Doubles Problem UghhH!!

Why not go back to singles??? Doubles tactics..you'll have to learn from scratch if you're not used to it... and I unno how you could reach OFSAA without a really good smash...or at least decent enough to use in doubles.

 

reaching OFSAA is one thing, depends on ur zone, but doing well is completely different. If your zone sucks, ull be amazed at the level of play at OFSAA...i suggest u stick to singles because in my zone, top 2 advance to OFSAA, and the tournament is double elimination...if you're confident u 2 are the best in ur zone, just play and ull both make it.

 

totally agree. if you are good at singles, should just stick to it. so what if you have to play your friend. you will still be friends after a game of singles (so what if you have to play them). because some of my good friends play for different clubs, we play each other all the time in regional competitions. doesn't stop us from being friends.

........ or is it you and your friend don't want to know who is the better player so just stick to doubles?

trust me, its very hard for two accomplished singles players to pair up and play doubles as the footwork is quite different. and as you found out, will chase a lot of the same shuttles.

advice...... you will probably make further in singles than doubles (unless the other doubles pairings are pretty bad).

 

Truesay about zones. Last year, grade 10, so junior, my friends were top 2 in our school, and after lots of struggling in the second tournament, found the final tournament a piece of cake because their zone was so much harder than all of the other ones.

 

I have an answer for the consistent smashing.

I probly have so many more coaches than anyone else - but this coach was very individual in his coaching techniques.

He tought us other ways of playing badminton. He makes us choose how hard we want to work. And that the current badminton tactics also do have there downs.


To keep you at the back , you could try a mixed serve , when your serving and when hes serving the normal 'default' mens doubles stance for serving.

When your opponent is serving and your attacking , play at net shot or drive then switch. O.k if you play a net shot - your opponent comes running in to that corner with their racket high . If the opponent then plays a cross , then your partner will be there , if your opponent plays a straight net , then your partner should hit the shuttle back in there face , if they lift you can smash.
When your partner is attacking the serve - do the normal method and play an attacking shot , so your at the back , and your partner at the front.

The method when you and your partner switch around - should also surprise them. The endless county matches when me and a partner do this , is hilarious because of the opponents look on the face , when your partner comes running in with there racket high.

Hope this helps.

 

Did you play juniors last year, or seniors?? Singles or doubles?

 

no....... that's not funny at all. i was the same with two or three of my frends too.

we are all very similar level, growing up we'd all play for the same team. hence did not have to face each other and would usually beat other sides quite comfortably because of our similar levels whereas other teams although having good players, varied in team strength hence had quite poor doubles and weaker singles lower down.

later on when we were split into different clubs and entered tournaments etc... we would usually hope not to be in the same part of the draw or play at a different position for our club, so that we didn't have to meet each other.

but like the Federer's and Nadal's of tennis, great players will always meet each other, and will have to face each other no matter what. if your levels are quite similar, you will win some and lose some. but in the end.... playing and giving it your best (and of course enjoying the game) against your friend is the best thing.

i know that now whenever i play some of my frends, we will most enjoy the game and all pumped up when we meet each other

 

...wut. is this a joke?

 

lol someone is pretty tank. if you can consistently reach 240km/h, i don't think it matters about doubles. you'll still kick ass if your partner is anywhere near your level. and if he is anywhere near your level, he will have a decent smash. just like Cai Yun's smash seems weak next to Fu Haifeng, but it's still useful enough to get the job done.

the thing is that most advanced player of either singles or doubles should be able to play the other disciplines fairly well. unless you're pro and specialize, you should be able to play both singles and doubles. if you two are of the same level, then you should understand each other well, meaning you will know who is capable of what. this will help in your team work.

talking also helps. me and my normal doubles partner constantly talk about different scenarios and what we'd do. the communication doesn't always have to be on court

 

lol..... it happens in the locker room after a bad match.


actually, although not pro and specializing in a discipline, i still believe two great singles players will more likely clash and 'go for the same shuttle' more often than a pair who usually plays doubles together, and knows each other's game well. i'm not saying two singles players won't do well, but just in case, to make it further should just stick to singles until doubles has more practice. trust me, sometimes the score can get quite ugly against a full-on doubles attacking pair

 

I remember when I first played doubles with my brother we would jump for the same shuttle and clash a few times here and there. But then we worked out system to fix all this. If one of us was going for the smash we would raise our hands kinda like a tennis serve. Or when playing net I would pretend to smash and show him a signal behind my back and he'll just tap it over.

Then we use our physic powers since we are brothers and look alike we can tell what we are both thinking. xD

 

Hmm... there will be easier way to get the communication done by working out who has priority over the shot. It'll be kinda funny when both of you raise your hands in sync due to "some workdone divided by time".

Back on the topic, it's hard for 2 singles player to play double. A well coordinated but weaker pair can outplay 2 better players. You need to go back to the basics of the doubles attacking/defending system and work your way from there. Else, you might end up playing double-singles instead. Get a lot more exposure at this time so you can smooth out your cooperative kinks -- this will appear during play and then you can talk about it during or after the game.

2 things I learnt about doubles play that is very distinct from singles play:

1. Take more risk. Do faster/meaner shots. There are shots you will not even consider as a singles player because you cannot recover in time for the reply. Don't worry, that's what your partner is for.
2. Always be aware of where your partner is. This affects your choice of shots.

In your case, your partner will ideally try to set you up for the smash and you will try to set your partner up for the net. In this case, when counter-attacking, block/drive cross-court and get your partner to block/drive straight. This will set him up to cover the front. Also, work out a couple of schemes for rotation in case you are caught in the reverse setup. If your partner have a good drop, he can try to execute a straight drop and rotate forward. Again, this must be communicated before hand so you will not both rush to cover the net.

 

The shots are very different from singles to doubles like everyone said. The pace is different and a tight rotation is key to a good combination. I'd suggest signing up for singles unless the level of play is fairly low.

Personally, I think the mixed style is a terrible idea. Its telling your opponent right off the bat that your friend isn't as good in the back. Any half-decent pair will easily exploit this weakness in a competitive game.

If you still insist on going as a doubles team, I'd get as much experience as possible, especially the rotation. Play as many different teams as possible, and practice rotating fluidly with a coach feeding you shuttles at different spots. Good luck. Its pretty easy to spot a singles player trying to play doubles though.

 

Maybe watch how Cai/Feng the Chinese doubles play because one of them is a smasher the other is a net player.