how to dive to retrieve a smash

You should try to roll with it if you get my meaning. If you try to stop all at once then u put alot of pressure on your muscles, if you use the momentum to floow you through and get up it's easier. Try doing lunges to increase speed too.

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say that you "can't seem to land on your hands". Like jafffa said, you shouldn't try to stop all at once. Use your hand to ease the slowing of your body slightly, then just let your body hit the floor to stop, and push up to recover for the next shot. If you want to train this, you can try to do push-ups where your hands leave the floor completely, you'll improve both slowing your body with your hands and pushing up from the ground.

 

I sometimes land on my hands (cushioning slowly, as described above) but sometimes land on my front or side (I do martial arts so know how to breakfall properly). You use a lot of surface area so pressure is greatly reduced and I very rarely, if ever hurt myself.

 

when you dive, your entire body is in the air and you land hands first AFTER you hit the bird. When you land on your hands, make sure they are palm down and try swing your legs around immediately landing in the splits (as deep as you can basically) so your body weight is only supported by your hands for a short instant. Then use those epic leg muscles all badminton players have to recover your court position hopefully in time =D

to be blunt, watch lee chong wei's matches and try do what he does.
Its that simple, and he does it many many times per match.

Lin dan also dives and recovers very well, though he does it less often

 

lol........... LCW being that light probably easy for him to bounce right back up again

have to lean into the shuttle rather than 'falling', hence have to anticipate flight path and timing and full stretch. that way, there's less pressure on your hands/wrists because they used to push back up, not to break the fall.

Its quite hard to do. I've only actually managed to do it a few times and it wasn't intentional, just natural instincts at the time coz couldn't reach shuttle otherwise.

 

Why are you planning on diving anyways.... work on your footwork jeez. How to dive, this ain't soccer okay.

 

Why are you planning on lunging anyways.... work on your footwork jeez. How to lunge, this ain't fencing okay.

Why are you planning on drive shots anyways.... work on your footwork jeez. How to drive, this ain't F1 racing okay.

Why are you planning on clearing anyways.... work on your footwork jeez. How to clear, this ain't hurdling okay.

 

Gold-, calm down. Perhaps I should have explained in my post, but I was making fun of ksrboi's post.

Many people have already posted good advice on their methods to recover a shot with diving. It would be better for you to try out their suggestions and ask further questions if something is unclear or doesn't work for you.

 

Here's what I do and observe from international players. Don't lock your elbows. Use them as a cushion. Do a push up to get up fast. It's really not advisable to dive because it's hard to recover when you're flat on the ground. This should only be used when you're under all sorts of trouble. Good footwork is still the best technique.

 

Defend against sideline smash in singles

I think the dive is useful only in singles, particularly catching the smash/jumpsmash aimed at the sidelines. Diving is rare in doubles.

You land with both your palm and feet, basicaly on all fours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFITT_uSXgc&feature=related

Another one:
You dive and land on your chest.
Mostly aim to desparately catch a drop shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy27Pkhpbps
@ 0.56 Lin Dan lands on his chest.

 

From what I see from the pro's all of them (except lin dan at some times) React to the smash with a lunge to that side, when they see/feel they won't reach it in time they push off (sometimes with both legs, sometimes with one) and 'dive'
You can see LCW do it very clearly in the video above, right leg first, pushing off with both legs.

As for the breaking of the fall, I think it's mostly dependent on where they hit the bird. If they're a foot above the ground (figuratively) they have 'all the time' to hit the bird first and then land on their hands and feet.
If they are a little bit later, and they hit the shot the instant before they land (like LD in the previous) there's no time to push your hands under your body. I believe the volleyball players know this as a pancake shot?

At lastly, some tips from me:
-don't start diving for shots you could reach with your footwork.
-keep trying to hit the shuttle in front of or parralel to your body.
-After you dive, get up instantly, don't cushion your fall looking at your shot wondering if it'll go over, get up!


EDIT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYlfvFYPDpw&feature=related
Probably the only dive you'll ever see in doubles performed by a 2.00m tall man: Ruud Bosch form the netherlands

 

diving is actually not as rare in doubles as perceived, although a lot of the dives are forward dives (deceived by a drop shot instead of smash). there are some really good team side dives in doubles when both players dive in the same rally to cover the open space. i think it happens more in the asian pairs (esp. japanese players) as they are not as tall.

 

dude it just depends on how far away the shuttle is from where your positioned...lee chong wei has great defence and stretch/dive recoveries....but they arent full on dives...if you see lin dan on the occasion when he full dives he lands flat on his stomach and had to basically do a pushup to get to his feet... if your close recover like LCW would be more suitable otherwise you just gota go for it....

long distance dives though just try and aim low to the ground so there is less height to drop from...best way to learn is watch videos and seriously..practice it if u must. otherwise avoid the situation alltogether.