getiing my contact right

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by wind rider, Oct 25, 2002.

  1. wind rider

    wind rider Regular Member

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    ive being playing badminton for quite some time now, buy my coach says my contact isnt getting better at all, he also said that if i get this right all my shots from my smashes to my drops would improve..

    is there anyway i can improve my contact?
     
  2. benfok

    benfok Regular Member

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    You can tell whether you hit the right spot by listening to the cracking sound of the shuttle as you hit it. The right sound would be a snapping crack, very crisp and loud. Anything other than that would be not right.

    To hit the sweet spot, you want to time your stroke. Play around with the timing and make sure your arm is up in the air, not level to your shoulder.

    Ben
     
  3. jwu

    jwu Regular Member

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    When I was taught badminton, I was told to use your non-racquet hand to follow the shuttle and use it as a guide for your hitting hand. So you basically will play with both arm raised above your shoulders before most hits. This way, it actually helps you extend your racquet arm fully too. Give that a try, if you hit the shuttle right, like Ben said, it will be a very clear sound. Good luck.
     
  4. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    I don't know if this is what your coach is talking about or not. There is a point in the swing where the maximum amount of power is transferred to the shuttle (this is true in tennis, baseball, golf, and any sport where an object is being contacted). I notice with some players, including myself at times, that the shuttle is hit before that point is reached. As the wrist pulls the racket through the swing, the shuttle is hit with the racket face still open, so the power point hasn't been reached yet. The player has to concentrate on bringing the racket head through the swing faster. I can distinctly feel when I've done it right or not, and there is more power with less effort.

    So often I read people posting, "My coach told me I'm not doing it right." Don't these coaches take the time to explain precisely what they mean and then demonstrate what should be happening?
     
  5. jwu

    jwu Regular Member

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    No matter how many times the coach can explain or demonstrate, it is still up to the individual to learn how to EXECUTE that action through practice.
     
  6. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Yup, just gotta play more, hit more shuttles and readjust your technique.
     
  7. benfok

    benfok Regular Member

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    I totally agree with Californian. If you hit the shuttle too early, you won't have enough power. And if you feet are position correctly, you can't swing right either. A lot of time I try to hit the shuttle while I was in the air and I could't hit it with power because I have nothing to leverage myself.

    Ben
     
  8. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    The best illustration I can think of for what I described is the way players of different levels hit the underhand clear when coming up to the net.

    -The beginner takes a long uppercut swing with the arm, using little or no wrist.

    -The more experienced player uses some arm swing and some wrist action.

    -The advanced player approaches the net with the arm extended, maybe with the wrist slightly cocked, maybe not, but with just a flick of the wrist where the racket head may seem to travel only 6 inches, the bird jumps off the racket. This is due not only to the very rapid acceleration of the racket head, but also the shuttle is hit at just the right moment when the acceleration is at its peak.

    The timing for this is critical and takes lots of practice, but the result is a crisp hit where the bird seems to pop off the racket.

    Wind rider, I'm not sure if this is what your coach meant. He should do more than just tell you something's wrong.
     
  9. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    I agree, but most of the people who write in for help sound like they haven't got a clue about what the coach meant. Maybe it's a group lesson and the coach seems too busy to ask, or maybe the people are too shy to ask, or maybe I just don't understand their coach-student relationships, but it seems to me to be an incomplete job for the coach to make a vague reference to a flaw and leave it at that.
     
  10. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Sometimes people learn different techniques at different speeds.
    Some just learn slowly overall.
    Some don't concentrate.
    Some don't have enough time with the coach.
    There are other coach related factors as well.

    Myriad of reasons for ineffective learning.
     
  11. wind rider

    wind rider Regular Member

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    today this chinese coach saw me play and said tat i played fine, only problem is that i was too tense......looks like time to change my coach~~
     
  12. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    Actually, the two coaches could be somewhat in agreement. Your arm needs to be initially relaxed, then the muscles are suddenly contracted to make the good, crisp shot we're talking about. With tense muscles, you can't snap the racket at the bird.

    Sometimes, it takes more than one perspective or explanation to make things clear. The problem with using a single coach is that you only get one point of view and it's only communicated one way.
     
    #12 Californian, Oct 26, 2002
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2002

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