Artistry and Skill in the Beautiful Game

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by cobalt, Aug 11, 2010.

  1. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    Badminton has evolved along with technology and strength and training methods (and money and sponsorships as well,) into a game that is quite different from the form it was played in, say, 30 or 40 years ago. I think it would be very interesting and illuminating to find out what a lot of the BCers think about what direction the game is going.

    In particular, I am interested in knowing what you all think about:

    1. The place of artistry and skill in the current context of the game.
    2. The primary exponents of such type of play among the present active players, male and female.
    3. Your rating of these players in this context (and maybe why you rate them the way you do. :D)
    4. How would you rate them against players from the 80s and 90s in this context?
     
  2. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    Well I would start off by saying if one plays like that then one is condemned to the scrap heap.

    There are signs of such play nowadays, eg.Simon Santoso, India national players etc etc

    but that's as far as they will go.Watch the 2010 Thomas Cup semi between Chen Jin and Simon and it tells the whole story.

    I think one of the last such players to thrive was Mia Audina.
     
  3. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    Now that the WC2010 is a part of history and people get back to their routine stuff (more-or-less :D,) I wonder if some of you would like to comment and share your views on this thread.
     
  4. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    For exhibition, yes sure, be as artistic as you like. I'm sure KKK would happily oblige with his forecourt skills. :)

    However, the change to the current rally point system has sped up the game significantly and if you want to win the game, you have to go for the aggressive shots instead of the artistic shots.
     
  5. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    Just to clarify: I don't mean that I expect the player to be overtly "artistic" but that there is a certain pleasure obtained by watching a beautifully crafted shot, something visual that can draw the "ooh" and "aah" from you, and a smile (or sigh) as well.

    I do believe that there are players at the highest levels today (men and women both) who remind us of this in competitive play. They may not do it at every second point, but they will display it if there is an opportunity or simply if they are in the mood.

    As for skills: without the requisite skills, a player would not be able to exist very long on the circuit. However, most players excel at a certain type or set of skills. This is not to confuse skills with physical fitness and abilities, which are prerequisites in today's fast-paced game. Certain skills will set you apart from your peers, and may even give you the edge.

    I have no issues with accepting that speed, fitness and aggression have become key ingredients for success. The question is, is it all visually and aesthetically more pleasing and fulfilling than a game from 20 years ago?
     
  6. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    Maybe you mean racquet skills. A player with a wider range of racquet skills will outplay

    his peers assuming both have the same athleticism . People like Taufik,Lin Danetc could afford to toy with lower ranked

    opponents.

    Players from say INa, Denmark and a lot of emerging countries have great skills because of their club system,

    countries which mould their players like China tend to produce great athletes,they have limited skills in the emerging stages, but when they reach elite stage they build up their skills at an exponential rate.

    Just watch Chen Jin playing Taufik, CJ had limited skills but he compensated for it in other ways. Or Wang Lin and Tina Baun, not that skilllfull, more physical than the smaller built players but able to blast them.

    When it comes to skill past players like Hartono,Prakash, Danish players like Pri, Delfs ,Nierhoff etc etc were a joy to watch but the game is so fast nowadays there is simply no time for performing anything spectacular.
     
  7. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    Watch Hartono on youtube playing exhibition matches against his fellow countrymen in:

    1) 1981 Japan Open
    2) 1980 Friend Provident Masters

    You can see a masterly display of great skills.
     
  8. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    Not too sure about Wang Lin, though. I thought her earlier style (2-3 years ago) was definitely more fluid and skilful; in fact sher gave the impression of trying more skilful stuff on court. I suppose that has been trained out of her system in the interests of being more competitive! :)

    I totally agree with your listing of the others of bygone days. I think there was great emphasis on individual skills in the Indonesian camp as well, during the past 2-3 decades.
     

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