Smash problem

You can probably smash better cross court than straight because you had a slice problem to begin with. Smashing cross court would probably have allowed you to hit the bird correctly. And with your lighter racket, it probably wasn't a problem and didn't really affect your hitting. Now that you've switched to a head heavy racket, the problem is probably more apparent and with you trying to fix it you probably developed some other hitting habit.

If you play around my area, I could probably take a look and help you fix it. But other than that, I can only question what you're doing and bring up ideas that could potentially lead to a fix.

 

Hi, I likewise have a problem with slicing when smashing, it's infuriating and usually ends up with me trying to hit harder and harder and this just ends up making it worse.

I have tried to analyse my smash though not easy without seeing it from anothers perspective. I currently have it down to 2 reasons;

1, I am not opening the racket face properly - which in turn could be down to my point of impact being too early

2, I am trying to hit the shuttle too close to it being over the top of my head and not out by my shoulder.

then again it could be neither...

any advice much appreciated

 

You're absolutely right, you're hitting the shuttle with the racquet face at the wrong angle. How to fix it is tricky.
Some of my coachees think of hitting the shuttle with the palm of their hands, some of them like to see the back of their hands when they hit. Another way is to spend an hour or so with a friend just feeding up shuttles, and playing with the timing.
Are your clears sliced as well?

 

thanks, I think I will take your advice and have someone feed me.

funnily enough my clears aren't sliced at all - one of the few shots I am happy with

 

You may not have rotated your grip towards panhandle when you smash. When smashing/driving (usually), you are hitting the shuttle a bit more forward than when you clear so the grip has to be rotated slightly to adjust for the changed impact point.

Take a look at Gollum's excellent grip guide or look up (google) Lee Jae Bok's video explanation on the smash.

 

Well make an effort to review; obviously there's somethign up with your technique if you're slicing like that, so you should try to find all potential causes of the problem, not just the racquet.

 

Maybe the new AT900 (P or T?) is a bit too head heavy for your wrist's liking. Sometimes, when your wrist is not strong enough to wield a heavier head racket, the wrist (even your body) will naturally curve or twist to a more comfortable positions to accommodate (or compensate the lack of wrist strength). Overtimes, if this go on uncheck, even when you have built up sufficient wrist strength, you might already develop a wrong way of smashing (bad habits as golfers say). If I may suggest, change back to your old racket or a head lighter racket where you are more comfortable smashings and build up more wrist strength between these period. Once your wrist strength is ready to wield a heavier head racket, switch back to the AT900 and you should enjoy your smashs as per your usual ways.

 

For me opposite from you smashfosho. I smashed with my armortec 700 pretty good, but when i switch to armortec 900 Tech. I just couldn't smash with the racquet. First it's kinda weird how, I can't feel the sweet point of the racquet. Always feel like hitting way up top of the racquet.
And For smashing, I can't smash it with follow through motion. I only smash with my wrist. accurate, but no power. Well consider with armortec 700 I think i only able to get like 2/3 power out of the 900 T.
Anybody have problem smashing with this racquet too? 900 T?

 

HoW long have you been using your AT900? I got the same impression when i started using the AT900. i thought that since it is a high end model, my strokes/smash will be better but i cannot get used to the head haeavy racket so i keep changing to my old racket. However, after a while of pursuing to use this AT900, probably my body has been condtioned to using AT900 after sometime using it, now i really like it since my smashes are more crisp and more power than using other balance rackets. Probably you're still in adjustment period. Just keep on using it and surely after sometime you'll always want to use it.

 

yea, i don't get to play badminton much, from the time i got my racquet until now. probably i only able to get to play badminton, like 3 times? lol, and it has been 1 month something almost 2 months now.
and yea those 3 times i didn't really play and practice, just hit around, my knee were injure so i only hit around, didn't really have enough time to adjust the smash.

 

Prob Just your Mettle being tested, relax as it comes take a step back take your time and snap the wrist.