Hi, I was wondering about when it's the right time to make a smash because when I play vs my friends, who are less better than me in badminton but with more muscles, can retrieve my smashes quite easily even if my smashes are stronger than theirs. So I thought that it's because I don't smash at the right time and I shot directly on them without finding a place to land it so they are already prepared to return my smash with ease. Maybe it's because of my lacks of experience or something else but it seems that it is harder to perform a technique with a shuttle than just doing the movement in the air without a shuttle. Well, professionnal players doesn't smash all the time, I think they are waiting for the right moment but in some case, I see that the opponent is already ready to recover a smash and they miss to do it. Is there any reason? I have played in few provincial tournaments and the best I got was to past the first round. I'm almost 16 now and I have played badminton for 3 years.
It's important to consider not only your smash power, but also your smash placement. Skilled defenders will have an easy time returning smashes that are within a convenient racket swing. Generally, smashes should be angled steeply downwards, rather than flat (although flat smashes are sometimes an effective variation). In singles, smashes are mainly aimed towards the sidelines, forcing the opponent to move quickly. In doubles, smashes are mainly aimed at the racket hip area of the straight defender, cramping his racket swing. For more details, you might like to read my singles smash tactics and doubles attacking angles pages.
