Hi, I am a guy age of 16 who likes badminton so much. Most of time I play doubles game instead of singles since I have played a lot at clubs and drop-ins. my skill level is advanced. I played single game with someone who is about intermediate or I can say someone who is not better than me. I lost, I don't know why, maybe I am just new to single game and new to the strategy. It's really annoying; it's like my tennis. I lose games to people I should not (I'm not good at tennis as much as at badminton but still I lose to people I shouldn't and at intense games, I get nervous and make unforced errors.) When I say "I lost to ___" then, people go "really?" I mean "really" as in "how did you?" I'm not trying to brag or anything, I just want to know why find out ways. Well, I can't hit almost any shots with great confidence at tennis but at badminton I can except deep cross-court backhand and cross-court backhand drop-shot. I don't use those shots very often. So, I guess I should say I don't have much confidence of making those shots. However, when my opponent and I rally, I dominate(as in I get better set-up, balanced as in not taking extra steps to take a shot and don't have to put much pressure to hit the bird back well and my opponent make unforced error too, which is a bit embrassing thing to do or maybe not but I think unforced error is terrible thing to make). I know I can beat those guys, their technics are pretty bad. I don't know maybe next time I should just give deep right and left corners since deep corners are still pretty offensive for those opponents who I lost to. and sometimes other variety of shots.
Man.. i feel that way too, except i don't consider myself an advanced player. Beginner or intermediate maybe. I face guys who only do drives which end up going out, or drops that are in the midcourt. While I send them running around the court, barely making their shots. Sigh. All i have to say is practice. Remember, don't ever underestimate your opponent. They may surprise you in many ways...I learned that the hard way
Techinique for singles As a doubles player, you would be more used to aggresive game play. For example smashing and taking net shot down. But, in singles it is more about moving your opponent with clears and drops. In doubles you can afford to attack the high shots as much as you can because your partner covers up while landing. Try to hit one straight one cross court. Only attack when there is easy kill offs which you are sure you will 90% finish the rally with that shot. Otherwise just keep moving your opponent. And try to use overhead more instead of backhand. If your opponent finds out that you cannot play backhand, he will try to force you to play backhand and just wait at his forehand side for killoffs. Instead, suprise him with overhead clear or crosscoart drops.
It's the whole mentality issue. You must learn to play singles in the mind before you can do so on court.
Yes I agree with you, I'm pretty sure I'd be better in a very short amount of time if I play singles game more often. So, I get it what you mean by mentality issue, so, how should I improve that? Actually my biggest issue of mentality is in tennis since I miss shots I shouldn't more often at tennis than badminton. But however, I do consider that I have issues with my mentality
Migrating from singles to doubles Since you play doubles, I assume you have good drives and smashes, that's your bread and butter. Smashes rarely win outright winners in singles [unless halfcourt] and is used as a build-up shot for strategic placement. In singles, the drop and clear rules. Play more angles (using slicing/deception), be sure to move your opponent to all 4 corners, back and forth. Then you must mentally prepare to take away his angle of return [coz you dun have a partner to cover your behind or front] Check out Gollum's tactics. Cheers
Everyone has given you some good advice on limited information. But I have to ask why you're only giving us limited information? If you play at an advanced level, I don't know how you can say: "I lost, I don't know why." Can you tell us how you're losing? Making too many unforced error? Getting smashed too much? Can't get to drop shots? What?
I'm sorry. Well, I'll tell you some points how I gave away. I lifted back deep but deep center(not to sides) then, he did a drop shot and I made a drop shot back but my drop shot was quiet high above the net and my opponent knew I was going to do the drop shot so, he made a shot of drive but kind of clear to my back hand and I couldn't reach since my footwork wasn't good enough. (Lost about 2points because of that). I made about 5 or 6 or 7 unforced errors. Such an unforced errors would be hitting a clear to doubles line although it was deep, missing drop-shots when my opponent gave me a clear. putting too much power on drive. (which I gave about 2,3 points I played serve point game not rally point). Missing serve 2 or 3 times. Missing(to the net) drop-shots about 5 times (gave about 2,3 points?) ya, I was winning like 10-5 and he was sweating very much and face was red but I was very unlike him. at the end of 2 games, I didn't feel tiredness . but I don't blame anyone cuz I know I can beat him Overall, I just know that all I need is practice, I bet I can beat him very soon. He can't not hit smash, if he tries, the shot is drive not smash, bad drop-shot (not barely going over the net which I have a trouble of doing). Since his footwork were bad ( when going to hit clears ) he sweat and was unbalanced when he tried to hit back deep clears but he still made it and send me back a shot with a deep clear. What I mean by advanced player is that I got considerable technics. To hit a birdy some people just move their wrist, use arm, and all just non-sense stuffs. But I set myself up to the birdy and hit them without any kinds of trashes (giving extra useless motions) on my body. Trust me, I'm advanced player, not bragging or anything, I just know... it's hard to tell without showing videos or playing in real. But I'm not that good that I won tournaments well, I never been one but I really love to since I believe myself. I just need to play more singles I only played about 5 games of singles and very very very much of doubles. And work on some drop-shots.
Well firstly, I think you need to give your opponent a lot more credit. You can't keep going around saying you're better than them after they beat you fair and square - you just come off sounding like a sore loser, and frankly a bit of a tw@t. Maybe you're just not quite as good as you like to think you are? (not uncommon among badminton players). According to your account of events, it seem you'd have us believe all except 2-3 of the points you lost were unforced errors (that includes missed serves etc) - an "advanced" player doesn't make that many mistakes, especially against a weaker opponent. Secondly, singles is a completely different game from doubles - just because you're a good doubles player, it doesn't mean you can play singles. I could be wrong, but I don't think there are too many players who compete at a high level in both. Anyway, as far as useful advice goes... You need to work on different shots - drops, clears, and net shots especially. You can't spare then energy to be smashing all the time - if you are going to play smashes, they'd better be winners, as you don't have a net player to pick off the short returns for you. Deception is more important, and singles also requires a whole different level of speed and stamina.
From your description, I can gather three reasons why you lost. 1) You did not play as consistently as your opponent. (half of this may be from the doubles to singles transition) 2) You underestimated your opponent and you underestimated singles. (confidence is good, up to an extent) 3) You didn't want to win. (You lost 0-2, and you "didn't feel tiredness". This shows pretty clearly that you were barely trying to play.)
I think I can agree with that. 1.)Advanced players should cut down their error count to as low as possible. Some errors, as hhwoot says may be due to you being less at home with singles as you are with doubles. You may be overrating yourself and putting too much expectation on yourself. Although good doubles players will have the same shots as good singles players, they won't necessarily have the tactical knowledge in singles as a singles player may do. You also may not have the speed or agility of a singles player - singles generally requires more speed and flexibility. You may have been getting to the shots but not getting there quick enough to make a high percentage shot, just a shot that may cause you to make an error. 2.)You may have seen yourself as better than your opponent and that the game would be easy. You should never have this attitude - go in to every match with an open mind, no matter how bad you think they may be. 3.)You may have thought that eventually, your "superior skills" would help you to win through. Don't ever think that. Work hard and try to get back in the game. If you lose, you should be absolutely spent, having given all your effort. That way, you'll never feel disappointed with defeat and you may win more games. Hope I've helped a little bit.
overfidence is allways a bad thing. My doubles partner is bad for it. Secondly, I know where your coming from. I do great in doubles but am just learning in singles. It takes time and is completely different. You'll find that clears are more useful, and smashes less useful.
Doubles = more drives/middle shots/smashes Singles = more clears/drops smashing too, but not as doubles I think that since you're used to doubles, you dont move as much as you would in singles. I play both, and i realize that i cant play doubles as im bad at drives... I think you just have to change your game up when you're playing singles. deep cross-court backhand and cross-court backhand drop-shot you need to work on that. as the person can keep spaming ur back hand and just killing it, and ultimately winning the game. Dont use backhand that much, try moving there faster and use overhead. you need to add variety to ur shots or else ur opponent will read u everytime. IMO theres not as much mix up of shots in doubles as there is doubles, thats why u can try new shots, like if ur opponent clears to ur backhand u can try: ex overhead smash down line, over head cross court drop(not smart,cause if ur opponent reads it then he'll drop back, but if ur opponent is cutting to the side waiting for u to have a bad return, then its good), over head clear, over head cross court clear, basically, if ur backhand is weak, dont use it.
Thanks for this guys... The advice here was great.. I play on a Varsity team at college and they make me play Singles for tournaments ( I am a doubles and mixed player), and everytime I play it... I get completely dominated by even the players without "technique", I make TONS of errors. It's just very diffrent....But I guess with more practice and play of singles, you will eventually get better. Thats all there is to it.. Thanks again
In doubles most of the time you only have two corners to worry about. In singles you need to create this situation with tactical play. You won't win if you constantly have all four corners to worry about.
I expirienced same situations as the first poster describes, and i still sometimes have them. For me I found, the reason of loosing again weaker playing opponents is 1) consistency of my shots and 2) my tactic. 1) Clears aren't really deep, wide shots are often few inches out, backhand drop too high, my body movements are too predictable for drops and so on 2) i often start to choose the right tactic, when the game is almost over. Some opponents need always to be sended forward and backward, some don't like net play, some are too slow for a good smash, some have weak smashs. When I get their weakness, it's often too late. But when playing one opponent for longer time, it's my consistency of shots as described at 1). I decided two things to do: first - watch very carefully for perfect balance and unreadable body language and second - only to make shots, which I'm confident to not make errors. So cross court overhead fast drop shot is not any an option for me, if I dont clearly lead in a game. No backhand straight smash any more, no jumping forward to attack short serve in singles, no cross court smash defence. I think, it helps me.
Backhand smash down the line can often be better than the backhand cross court variant, it all depends on where your opponent is. Attacking short serves that aren't great can be the difference between winning and losing a point. Push or drive to the backhand corner of your opponent. Cross court smash defence is again, often very effective. A short cross-court smash block can force your opponent to lift and change the momentum in your favour. A cross court lift can make your opponent at least run if he wants to continue the attack. If the lift is flatter and closer to a drive or attacking clear, it can often lead to your opponent having to hit a defensive clear and again, put you on the attack.
Yes, that's true and i'm playing these strokes, when it goes well. But when I lack good play, i try to let out difficult strokes because of high error rate. I'm not good enough to play every stroke perfectly under pressure.
