Just wanna share my opinion with you all. Just started playing badminton a couple months ago. Footwork is the part I'm really weak at since the beginning. I took the advise and started skipping. At first I can only skip 2-3 times in a role. I slowly got better and now I can do around 100 non-stop. I skip 3 to 4 times a week, each time I do 5 x 100 reps and increasing. Now I'm so used to the motion of skipping that I jump/hop around the court with my calfs when I'm on the court playing badminton. Of coz shadowing practicing helps too but skipping is definitely the basic. Everyone who plays badminton should skip. =)
Great advice! Can;t to think of it, when i stopped skipping awhile ago, my speed in the court has really decreased! Thanks!
Now that you can skip consistantly you should increase the intensity of your skipping. Instead of counting the 'skips', skip for 30 seconds as fast as you can, then rest for a minute, repeat that 5 times. However I wouldn't reccomend doing this 3-4 times a week.
Skipping is a very good exercise for improving footwork speed and staying light on your feet. What skipping isn't good for is getting your feet in the right places. So you still need to work your feet on court. There's one important thing to remember about skipping. It's better that you do your skipping on a softer surface as it regular skipping can lead to shin splints, which is very painful. The only cure for shin splints is rest. Paul www.badminton-coach.co.uk
i second the shin splints thing, it's a pain in the neck and annoying as hell, and it won't go away with medication or massage, but with time...and in the mean time you can't do any vigorous footwork!!
That's important advice from Paul. It's a shame that soft surfaces are rarely mentioned when discussing skipping, as it can be a very high-impact exercise especially when developed to more advanced levels.
