Slice Drops - Learning to master it

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Monster, Apr 22, 2011.

  1. Monster

    Monster Regular Member

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    I am at the baseline. The opponent clears a high return to my central baseline. I can;

    1. Smash
    2. Drive fast
    3. Drop
    4. Deep clear

    I want to drop. And a slice drop to put my opponents on pressure for future shots. They will be under stress whenever I am at liberty to either smash or drop by doing a FAST slice drop. And this is the situation that me and my partner were put under. We couldn't tell if the opponent was going to clear to our baseline or drop because he made several slice drops previously.

    I'm not going to ask how to avoid such situation. Rather, I want to learn how to be able to execute such a fast slice drop that looks like a drive / clear.

    I slice, but my racket misses it and slices the air. I tilt my racket face slightly so it is not completely 90 degrees chopping the air and the slice becomes a normal forehand hit to the side where the racket face is tilted to.

    How to execute such precision slice????
     
  2. amleto

    amleto Regular Member

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    there are two ways:

    You can keep your racket at constant angle and just use fingers and wrist to brush the cork with the racket head staying at the same angle.

    Or you can rotate your wrist so that the racket head moves around the shuttle cork - same direction as scooping up some soup. Obviously, reverse slice is the opposite direction. A normal slice will

    By the way, I think you are mis-using the term drive - you cant drive from an overhead.
     
  3. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    From your description, it sounds like you may be trying to make your slice too "extreme".

    I would recommend practising a few normal straight drops on your forehand side, and then gradually changing the angle of the racket face without changing the direction of your arm movement. This is a simple way to start getting the feel of slice.

    You'll find that you need to hit the shuttle a bit harder to make it go over the net. The result should be an arm movement that's going straight but a drop shot that travels cross-court.

    From the centre, you will need to apply somewhat less slice or the shuttle will go out. You can also aim towards one side and then slice more heavily to the other.
     
  4. MSeeley

    MSeeley Regular Member

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    From his coaching series, coach Peter Rasmussen states that a slice should be played as if playing a straight clear or smash (the additional power Gollum mentioned), before using a slicing motion at the end by changing the angle of the racket face (as mentioned above). Hopefully, by focussing on pretending to play a straight clear for example, but slicing on contact, you will be able to put into action the advice from above from Gollum and Amleto.

    Also remember, and its a small thing, to get into position nice and early, so your opponent believes you COULD play a smash - giving them lots of problems and plenty to worry about :)
     
  5. amleto

    amleto Regular Member

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    That sounds like it is for reverse slice - the only thing you need to do is change the timing of pronation. For normal slice though, I dont think you will supinate in preparation - I certainly dont.
     
  6. MSeeley

    MSeeley Regular Member

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    It can be true for both reverse slice and a regular slice. For a regular slice, the "slicing motion" can be a simple turning of the wrist (Like Rasmussen) at impact, or less turning overall as you stated (very similar to the way Gade demonstrates it). The slicing motion is a lot more "obvious" for a reverse slice, you are right (indeed, it is just pronating more before contact). Ultimately as long as it looks like a power shot, then it should be effective. When i play the shot, i just focus on changing the angle of the racket face when i make contact, whilst intending to play a straight smash.
     
  7. Monster

    Monster Regular Member

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    Thanks all

    I'll keep on trying. The motion itself is just hard for me to execute, even though it is just like a straightforward clear ended by a slight change of the racket angle.
     
  8. urameatball

    urameatball Regular Member

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    you can start off with a less aggressive slice and progressively work on adding angle as you become better at it.
     

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