[MENTION=24009]Footwork[/MENTION]: I initially thought this thread was about form/ hitting technique. I disagree that all pro players have form you want to emulate. For instance, Ville Lang has really ugly form IMO (though he's male, not female). I can't think of WS players with "weird"/ "interesting" form, but I'll note that the old WSX's form may have been effective for her, but would be very hard (and inadvisable) for a beginner to emulate. Why? All those slices require good control. I'm a firm believer in establishing good, solid form before getting all slice-y and dicey @OP: Badminton is an explosive sport, even in WS. While WS matches look "smooth and graceful" on the screen, if you were to watch in person, you would see that even in WS, players are required to make quick explosive movements. Also, whether your movement is "smooth and flowing" or "explosive" depends on the pace of the rally (which may sometimes be dictated by your opponent). Basically, you might like playing slow, but there's nothing stopping your opponent from playing fast...
Thanks SmashAndDash - I haven't seen enough pro matchdes to get a good sense of the various styles. I think watching the players listed on thread - will give me a good sense of the game and the various styles and techniques used by them.
[MENTION=24009]Footwork[/MENTION] Ville Lang isn't a bad player (currently #35 in the world), but if you're watching badminton to learn form, you want to pick players with good, clean technique. Some players had weird/awkward form and they do well in competition. It's usually either because they've been playing so long with this form and they just make it work, or that their weird form makes them harder to read. The bottom line of my point is that there are some players that are better to watch than others. Can you watch all of pro badminton and learn something? Of course! But if you're watching with your focus just on form/hitting technique, you want to watch the players with good form/hitting technique. Which is what OP asked for (a list of female players with good form/technique). [MENTION=9436]catman[/MENTION] Watching is one thing, applying it is another. If you don't have a coach to correct your form, you should at least record yourself playing so someone on the forum can. Or perhaps you can self-critique.
he asked for which women players to watch because of their good form. and this is all i'm saying: they all have good form! (ville lang's technique is very good, can't understand your complains...)
Pedersen of Denmark and Ma Jin of China have very good technique. Quite a few of the Thai girls are very good. It's easier to look at the singles players though. Just a little bit more time to observe techniques.
Agreed. Ville Lång is an amazing player to watch. He is so light on his feet and moves extremely well. I'd say he is not unorthodox in his technique but in his tactique. He loves long rallies with many clears and he has incredible precision with his clears. As far as the OP question my recommendation is to watch Zhang Ning. She feels very "textbook" and she is such an inspirational player to watch. Check out the epic Olympic quarterfinal against Pi Hongyan. As far as arena atmosphere, importance of the occasion, passion shown by both players I think this match is something really special. It's in HD quality as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ULIhBKV2Y
I came across these ladies - any opinions about their style. I'm thinking this I might be able to copy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCbXNR5garA