I was reading on badminton bible that in doubles you should always attack w/ smashes and be careful to not let them counter attack it. But what if you smashes aren't too fast? They may counter attack it. Do you still smash as much or use fast drops? Or is their any other strategy to use. I also play girls doubles, so not all our smashes are fast. First step, I know is to get smashes faster. Thanks
If your smash is not strong enough, focuse on the angle and accuracy. Place your shots away from your opponents. ie, hit the tramlines or in the middle between the opponents. Vary your shots to move your opponents around so that your shot is more effective when you do smash. Practice smashing with your entire body.
Smashes don't have to be fast to be deadly. Placement is just as important, whether it's steep, into the tramlines, racket hip, or down the middle.
It does depend on the balance of your abilities and your opponents'. If your smashes are weak relative to their defensive skills, then you should consider adjusting the "standard" strategy to better fit the actual game situation. Drop shots are an excellent way to maintain your attack, without taking as much risk of a counter-attack; they are also less exhausting than smashes. On its own, a drop shot will rarely finish a rally; but it may provoke a slightly short lift that is vulnerable to a follow-up smash. I should also note a couple of points about that Badminton Bible article. First, it's intended to explain tactics at a very high standard of play, on the understanding that substantial adjustments must be made to these tactics, depending on the actual abilities of the players. Second, it's primarily written with men's doubles in mind. Top-level women's doubles is still a fierce attacking game, but much less so than men's doubles. Even at the world-class level, the women use plenty of clears and drops. This is because they don't have the sheer physical power to punch through world-class defences (whereas the men do). It's clear that I need to make some adjustments to that article, and I also need to write some accompanying articles. I wanted to emphasise the importance of attacking play in doubles, as most club players don't understand it. But I may have over-emphasised this, to the neglect of other considerations. In short, it's a work in progress.
Ahh, I c. I'm mostly playing against C/D girls doubles, sometimes B. Also, what kind of strategy should I adjust? What would be a good strategy? And I try to angle my smashes steeper, but it always ends up hitting the net D :. Usually my smashes land in the middle of the court and its not too fast. If I play against boy doubles they tend to block it, if girls I have a chance of winning the point. Is their anything I can do to fix this? Thanks!
Compared to other men in our club, my smash is a tad weaker. And the only way for my opponents not to counter-attack it is to make it as steep as possible, which is another problem for me because I'm not tall. That's why I was forced to learn how to do a jump smash. But if you can't jump, practice angled steep shots. Don't lose confidence. Just do it over and over and over again. Eventually, performing steep smashes will be just natural for you.
Thanks, I'm pretty short too. About 5'3 w/ shoes on. How do I perform angled steep smashes though? By snaping my wrist more, my smashes would go into the net.
There's only so much angle you can get without jumping. It's also not really common for girls to jump (not saying you're not allowed) and I think trying to power your way through your opponents will be tough. If you want more power, find out if you're using correct technique. There's also an alternative way for girls to "jump smash" which is more like a hop to transfer weight into your shot.
My technique I think is correct. I've been looking up youtube videos and my coach says it is. Oh I kinda hop sometimes too. How would I make my smashes steeper though, since when I try snapping my wrist more to make it steeper or angle it, it tends to go right into the net. Thanks.
Steeper smashes require a higher contact point. Your only choice is to jump if you really want a steeper smash than what you have already.
If you think your technique is correct, and your problem is that the shuttle gets caught up in the net, then you must practice it repeatedly until you get the feel of it and hit the shuttle just exactly above the tape. And yes, it's correct to snap your wrist. When doing a smash, there should be a full arm swing for strenght and then followed by a wrist movement for angle. Do you still remember when you were still learning badminton? At first, you don't feel the shuttle. You don't have a rythm. You have no control of the direction. And then, eventually, with practice, you could start feeling the touch, the impact, and the direction. That's what I'm trying to say. At first, you have no control of the angle and the steepness. Eventually, you'll be able to control it.
aw, that sucks. I guess I have to work on getting more power then. And I have to work on strategy. How would I do those mostly?
I had 2 friends (girls) who played C men's doubles. The guys they played against could out power them, but they didn't rely on smashes to win their matches. There are other ways to win; strong defense, opponents unforced errors, etc. Power could come from improved technique or just working out. Strategy comes from noticing patterns or weaknesses and taking advantage of that (my personal opinion).
Yes. This is true. Especially for vertically challenged guys. But I've seen ladies who are not so tall who can perform a smash that could not be counter attacked, without jumping. Remember CkcJsm, It's not about the height. But if you could jump, that's better. If you couldn't, don't be discouraged coz you could still perform steep smashes. Do you know Gail Emms? She's also 5'3". And if you're gonna watch her XD Olympic match against Lee YD/Lee HJ, it was her weaker angled smash that gained them points. The Koreans were feeding off from the strength of Nathan Robertson's smash. But when it was Gail Emms's turn to smash, the Koreans' defences were penetrated. My point is, it's not all about the strength. It's also about the angle and placement. Just keep on practicing. During play time, even if your smash hits the net, don't lose confidence. Just do it over and over again until you get the hang of it and get the feeling of the right smash execution.
Also, it's worth noting that you don't necessarily have to be consistently smashing as long as your opponents aren't either. This is where placement and variety come into play. Sometimes, when I'm playing very competitive matches, it almost becomes a game of "who can go the longest without lifting" because you don't want to concede the smash. You can aim for trying to keep the bird low by driving and pushing: things you can do, regardless of height. Even offensive clears can be game-winners if your opponent is fully convinced that you're going to smash or drop. With good placement and effective mixing of your shots, your smashes can be every bit as deadly as someone who's taller/stronger.
At C/D level, you have a lot more options. In particular, you can exploit the opponents' poor footwork. Pay attention to where they're standing. If they're a long way from the net, then try a drop shot. It might not win you the point right away, but you'll often get a short return, so you can play your next smash from mid-court instead of from the back. If they're standing closer to the net, then a fast clear (not too high!) will often embarrass them. It's something you wouldn't get away with in A grade, but worth trying out at lower levels.
