To me, these three smashes look very different. I was wondering when are the best kinds of situations to use these 3 types of smashes? 1) Standing smash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UUK7R8Y47s 2)Scissoring Smash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJjSAlLTCKI&feature=player_detailpage 3)Jumping Smash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyadwjS9HdI This is just my own observation (please experts let me know the real answers because its the reason I'm posting): 1)Seems like the first one is good if you are ALREADY moving forward, and want to smash... or if you know they are going to clear (sense there doesn't seem to have a lot of forward push right after the smash during landing, unless you were moving forward). Maybe a smash done from midcourt? (probably a kill anyway). 2) Seems like the most common one, has a stiff back leg when landing to push yourself forward to forecourt because you spent all that effort moving towards the back court and want to move back to the front. 3) Smash meant for doubles, a higher version of the second one with not as good recovery?
Usually the type of smash you do will be limited by your footwork ability, and how fast you are able to get in place. 1. This obviously requires you to have gotten behind the shuttle with enough time to spare so that you've fully stopped your weight from traveling backwards. You generally don't see this except off of high lifts or high serves. For higher level men's players, they tend to substitute this with a jump smash to get more angle. 2. Scissor jumps allow you to add more power into your smash through body rotation. Because this allows you to just get behind the shuttle mid-jump (without having to get there with a lot of time to spare), you can do this with flatter lifts. However, since your momentum is ultimately traveling to the back, there will be a split second between landing and propelling forward to attack the net. Thus, with a good block you may find yourself out of position to retrieve the next shot (depending on the quality of your shot and their block). 3. These are also used in singles... they're done when you can get behind the shuttle with enough time to jump forward and still strike the shuttle at the optimal contact point. In doubles, since the attacking rear player is closer to the baseline than he would be in singles, it's easier for him to get behind the shuttle and jump smash. Also, this does require more energy so in the interest of conserving energy, you sometimes might opt for a standing smash.
Excellent summary above. Just wanted to pick up on what thejym said for the jump smash: mainly done for the steeper angles you can get, note how in that instructional video, the feet position STILL switch places (as they would in a scissor jump) making it easier for the player to return back into the court. However the jump is played mainly for height (and power) whilst the scissor jump is used for making a quick momentum shift between having your weight going backwards (probably) to going forwards, adding body rotation to increase the smashing power as mentioned already. Because of the additional energy required for the jump smash, it is not seen much in top level mens singles unless the intention is to try and kill the shuttle: it should be viewed (in singles) as a potential winning shot, more than a rallying shot. Matt
The movement in video number 1 looks clumsy and uncoordinated. Personally I'd prefer video number 2 in every case. Otherwise, agree with everything said above.
If you watch some videos of the danish player Joachim Pearsson, you will see lots of very very effective standing smashes, particularly in his Semi Final of the French Super Series 2010 against Peter Gade, which he won. Matt
Thanks Matt, I'll have to look out for that--but I bet his technique is different from the first video link above. I couldn't find that specific match on YouTube. Do you have a link to a good example of a standing smash?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUHWPHLCFs8&playnext=1&list=PL845AEF124EE3B19B At 5.23 you can see Sigit Budiarto (closest in black) warming up with standing smashes. Unfortunately it seems helma1 has taken down the match i was talking about and the final of that tournamant too
All through that match I posted, the players are using variations of smashes, including standing smashes.
