Yes.. probably the best non-costly way of improving footwork and the speed of your footwork. I do it as well.
its important also to vary the routine and sequence of corners you travel to and the type of shot you shadow. Learn how to cope with changes of direction, also getting back to the area you just came from, its all to easy to slip into a habit of just running through your base covering the diagonals without thinking. Practice all the shots during you shadow routines, intercept smashes and netkills, round the head movements to b/h side etc etc.
These are both good forms of training. Shadow badminton, however, is not enough on its own. You need to augment it by practising the footwork in a more game-like situation. Use corners work: feeder stands in one corner, and you hit back to him. He feeds randomly to all four corners, and can even use deception; but he should not put you under so much time pressure that your footwork breaks down.
Should be good. Even current nationals do it. The train on reflexes as well. So, I guess everyone who is serious about improving their game will have to do it. Me too!
Sadly my friend was doing it and struck a fence with his racquet while shadow-training TWICE and broke two racquets.. A pro-kennex dynasty-something racquet and a babolat..
HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA no way... lol tell me more well... i use to hit the shuttle against my bedroom wall because i have a 8ft ceiling. it didnt make marks.. what made the marks was when i was pretending to jump smash... or i would just stand there and do a full arm swing for a smash,, all you hear is... *BANGG! and then white dust falls down... thank god i havnt broken a light.
How much time should it take you to cover all the four corners of a court once, assuming you're playing a fast paced game, and the shots you're 'shadowing' are attacking clears? (forehand front-forehand back-backhand back-backhand front in any order)
Yes way, it did happen.. well, that's according to him.. I didn't see it happen, but I did see the two broken racquets. haha.. i tried jumpsmashing in my bedroom.. i made a huge red mark on the ceiling because my MP40 had a red paintjob on it.. So I just came up with a random reason..: I threw a red crayon around the room. So.. I think that the best option for shadow training is.. not to use a racquet.. just practise basic footwork..
i dunno about timing, but i figured shadow playing is practice to proper number of steps to take first, then once that has settled, just trying go faster and faster, and don't do the same pattern, always mix it up after a while
