Singles Tactics and Techniques

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by SmashDude, Apr 13, 2009.

  1. SmashDude

    SmashDude Regular Member

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    Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any tips on playing boys singles, excluding the footwork. I'm an intermediate high school player and i just got switched into singles. I used to be Varsity Mixed Doubles #3 but now they have switched me into Singles #1 in order to toughen up our other styles :(. The coach is trying to switch the line ups around so we have a better chance of winning, however I am stuck at a position where I have a possibility of wandering upon humiliating defeat. I was just wondering if anyone has any tips on how to inprove my game before our next match.

    Skills Mostly Mastered:
    Cross Courts
    Drops
    Clears
    Serves
    Backhand Drop (includes crosscourts)

    Skills Not Mastered:
    Smashes (decent but not persistent/fast)
    Forehand Short Serve
    Smash Returns
    Shot Placing (not sure about singles but during mixed, was trouble for me)
    Backhand Clears

    If anyone has training tips or game playing tips please help me, i dont want to die at this position :crying:. Feel free to talk about anything about singles technique's and plays here, it would really help.

    Thank You,
    SmashDude:)
     
  2. azn32boi

    azn32boi Regular Member

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    Making the best decision you have. Making the better shot that you should can save you time and footwork.

    Patience. Be patient, there should be more clearing. Always clear to the back line. If your opponent's clear is short (2nd last line) smash, or drop. Always watch your opponent's body language, and movement.
     
  3. chewablemorphin

    chewablemorphin Regular Member

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    I like to use my mixed backhand short serve, what it does is force your opponent to lift if you have a consistent angle. I recommend covering your backhand with you forhand as much as possible, when i learned to backhand clear, i just got lazy and backhand cleared every shot that went to the backhand, so now i hardly ever use the backhand. You need to bend your knees and get low for smash returns with your racket up, and the trick is to deflect the shot back over the net, as opposed to hitting it. I like to think of smashing as a doubles, mixed shot, unless your getting a lot of points with your smash.
     
  4. TheBear

    TheBear Regular Member

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    Jake Downey wrote a book called Winning at Singles. Some of the tactics and techniques are still applicable today, and will provide you with a very good startpoint.
    I'd recommend reading it.
    Playing for the corners is the usual advice offered to singles players, however you need consistency and accuracy to do this, so your practises should have this in mind.
    Most international players favour the low serve for singles, however you need to get your feet right else you'll find yourself losing a lot of points by being flicked to your backhand rearcourt.
    I'm interested that you say "excluding the footwork". Hopefully you say this because you are already working with someone to improve your footwork, since this part of the game is clearly key in winning.
    One thing I know a lot of good players do, and that is to study clips of other good players. Look at the footwork, how they set themselves in particular situations, understand why they have whichever foot forward, look at the shots that they play under particular situations, understand the shot selection. Look at the same player against different opponents, to see the different tactics they use and understand what and why.
    Hope this helps - good luck !
     
  5. uncle_peanuts

    uncle_peanuts Regular Member

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    in high school badminton, you dont have to be exceptionally good to win. consistency is the key. if you limit yourself to 5-8 errors a game, you should be able to win.
     
  6. Shifty

    Shifty Regular Member

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    yeah, consistency is really important. be patient and just play all the shots that come naturally to you. don't think too much about things.

    if your drops are good, i'd say play to the net more. try and get a good netshot in. if he lifts, it should be short enough to put away. if he drops back, try kill it off.

    no.1 singles is always tough, and lots of pressure is on you to perform. no one will yell at you too much because you'll be going up against all the big guns.

    mixed is fairly similar to singles in that you do lots of work (as the guy). just don't flatten the game out too much. when in trouble, aim into the center.
     
  7. SmashDude

    SmashDude Regular Member

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    Thanks for the advice everyone. After watching a few matches, I was wondering if it's a good idea to have your feet moving at all times like in a hopping motion. I've seen some players look like their Ken from Street Figher (or something like that) and doing little hops in order to get speed. Is that a good idea?
     
  8. SAMUDERAINDIA

    SAMUDERAINDIA Regular Member

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    well, I used to play single, but then changed to double.

    when the other night I tried to play singles against person much below me, suprisingly I lost.

    My friend aka coach told me I smashed too much and dont have patient.

    And my accuracy of sidelines also worse.

    So my advise, be patience, put clear and accurate plaecement more, ddropshot, make your opponent move. I think that's it
     
  9. weeyeh

    weeyeh Regular Member

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    Tell me about it. I played singles with a friend the other day after playing doubles. He successfully flick served me at least twice between the 2 long service lines.
     
  10. laivc

    laivc Regular Member

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    Try to plan your shots early. Whenever possible, make your opponent runs as much as possible by placing the shots to the 4 different corners (front-right, front-left, rear-right and rear left) at random. Have patient, wait for opportunity when your opponent is out of positions and hit the shot to the opposite side of him, again make your oppoent run like mad. When need to smash (try not to smash when chances to kill is less than 60%), smash only to the 2 sides (not to the body in the centre). For beginers on singles, try to always serve with high trajectory angles to the baseline, this will buy you ample time to steady yourself and plan for the next shot. I do not recomend singles beginers to serve low as a feint move to drop shot by the opponent will instantly put you in a bad position if your footsteps are not good enough to recover fast. A rule of thumb when in trouble, hit all shots to the baselines as high as possible, this will buy you some time to reorganize and recover your position.
     
  11. bradmyster

    bradmyster Regular Member

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    Put the shuttle where your opponent is not. If its a sharp enough shot your opponent will be under pressure and in turn you will eventually set yourself up for some sort of attacking kill/win.

    If youv mastered the main skills it more or less comes down to sharpening your technique and building your mental game.
     

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