What are some doubles patterns?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Birdy, Jan 19, 2014.

  1. Birdy

    Birdy Regular Member

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    I was just getting my coach to teach me doubles patterns and I got really interested in them. My coach taught me this one where you smash from baseline then you would move forward and drive/kill a midcourt return shot.

    I wonder what are other patterns out there that you could practice with your partner?
     
  2. 0ozafo0

    0ozafo0 Regular Member

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    That's a simple follow up by building pressure on your opponent.
    Patterns are good for training, as it teaches you certain goals. In your case, to be aggressive for double play.
    However, I recommend learning more about the principals behind what you're doing rather than simply "following a pattern"

    Stuff like channel attack is an excellent example and you can find plenty of videos about that on youtube.
    http://www.youtube.com/user/coachingbadminton/videos

    plenty of videos there that you can watch for "patterns"
     
  3. SmashAndDash

    SmashAndDash Regular Member

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    I agree with the above, drilling patterns is good for building muscle memory, but does nothing for your tactical mind.

    My old coach used to just give us a bird and say that one side is offense, the other is defense.
    If you were on the "offense" side and played a shot that gave up the offense, you would lose the point. This type of training helps players be more ready for match situations, where replies from your opponent are less predictable than your coach feeding you a preset pattern.

    If you still want to find patterns to drill, what I'd recommend is thinking of your own patterns, instead of asking for some. Get a whiteboard, or a piece of scrap paper, and draw a court (both sides). Draw a starting point (serve), then an arrow for where the serve should go. Draw another arrow for where the reply should go, etc.

    Doing the above will help you think about actual play (if I hit the bird here, and my opponents are there, what is the likely reply? How should I respond to this type of shot?) and help build your sense of tactics. It also allows you the flexibility of training to your own needs (I cannot cover the back well, let's design a pattern that works on back court movement).

    Doing the above requires some basic knowledge of tactics, but I think visualizing rallies this way will help you learn tactics as well.
     
  4. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    just out of curiosity, where is this coach teaching from?

    because in the other thread of yours, we already established that you don't move to the front until you see a loose shot on your side... otherwise your partner who should be covering the front should take the loose shots.

    i suppose you haven't played against any intermediate to advance doubles players who can easily just lift it high over you if you happen to charge after your smash, especially if you're smashing from the baseline... which we know in doubles is not a very strong attacking shot to get your opponents into any much trouble...
     
  5. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    the most important patterns in doubles:

    1. isolate and attack the weaker partner. not very nice in casual social games though... ;)
    2. create confusion by placing your shots in the space between the 2 players, whether pushes, smashes, drops, clears, drives, etc
    3. always have a downward trajectory so that your opponents have to hit below tape level, eg. smashes, fast drops, downward drives
    4. only clear (attack type) if your opponents have come forward too much, otherwise never clear if not under pressure
     
  6. captaincook

    captaincook Regular Member

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    You are very offensive minded. If we play against each other, we both with be all out attack; neither of us will be willing a clear, not even once. LOL.
     
  7. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    In a way, I'd rather risk hitting into the net with a low shot like drop or drive instead of clearing. :)
     
  8. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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  9. |_Footwork_|

    |_Footwork_| Regular Member

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    What does the word "clear" mean? :cool:;):D
     
  10. R20190

    R20190 Regular Member

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    This is how I used to think until I started playing MX properly. Sometimes it is very useful (in mixed) to clear, just to force the lady to the back, and the man to the front.

    Also, in some instances, you can do this with MD too.
     
  11. J_Noodles

    J_Noodles Regular Member

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    Clearing is when a person hits the shuttle high and deep to the opponents side. You usually don't want to do this in doubles because you give the attack away.
     
  12. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Thanx for *clearing* that up...
    I thought clear meant transparent, see-through. :p
     
  13. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Yeah, player isolation was point 1. But I feel bad about doing it in casual games.
     
  14. captaincook

    captaincook Regular Member

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    Yes, I know. Clear, and punch clear should be part of the ammo.... but...just can't help myself when I can smash/drive/drop, I just go for the jump smash 90% of the time (now you all know why my heels/ankles have so much injuries - from jumping to the backhand side to smash overhead and landing hard)

    You see, the young guys want to conserve energy and hang around to play more matches (nothing wrong with that); I want to go ALL out unload the smashes and go home early, with nothing left in the tank. They want to win games (again nothing wrong with that), but I want to win points with well constructed kills. And yes, we lost games when our power game can't penetrate the good defenses...but it is entertaining even with the loses. It is kinda boring when 2 teams just settle for defense when wait for the other team to make mistakes.
     
  15. mater

    mater Regular Member

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    For #1, for me in even social games, if our side is behind, I do isolate and pick on the weaker partner. ;)

    #3 and #4, For the most part, I follow them all, except when I lose focus and play like Maeda and Suetsuna. :) Especially if we're ahead by a lot of points.

    Excellent advice.
     
  16. mater

    mater Regular Member

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    captaincook, actually I often see the opposite, instead of taking it easy for more games, I tend to see the young guys go all out with smashes and hard swings. I love taking those away with shots that do not allow them to raise their arms up. Or give them clears far back and let them try smashing from there. Smashes are your strength, ok...no smash for you! :)
     
  17. Wingu

    Wingu Regular Member

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    Here are a few tips on patterns:

    1. The one you mentioned but you also add push into it. Lets say for an example that your coach on the other side shoots one shuttle for you to smash - drive - push. However, the push doesn't always have to be included, but can be random. The thing with a smash - drive only pattern is that it's not often you will see that kind of scenario. Adding the push gives the pattern a more realistic touch to it.
    Also, this kind of pattern isn't meant to do with 100% smashes, but rather 70-80% smashes and more focus on fast recovery for the drive and push.

    2. All short 2v2. This basically means that you have two 'defenders' and two 'attackers'. The defenders are supposed to move around the attackers so they can train how to rotate their attacking positions. The attackers only use doubles drop (the difference between the singles and doubles drop is that singles it is often slow and very close to the net, while the doubles drop is more of a slice, a mix between smash and drop). When advancing forward from behind you try to play as flat as you can.
    The defenders need to be able to hit the shuttle in such way that the attackers have to rotate. Also, you can try to do it at high pace in order to simulate a real doubles game.

    3. Attack at the net. This pattern is to practice your attacking play at the net. Basically, it requires your coach, or whoever is hitting shuttles over to your side, to hit shuttles at a pretty high pace randomly over the net. The coach needs to hit the shuttle to you from underneath in a drive:ish way, as if he was defending against a push from the front court. Use the whole net area for this drill.

    4. Attack from rear. The same as above but from the back court. Basically, your coach hits shuttles out towards the back court and you attack. Preferably smash but if not possible, sliced shots or drives.

    5. Drive to stick smash. This pattern makes you move from side to side. You make a drive from one side and then leap towards the other side in order to do a stick smash.

    6. Stop on drive. This can be done on half-court. Your partner is on the other side hitting drives towards you and you answer by just gently stopping the shuttle so it goes downwards as soon as it passes the net.

    7. Third shot after serve. This is one of the most important drills I've ever come across. We all know that in doubles, the serve, the return of the serve and the third shot afterwards are the ones that will set up the rally (at least to begin with). In this pattern, you will have your partner stand in the middle of the other side of the court, close to the net. He will then hit shuttles towards as to simulate the SECOND shot, that is the one that comes after the serve. It could be a push, drive just a loose downward shot, a bad return (as in high). There are all kinds of variations you can do here. Just think of what kind of returns there are possible for your opponent to do after your side has served. This simulates the scenario that you are behind the one who is serving.

    8. Short drive. Short drive is basically doubles version of the net shot. Gentle push foward so it preferably goes flat first and then downwards as soon as it has passed the net. This pattern can be done so that it continues all the time, in other words you hit the shuttle back and forth.

    9. 2v2 attack and recieve. It's like the 2v2 all short, but you use smashes instead of sliced shots. The once who are defending need to try to make the attackers rotate.

    Hope these helps. I've got more if you want :p
     
  18. |_Footwork_|

    |_Footwork_| Regular Member

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    Note to myself:
    Never use irony on forums.
     
  19. faaiz

    faaiz Regular Member

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    When i smash from the base line and the opponent receive the shuttle by doing drive shot to the middle..who should take the shot?me or my partner?
     
  20. |_Footwork_|

    |_Footwork_| Regular Member

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    whoever can take it more agressively...
     

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