Hi everbody. I am new to this board and quite new to the sport aswell. I have a few questions regarding som basic fundementals in badiminton that I hope someone can answer. Where on the court should I stand when waiting for my opponent to hit his shot? Right now i am standing about a metre from the T-line, is this correct? I have read the grip guide and i think i have learned the basic grips pretty well. I would like to now what angle the racket should be when i use the grip for clears and smashes? Right now i am holding the racket so when i look down on it it is not twisted to either right or left but in a 12 o'clock position. (I hope that last sentence makes sence) I have also been experiensing some pain in the muscle on the outside of the arm (between the bicep and the tricep I think it is called Brachialis) when i warm up before playing. It only hurts in overhead shots. At first it hurts like hell but after a while it disaperars. Anyone now what that can relate to? I think my technique is ok but what do i know. Thankfull for any help...
Where you stand depends on the situation. Where is the shuttle? What is your opponent doing? As a very general guide, you want to move back towards a central position when you play singles. Your opponent can hit to all four corners, so you don't want to be too far from any of them. In doubles, you need to work as a team. You should fill the gaps left by your partner. Positioning in doubles is more complicated. When you are receiving serve, you must stand inside the service court boundary. That sounds about right. To be precise: for right-handers, the racket should be pointing towards a 1 o'clock position (twisted slightly to the right when you look down on it). For left-handers, it's the opposite. You could be holding your grip too tight. Do you have difficulty getting enough power for your clears? Be careful with your arm; pain is usually a warning of injury. You may wish to consult a doctor.
Thanks for the reply! When i play a rally i strive to get back to a central position after every shot i make. I am just not sure how far from the net or T-line this central position should be. I know it is different depending on what kind of shot i have made but lets say i have hit a clear in the middel of the court. I do not have difficulty getting power from my clears but with a background in tennis is think i tend to make a sort of tennis serve motion when i smash or clear. It might be a matter of me not warming up enough since the pain goes away after a while.
If you hit a clear, then you would normally move to a position in the middle of the court, but slightly closer to the back than the front. In this situation, you have to cover your opponent's clear, smash, or dropshot. Try experimenting with different positions, and see what your opponent does. The closer you are to the front, the harder it is to reach his clears and smashes; the closer you are to the back, the harder it is to reach his dropshots. Find a balance. The tennis motion could mean your swing is too tense. Keep a relaxed grip and swing, only tensing as you hit the shuttle. Try doing a proper warm-up before your knock-up. The idea is to prepare your body to play. Start with aerobic exercise such as jogging to raise the heart rate (about 5 minutes is good). Then make some badminton movements, such as shadow badminton ("playing" without a shuttle) and lunges. Only start hitting the shuttle after you have done a warm-up: the warm-up should come before the knock-up. Try to keep your knock-up controlled and relaxed, starting quite casually and building up to your normal playing intensity.
