Singles Power Player?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by arkanick, Jun 17, 2008.

  1. arkanick

    arkanick Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2008
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Singapore
    Is there anyway of playing singles well without excellent drops?

    I hardly use drops in my singles game, mainly smashes and lobs only, as those are the strokes i'm best at, especially smashes.

    Care to share any tactics in singles which concentrates mainly on just smashes and lobs?

    Thanks in advance :D
     
  2. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2005
    Messages:
    4,123
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    EU
    That'd be one very stressful game to play...
    but not for your opponent...

    If he/she notices you hardly use the forecourt, he can take a step back and just receive your smashes and clears...
    and then, when he retruns your smash short, you just lift it? (and lose the initiative and any posisble effect your smash might have?)

    In short, my question to you is: what do you do when your smash isn't a direct winner?
     
  3. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2003
    Messages:
    4,642
    Likes Received:
    298
    Location:
    Surrey, UK
    It's important to understand how the different strokes are connected to each other.

    As jerby said, the effectiveness of your smash is greatly reduced if you have no good net play. And if you never play a drop shot, it's much easier for your opponent to cope with your clears and smashes: he can stand deeper in the court, with a somewhat lower stance in anticipation of the smash.

    For tactical ideas about using smashes and lobs, check out these pages:...but notice how most of these tactics depend on being able to move your opponent into the forecourt too. In particular, note the connection between smashes and tight spinning net shots.

    Also note the importance of a positive forwards recovery after a good smash: you need to be looking for the next shot at the net.
     
  4. arkanick

    arkanick Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2008
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Singapore
    Well, i can drop, but just that i'm not very confident of net play. Therefore i don't do it most of the times unless my opponent has a slower footwork than i do, or unless i'm out of ideas to return the shot.

    What my coach has taught me to playing singles is to play lobs/drops at the start of the rally to build up my confidence, and when the opponent's clear is not to the baseline, i'll just smash it down.
     
  5. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2005
    Messages:
    4,123
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    EU
    ...and after you smash...then what?
     
  6. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Stockton, California
    If you have good clears and smash, and he actually have to take a step back. Then your drops will be very effective.

    Jerby is absolutely correct:

    If you don't drop, your opponent will stay in the back. Your smashes will be slow no matter how fast you try to smash it. When you don't drop your opponent court becomes smaller. You wouldn't want your opponent to have a small court. You don't have to drop all the time, just mix it in every three or four shots or when the time is right.
     
    #6 KazeCloud, Jun 17, 2008
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2008
  7. dukke88

    dukke88 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2008
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    York Region, Canada East
    besides your opponent staying at the back... you will get really tired by just smashing and that why there are drop shots...drop shots basically let you rest and keep you in the game without being tired.
     
  8. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Stockton, California
    Well I don't know about that. I also get tired running up to perform drop shots and running back to the center. But yes making smashes all day long from the back court will force you to run forward extremely fast when he returns with a drop. Your smash goes to him fast, so he will receive it fast also, and then he drops it.
     
  9. Iwan

    Iwan Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2002
    Messages:
    1,874
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Singapore
    Pls shoot your coach :p cause no good player is simply going to hand to you an awkward clear for you to smash away at. You have to earn it from them. So if you want to be a better player to play with those good players, you better brush up on your dropshots and netshots. IF you don't want to do these two, then start running 20km everyday and make sure you run it in one hour. Cause playing a smashing and lobbing only singles game will demand that kind of stamina. Even then, you'll probably still be puffing out compared to those good players who have a complete set of strokes to run you around silly.
     
  10. Badmintan

    Badmintan Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2007
    Messages:
    999
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    NA
    Good question....if I have the speed, I will dive for a netkill ala Lee Chong Wei.
     
  11. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Stockton, California
    I have a question. Do you guys play clears only when your in trouble or to just mix things up in the back court?
     
  12. jhirata

    jhirata Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2007
    Messages:
    2,431
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand, New Z
    Here's what I focus on.
    Movement Pressure.

    I just focus on tight net shots, fast attacking clears, etc and all that until the opponent makes a flaw.. that's when I start smashing here and there.
     
  13. Joseph

    Joseph Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2002
    Messages:
    1,247
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I'm a defense and control freak so I do play clears in the back. I'm more comfortable defending and returning shots than attacking.
     
  14. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Stockton, California
    So am I. Haha. Maybe my smashes don't come up winners all the time or just too slow. I just feel better controlling it via clears and drop. That does not mean I do them in inappropriate situations all the time. If I had the option to clear and smash, I'd choose a clear more likely than a smash. Such as when I'm returning a drop shot. I'd feel happy clearing and dropping. In the back court, you shouldn't be smashing that much anyways, unless you have a very strong smash.
     
  15. Dead Fish

    Dead Fish Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2008
    Messages:
    36
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Teacher
    Location:
    Alberta, Canada
    While it is possible to do well in singles while only using smashes and clears you'd be defeated easily if your opponent decided to drop and you constantly did clears which would constantly set them for their shot of choice. My advice is to get a friend to do do net shots back and forth with you and get them to feed you shuttles to practice dropping. Of course it is possible to use accurate shots and force your opponent to inconvenient places where they are more likely to either clear or miss the shot which is hard and highly inadvisable.
     
  16. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Stockton, California
    I don't have a problem dropping. I do mix it in. Sometimes its actually better to clear that drop instead isn't it? Yes it makes them run the most if you re drop their overhead drop, but if they know that and runs extremely fast to the net, you should clear it.
     
  17. jerby

    jerby Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2005
    Messages:
    4,123
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    EU
    when you talk about tactics "sometimes" is indeed a very appropriate word ;)

    Because sometimes your opponent leans forward a lot, and is focused to reach that dropshots as high as possible.
    And sometimes your opponent leans back, hoping for a clear he can smash.
    And sometimes, they're just lazy/smart and wait neutrally at their base ;)

    There's no single successful approach to singles, but I will say this: in 80% of the time, the most dangerous shot you can play is a short shot.
    Now, I don't mean to say "abolish all clears and lifts", please do not misrepresent me as such :p
     
  18. Dead Fish

    Dead Fish Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2008
    Messages:
    36
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Teacher
    Location:
    Alberta, Canada
    The point of the different shots is to make your opponents miss it, even if they run fast to the front if you can get them there with a netshot then clear it would be far more effective then simply clearing which would allow your opponent an easier shot. There is also the strategy of forcing your opponent to move so they run out of stamina early making your game easier in the long term. The ideal type of play is a mixture of the two. Just my opinion anyways.
     
  19. Athelete1234

    Athelete1234 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2007
    Messages:
    1,677
    Likes Received:
    7
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Canada
    Of course, the short shots are only effective if the opponent knows that you may force them back with a clear or lifts.

    Either way, clears and lifts are only effective with drops and netshots. Same with vice versa.
     
  20. KazeCloud

    KazeCloud Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Student
    Location:
    Stockton, California
    I was referring more to returning the opponents overhead drop. When they run forward I like to clear it back to them instead of dropping it. This would not systematically allow them an easier shot, and can be more devastating than dropping it.
     

Share This Page