Unforced Errors

Discussion in 'General Forum' started by Matt Ross, Aug 3, 2002.

  1. Matt Ross

    Matt Ross Regular Member

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    Hi,

    You cant avoid them, they are always there lurking in a rally, and aint they annoying? At the moment i seem to be playing so many unforced errors it is untrue, and not only does it pee me off, it is dis-heartening. Playing incredible face pace rallies until bam, finaly it goes into the net. Really getting on my nerves, yet it is something that cannot be avoided, even the top internationals play 1 or 2 unforced errors, but i am playing so many at the moment. As i said, you cannot hide from them, it's just a case of when they happen and at what point in the game.

    Matt
     
  2. wedgewenis

    wedgewenis Regular Member

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    u need to practice some drills for consistency
    furthermore you need to take a look at what shots you are messing up on most and focus on those

    i hate errors

    i love badminton rallies.. i am disapointed even when my opponents make errors
    not neccessarily in tournaments, becuase then i want to win anyway i can take it

    but in a game i ususally just want to have a good battle.. and unforced errors really messup any potentially great rallies :0
     
  3. Dimo

    Dimo Regular Member

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    Try regular practises with stroke and movement repetitions. Can be a bit dull, and you will need to be committed, but it does have its benefits. Now the hard part - finding someone equally willing to practise to improve.
     
  4. UkPlayer

    UkPlayer Regular Member

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    I agree with the above comments. As well as practicing for consistency I think you also have to look at a few things when you are playing and analyse them after the game.

    1. Whether the opponent is putting you under enough pressure to force the error. If so then perhaps you need to work on your defence. I know this is technically classed as a forced error, but sometimes you need to know what the distinction is.
    2. Whether there are any particular strokes which are causing errors. If so, you may be catching the shuttle too late or the skill may need adjustment.
    3. Whether you are relaxed enough during the game to play the strokes or whether you are forcing the game. If you are tense then you are more likely to make a mistake.
    4. Shot selection. Whether you feel that every stroke must be a winner and go for risky shots. If you are trying to play very tight all the time and make the shot a winner then there are going to be errors unless you are extraordinary in consistency. Could need patience to wait for the opportunity.
    5. Fitness. If you are knackered then you are more likely to make an unforced error.
     
    #4 UkPlayer, Aug 4, 2002
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2002
  5. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    Gosh do I know about that. Sometimes I feel like I throw away half a game, sometimes giving away points just with the serve return.

    I think UkPlayer hit it right on with #4. Sometimes our opponent is so good, or we perceive them as so good, that we try to be too fine. We try to make the perfect shot to put the opponent in serious trouble, or we try to rush the rally to a conclusion with a great shot. Sometimes the mind and body are working well and we can do it, but if we're a little off, we just hurt ourselves.

    Notice how basketball players or other athletes get into a rhythm where everything seems to be going right? When things are going like that for us, it's the time when we can push it to the edge. Otherwise, it's better to give ourselves a little margin for error, especially early in the game. Obviously we don't want to make the shot so safe that the opponent doesn't have to work, and that's where the practice comes in.

    By playing it a little cautious, we may have to run a little more and work a little harder, but in the meantime, we may get some confidence and things will start to click for us on the court and we can push the limits out a little. It's terrible to be super fit and lose without even getting to breathe hard.

    Speaking of confidence, don't underestimate it's significance in a close game.
     
  6. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Also can consider if the opponent is making you play an error but you perceive it as an unforced error.
    Example:
    you hit drop shot
    opponent replies with a low shot that lands around the T-junction.
    you approach the shuttle and try to hit the shuttle to a corner (either forecourt or rear court)
    The shuttle lands outside of the court.

    Is that an unforced error or did the opponent play the low shot (from the drop) in such a way that made you produce the error(in which case it becomes a forced error!)?
     
  7. dlp

    dlp Regular Member

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    Yes there are some "unforced" errors but generally its more relevant to look at patterns of play and repeated situations when analysing a game.

    Not hitting unforced errors is a very subjective evaluation at best, start at the technical standard of the shots and movement , look at the fitness levels, then the mental attitude if all of these are good then maybe you can say ok thats an "unforced" error

    Also if you play close to your limit you will make mistakes, if you serve to skim the net you will serve in the net sometimes, perhaps on balance this risk is acceptable because you know the quality of your opponents is such that you need to skim the net to get in the rally, so there are many factors here, your confidence, your opponents, your serve technique, the match situation.

    Conversley if you high serve two feet short and your opponent hits a smash which you fail to return its not the block which is the "error"

    Often there is something which leads to the error or is the root cause of the inconsistency
     
  8. GRObFURSt

    GRObFURSt Regular Member

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    I hate when you make error on a shot that will look spectacular when executed but looks totally crazy when it trickles on your side of the net.
     
  9. Slanter

    Slanter Regular Member

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    I agree with dlp. Badminton is a very subtle game and there are a whole range of pressure upon players throughout a match. The distiction between a forced error and an unforced error is very fine. Often it is informative to examine an individuals pattern of interpretation. When placed in the same situation - for example waiting for a smash and the opponent plays a half smash which you then hit out - different players will interpret that is different ways. Some will blame themselves while others will not.

    In the main though it is you who knows best whether you made an error. Often this does not have to mean you lost the point. Many is the the time when I have aimed the shuttle comfortably in court only to hit a fantastic shot which clips the net and then the line with only a millimetre to spare.

    People who have trouble with errors should realise that the higher the level at which you play the game the less chance you have of winning points with outright winners. Far more points are won by errors. The trick is to find the balance in forcing the error from your opponent and not making the error yourself. The only way to do this is training hard and playing to your strengths.
     
  10. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    I consider an unforced error to occur when your opponent has not put you under any unusual pressure with the shot. You are in position OK and there is no legimate reason to make the mistake. For example, you are set up for a smash and you want to hit it to the side but it goes wide, or you are set up for an overhead drop and it goes into the net, or an attacking clear that goes long, or a low serve return that goes into the net. It can occur on defensive shots too, as when your opponent hits an overhead drop and you get there OK but your redrop doesn't clear the net or your clear goes out.

    Of course, it all depends on the relative skill levels of the players involved as to what should be expected to be a routine return.
     
  11. shabs

    shabs Regular Member

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    cali,u just spoke my mind!!!!
    i was in a tournament recently & came up against a national player in the 2nd round.
    i was constantly thinking that he was a national player & that i wd have to produce some excellent shots........yah thats how i screwed up

    in the match i served long around 8 times,dropped wide & smashed many times into the net just because i wanted to get that "perfect angle" so that every shot was a winner
    i practically handed him the match

    i tried kicking my ass later but just couldn't get my foot to reach my butt with the reqd force :D

    shabs
     
    #11 shabs, Aug 9, 2002
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2002
  12. iluvthesun

    iluvthesun Regular Member

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    Most of my unforced errors come from (attempted) drop shots from the baseline. They are almost always short so that the bird just clips the net, but sometimes they are high enough for a quick smash from the opponent. I've found that it's best to give a tap rather than a swing, aiming for a place 1.5 times the net height. Also, work on placement in the corners rather than dead on centre.
     
  13. woop.

    woop. Regular Member

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    I think the phrases "playing yourself in" or "getting your eye in" are often relevant in these situations. Sometimes going for the killer shot just demands too fine a margin of error. If you are missing a good few then you need to back off slightly, increase the margin of perfection you are aiming for, and just ensure you deliver a good shot. A few of these are likely to "get your eye in", also critically raising your confidence, and allowing you to then hone those shots back to the really fine margins that will help you beat the better players.

    When times are tough you might have to back off slightly, it's the better of two evils. It might not be nice to play a marginally less tight shots against a good player, but as long as your shot goes over it is one more shot they have to return. Unforced errors feel so bad because you have just given the point away for free.
     
  14. jwu

    jwu Regular Member

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    two days ago, during the first game of the day, both my opponents and I lost virtually all the points on unforced errors. It was one of those cold New England days and I guess we weren't properly warmed up yet either. nothing you can do about unforced errors except keep on practicing. i notice whenever I take a slightly longer than usual leave from the sport, I always come back with a lot of unforced in the first few games. just a sign of rust i guess.
     
  15. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    I suppose it is not possible to be error-free, especially when you are not in form for whatever reasons. We have witnessed silly errors made by even the best of world-class players from time to time during international competitions.

    But it is true to say that a better player is one who makes less errors, especially unforced errors.

    So that will be the day when we emerge as winners primarily owing to the unforced errors committed by our opponent. For we have become more consistent with our shots through long sessions of trainining in shot-making.

    Practice and competitions will bring us there. What other choice? For we love baddie.
     
  16. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Last night I played a good player with consistent high quality shots. But sometimes my replies would go out - is that a forced error? or unforced error?

    I can reach his shots
     
  17. blckknght

    blckknght Regular Member

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    from what you say Cheung it still seems like you're put under pressure just by the quality and accuracy of his shots. I guess it's up to you to guage whether or not it was a forced error, based whether or not your reply should have been better. normally any shot i miss i usually feel i should have been able to make... but i suppose at certain times you're just hoping!
    gregory
     
  18. blckknght

    blckknght Regular Member

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    sorry for the double post...

    I wanted to add something. playing games where you lose two points on an unforced error is a good way to cut them out!
     
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Yes, there seems to be a rather thin line separating the two types of errors depending on cirucumstances.

    Yet, implying from the two terms, a forced error appears to be one whereby you are 'forced' into making it. As in your case, when your opponent consistently executes high quality shots to put you under his control and hurries you to make weak returns. But, how would you define a situation when your opponent makes a good attacking clear and you try to return it with a drop shot but it falls short of the net? Were you being pushed into making a lousy shot or it is just that you do not drop well enough, meaning you are actually in a good position to return the shot yet the skill is lacking? Under normal circumstances this should be termed an "unforced error", as you should be able to execute a drop shot from baseline without much difficulty.

    Another example could be that your opponent has made a delicate drop shot for which you have anticipated and you are well at the net in time to return but instead hit it into the net. This will be an unforced error clearly. But if your opponent executes a deadly smash and you are caught out of position and you try to return it but the shuttle goes into the net, then this must be a forced error on your part.

    Generally speaking, when a player is in a good position and is not pressured into playing a chosen shot but yet he makes an error, that would be an "unforced" error, making such silly mistakes as hitting into the net and hitting out. The reverse is true of a "forced" error when your opponent is in control and puts you into all sorts of difficulties and forces you into making mistakes.
     
    #19 Loh, Dec 3, 2003
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2003

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