I've written an article about clear & smash technique: Forehand power shots: clear and smash technique This article teaches the technique right from the beginning. It also includes some detailed advice for experienced players looking to improve their power. There are four new coaching videos: Simple cross-court net shot technique The split drop (introduction) Backhand flick serve, part two (technique details) Where to stand when receiving serve I've also invested in a new camcorder and microphone, so you can expect much higher quality video & audio, starting in September. The August videos were filmed before I had this new equipment, so they are still the same quality.
Great article Mike! I'm impressed with how well you were able to explain proper clear/smash technique without the use of pictures. When I tried to teach this technique to a few people, their first comments were: "Why is my racket slipping sideways (rotating) in my hand after I hit the shuttle?" I actually noticed this myself when I transitioned from a bevel-gripped swing to a proper swing, though at a certain point it stopped being an issue for me and I can't exactly explain why. Any ideas?
we need some backhand videos ! especially when the shuttle has gone past and needed to hit it from behind,
Thanks. With the higher-quality video, I should be able to take screenshots for use as pictures in the article (killing two birds with one stone). That's a good question, and maybe something for me to address in the article (or another). With a powerful hitting action such as a smash, you must be able to grip the racket firmly at the end of the shot. Otherwise, it will slip or even fly out your hand. In particular, the thumb should finish the shot so that it's wrapped or curled around the handle. All in good time! In that situation, I think what many players need is a dose of realism, as they often want to hit full-court backhand clears (even cross-court!) from impossible positions -- i.e. when they can barely reach the shuttle. Nevertheless, it's certainly something that can be improved.
Gollum, Congrats for writing this great article. It makes us think, how little we know about a game that we are passionate about for the past 18 years or so.
Nice Work, but they have made membership of their site monthly payment basis. It should be one time particularly to purchase videos etc. Monthly payment basis is much more expensive than to purchase an instructional DVD.
keep us posted on your progress, gollum.. Your video is informative which also shows what is wrong and what is correct way. This is important to me. can't wait to see more. Hope, i dun have to wait to long.. =)
The amount per month is very small. If Gollum can keep producing new videos every month, then I'm happy to keep paying It's better than a DVD, because it keeps updating itself! Of course you can always subscribe for one month, watch as much as you can, then cancel your subscription. Then it's much cheaper than buying a DVD. But you'll miss out on the new stuff.
It's on my list of Things To Do. Unfortunately, it's a very long list. I'll get there in the end! I don't think it's more expensive. Add up the numbers: subscribing for a year costs £33, and you get a lot of content in that period. Indeed, once I've been going for a while, the sheer amount of content will make this an absurdly low price -- so I'll be raising it to £4 (will not affect existing subscriptions). The idea is to give people a low-cost, low-commitment product. It's only £3 a month, and you can stop at any time if you feel the videos aren't worth your money. On top of that, the first month is a free trial, during which you can watch all the content for free. That seems pretty reasonable to me.
