Hi all I would really like an answer to this one. I was having a discussion with a fellow shuttler who was helping me train. The issue was that i didnt look natural in my movements! O i thought to myself! when i analysed this further i thought it didn't make sense because of the following. 1) Imagine you were coaching two players (for the sake of discussion & Debate we'll put them both on an level playing field) for this discussion we will call them A & B. player A you demo a Footwork movement to and he understands after a couple of attempts. B however you have to show 10 or 15 times but he practices gets it right and gets to the same level. They now can do the same thing and look the same!. Who was the natural Player A or Player B and why? 2) What about the statement Practice makes perfect, which talks about forming good habits. - during recovery rest/memory study/sleep the brain reprogrammes muscle funtion to store the memory of those movements ? How true is it? 3) Is age a barrier ? 4) Taking into account the first 3 is it possible to train court speed into people who are in their teens' 20's 30's 40's. If Possible i would like some coaches @ high or international level to answer this ?
I read an excellent recently called The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. In it, the author describes visiting "talent hotbeds" around the world - places where unusually high levels of world-class talent develop. This included a music camp, tennis academy, soccer academy, etc. He explains that the mechanism through which skill develops is myelination. As you fire a circuit in your nervous system, the insulation around the nerve fibres grow, resulting in more efficient firing in the future. A key to this is to perform "deliberate practice," which involves concentrating on perfecting details and managing the difficulty of the practice right to that sweet spot where the desired skill is within reach but is still challenging. Of course, this is a very slow process that takes time. It is likely that between players A and B, player A has some previously developed skill circuits that make it easier to pick up the new footwork pattern. However, with practice player B can develop these circuits as well. It gets tricky when you consider what player A does in the meantime. He can: - do the same exercises as player B, which means the training will be within his own comfort zone and therefore not give the ideal training effect. This in turn allows player B to catch up to player A - do other exercises with a high degree of technical challenge, either more specific technical cues or an element of decision making/reaction. This puts player A into his training zone where accelerated learning occurs. Player A stays ahead of player B. Really, it is even more complicated. Learning a sport involves learning many skills and integrating them together. Suppose player A and B have different initial abilities - A learns footwork more quickly, but perhaps player B reads shots more easily. After each trains on what they need, it isn't clear who should come out on top. As for age, the rate of myelination decreases with it, though it still occurs throughout life. It takes about 10 years of deliberate practice for a young person to develop world class skill. Meanwhile, an older person likely has more responsibilities limiting the amount of practice. Combined, these two factors probably increase the time needed to develop skill, at which point physical wear on the body becomes a factor as well. Nevertheless, movement on the badminton court is very technical, and a lot of benefit (not just raw speed) can be gained from learning effective footwork.
The whole idea of a natural player to me is a funny notion. Player "A" must have internalized some knowledge that player "B" has not internalized, or at least the internalization is not as deep rooted as player "A"; thusly, player "A" learns to do the footwork drill quicker. (probably any other drill as well) So, to me, the idea of a natural player is a misconception(myth), and in actuality it has more to do with an internalization of certain ideas, thought, and understanding. Practice makes perfect is an oversimplified idea, but should be rephrased as something like: how you practice can make perfect. The power of thought and visualization to store good habits is accurate and alot of athletes do this during their rest period. Age is not a barrier to learning; however, physical limitations can act as a barrier. Learning never stops. Question 4. The answer is yes. Muscle fibers can be retrained. Sorry I am not a coach, but felt the need to respond to this. Cheers
