sometimes there will be body rotation through shot and other times there wont be. Practice them all I would say. Ideally though your racquet foot needs to be nearer the baseline in preparation. After stroke you need to use your momentum from the shot to bring you back where possible.
     
  14. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

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    Thanks both of you for the tips. Coachgary I think your very right. Professional players use all three footwork of the front corssover, rear crossover, and two footed teke off to get to the forehand on different situations. While most of them uses the left under right to get to the backhand. I guess I will see which one is better of a rhythm to each situation.

    IE: A fast forehand back clear vs a slow clear.
     

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