I think this thread can be quite useful to those wishing to improve their game. For me: 1) After I tried to bludgeon my way against a national champion and lost badly : Badminton is not all about trying to smash your way to subdue you r opponent. Its about playing a stroke,forcing your opponent into a weak position or out of position and following up on the loose return to finish off the rally.(easy to say if you are not fully fit) 2) Rudy Hartono's coaching clinic: Always be ready to recover your balance and follow up on the next stroke after you deliver a smash, otherwise you will be caught flat footed with a good return.(easy to say) Reminds me of martial arts training, never expose yourself when delivering a blow but be quick to retract your limbs to block counter -attacks I am sure the above two must be old hat to those who have undergone good training, but I am sure it will be useful to beginners or social players. Any more to add?
When I trained in China last summer, I remember one of the coaches telling me that the most important thing for a young player to develop is his/her skill. He said that at our age (late teen at the time), we already have plenty of fitness so we should focus more on developing our technique and game play. He also said that at the end of the day, you can run around all over the court but still lose the game. Well lately my issue at tournaments is not having the fitness to keep up the pace that I'm trying to set, so I've actually been working on the complete opposite of the advice I received. A very memorable tip nonetheless though.
That reminds me, Li Ling Wei mentioned in her coaching video that she became twice world champion because she"had the legs to keep moving all over the court'. I am a bit sceptical though. Anyone knows where I can find her training video, saw it once in 156.com but it disappeared.
my coach at the time: "can't serve, can't win". i now have a good consistent serve, and definitely that advice never left me.
That's true, a good serve is absolutely essential whether you are playing singles or doubles. The tolerances are a lot more tight for doubles serves but it's still helpful if your singles serves are nice and consistent (whether you are serving short or long)
So true, especially in doubles, already lost if the serve gets attacked everytime. Noticed also that one can win singles just by dominating the net play even if one has very ordinary strokes.
Memorable quote from my previous coaches/ Badminton Clinics 1. Morten Frost Clinic (during the 80's) "Physical fitness is very important in badminton and if you want to win All England 8 times like Rudy Hartono, then don't forget to skip 12,000 time a day as your routine homework"........................................i was just 10 during that time. 2. Yang-Yang Clinic (during the 80's) "Always position your racket eye level" - then i replied...how on earth can i see my opponent if my racket is covering my eyes? " Not leaning against your eyes!!!!" - his assistant told me 3. My previous State level coaches (the following years) "Why afraid, he is also human"...................(yeaahh, you can say that again) "In tournaments..how do you play the first 5 points is important"............the only advice that didn't do any significant influence to me until now. "If you can beat this old man..then you are good"... in which i reluctantly played against a 63 y.o man and beat him 15-2/15-1...............and he is the father of my coach.
Skip 12,000 X a day,serious? I think no2. is a very personal choice.Nowadays players execute strokes with the body facing the opponent.
Yupp...............in fact when i was still playing for the under 18 state team back then, skipping any where from 8k - 10k is a compulsory off court physical training for the single department at that time....frankly speaking at my nearly half a century age now, i still skip but half of that figure now. By doing it correctly, off court physical training like skipping is extremely important as one approach to maintain your fitness, supercharge your spring and rebound momentum in your footwork as well as part of the arm and wrist work strength training. Why Yang-Yang advised to position your racket at eye level always actually he's trying to emphasize the importance of holding your racket high so that you are able to do your next given stroke faster by having a faster respond time and quick anticipation rate. Indeed, player need to play their strokes with their body facing the opponent but then if the racket level is positioned way to low below the waist level or in certain scenario where i noticed, sometimes even the racket head touches the court floor, then in order for your to do a quick respond for any given strokes will definitely be slower and sluggish as to compare if your racket is held higher thus producing a lesser convincing strokes with high rate of mistakes.
the best advice i have ever been given: 1. play your game not the other players 2. have fun, if you dont you'll be more disappointed when you loose 3. dont play on a empty stomach i must say that its trueif you cant play the style you want to play how can you win?? and when i have played in tournaments and stuff, i play rubbish when im worying to much and when i relax and have fun i tend to excel and win. hope this is useful in some way to you guys have fun playing the game
So true about relaxing. No wonder some players crack when they have coaches looking over their shoulders, Part of mental strength regime?
its not mental training to be exact but personally i think it unwanted extra pressure, this is because you practice all the time and when you make mistaes your coach will capitallise on that mistake and give you random lecture about it. i think its more of a self concious thing you know? but hey thats my view, not sure about other payers views on this matter
Hmm, so few willing to share playing tips to promote interest in playing: More : 1) From BC members about playing doubles: always keep your racquet head up and ready. 2) From Fung Permadi to a struggling Wong Choon Han in the late 90s. Don't rush your shots and game, be patient and wait for the best opportunity to hit the winning shot". WCH thanked him by beating Fung Permadi consistently after that.
When I was young, they brought in a former world#2 player to my club to coach for a day (forgot his name). He spent the entire day teaching everyone to loosen their grip and hold the racquet with your fingers (and not your palm). I was a kid at the time and didn't have the physical strength to do so, but I never forgot about that day. Skip 10 years, I finally understand what he was teaching... AWESOMENESS!
"Relaxed but ready to explode." It wasn't in any clinic or training, but this simple advice was given to me by a more experienced partner who saw that I was too tense when playing close games. After that I gradually realized that in order to play at my best, I have to have loose relaxed muscles. Not lazy or slow, but alert and ready to explode your leg and arm muscles. Now I can get more speed, power, and stamina just by remembering to do this. The reason for this is because badminton is more a game of speed (of arms and legs) than of power. And in order for the muscle fibres to contract quickly is to start them from a relaxed position. Also, this provides more stamina, because the muscles can have more time to rest in between when they're not being actively used.
Footwork all over the court.. 35 times 5X times... from left front, back right, right front, left, right, back left.. omg, so tiring indeed!
Hahahaha...............this remind me of my previous old coach. I was just familiarizing myself into the world of "shadow" drill and he asked me to cover all the corners inside the court like hell, none stop and when he ordered me to stop he will ask me a question," can you see me?"...if i answer " yes"..he will then ask me to continue.......again.
One of the tips I learned from TV and trying to forget is " Keep your eyes on the shuttle all the time". I now play in a relaxed mode, face my opponents/the court and only strike when i have a clear view. Of course I am making more mistakes and many mishits but I think the sheer magic wide body of the aerotus shape racquet allows me a giant sweet spot to hit the shuttle effectively.
The best advice i got was to always use your brains and think during everypoint, and dont be stupid during the game
"Opportunty to inhale more oxygen using delay technique" tips During a tournament/competition (single), frequently inhale as much oxygen as you can during this scenario: - If your opponent is not ready, then don't serve yet - If your opponents makes a stroke and the shuttlecock get stuck into the net, don't go and get it, let him get it
