Has anyone undertaken a program of Corrective Exercises? I am seeing a consultant to find out whether there are any irregularities in my body which have to be corrected. This will allow for the correct amount of shock absorbtion distributed throughout my body during movement. I think this is important for me to function week in week out as a singles player without putting too much strain on my body. So far it's thrown up the fact that my knee isn't correctly aligned with my foot when I lunge which is what lead to a knee injury on a hard floor a while ago. I have been given a set of corrective exercise as a result to alter this lunge movement. I am just wondering whether anyone has been on a similar program and sought similar advice? And if so what was the outcome? I know for a fact this is more accessible in the US then in the UK. UKP
Hi UKP, Knee injuries are frequent in badminton as you know. Most of the times these injuries are due to lack of fitness. How did the experts determine your knee injury is due to knee/foot misalignment when doing lunges? Personally I was quite lucky during these years playing. I usually injured my ankles and never my knee. That time my coach really emphasise a lot of preventive exercises for our legs.
orthotics as well when i had knee problems, my doctor check it out at the physical level (x-rays, physio) and also sent me to a sport doctor where i had my feet checked out. the regular court shoes (dragonflies) i was wearing at the time had absolutely no arch support, my foot having high arches and so my foot was rolling in (pronation of the foot) and my calf and knees were bearing the brunt of it. i was prescribed orthotics, but instead did a search for the a good court shoe that met the requirement for arch support, which i found in the Head Anatom series.
I had a strength test and it wasn't down to that. It's down to the shape of my leg which doesn't allow me to take the shock out of the lunges. The consultant watched for the knee alignment while I performed the lunge and made a diagnosis from that. It can be partially resolved by using an orthopedic sole but I have to make an adjustment so that my knee is aligned correctly. It's down to the way my body is shaped rather than something which can be picked up during coaching.
Badrad Were there any other shoes which met the requirements? I sometimes wonder whether the width of the SHB95 means that it has less provision to provide arch support.
other shoes UKPlayer: it took me a month or so of searching every sport store in Vancouver area before i found "the perfect shoe" for me. during the process i found a Prince shoe that was close, but the square head design of the shoe turned me off. actually both shoes are not really badminton shoes but general indoor court shoes. they are heavier shoes, and have more cushion on the heel giving it a bit of raise, which some players find uncomfortable. i have a couple friends who also has the same problem as me, and they did purchase orthotic inserts. the insert is very durable and they simply insert it into any shoe they purchase. seems to work for them. the orthotic cost around $150 for the pair, but my friends have told me they've had the original units for more than ten years and still in great condition.
My oldest son play soccer and had complained often about sore knees. Problem is that he has 'flat feet'. Bought him a pair of Superfeet inserts and he has not complained since.
shoes It is one of the most unrated equipment in badminton. Since each foot is unique as each snowflakes, there will be people with feet that won't conform to the conventional shape of street brands, in that case modification by orthotic inserts should solve the problem. Personally i think the traditional chinese badminton shoes like dragonfly are a bit out of date and doesn't give the support like today's court shoes. I got some from china too but could not get accustom to them. However, i still see some (~5%) players still using them. I do have one question. I see basketball players run, stop, turn and jump on courts, how come i don't hear badminton players talking about basketball shoes to widen their shoe selection. Also, how come basketball shoes don't have gum soles? Indoor basketball games play on hardwood floor too.
oops I didn't realize i have asked a question that should belong to the equipment forum. I'll post it on that forum
