Fast/Slow Venues

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by DarkHiatus, Nov 16, 2017.

  1. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
    Reading up on professional tournaments, BCers/commentators often describe halls as fast or slow which suit different styles.

    In my understanding, the shuttle is speed tested, so how can two halls be a different speed if the shuttle is selected to fly the same distance/trajectory in each venue?

    I can understand wind drift will be different, but this would just lead to one side of the court being faster and the other slower, rather than the whole venue being fast/slow.

    Any insight?
     
  2. visor

    visor Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2009
    Messages:
    16,401
    Likes Received:
    2,001
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    If the shuttle tester is a very strong player, then it'll be a slow hall? And if the shuttle tester is a very weak player, then it'll be a fast hall?
     
    DarkHiatus likes this.
  3. Charlie-SWUK

    Charlie-SWUK Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2014
    Messages:
    4,398
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    Occupation:
    N90 sycophant
    Location:
    SW UK
    Because sometimes they don’t test properly. Also sometimes it’s easy to put height on a shuttle, sometimes hard, which can change how the game plays.

    My usual club hall, unless it’s middle of summer, I struggle to play very high shots like defensive clears with the right length because the height is so difficult to put on it. On the contrary I can tap it just a little harder and it’ll be a foot out the back distance wise on punch shots or lifts.
     
  4. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
    Often they describe a venue as repeatedly slow/fast. E.g. recently I read Malaysia Open is often a fast venue. That goes beyond bad testing as then they're consistently "bad" at selected venues.

    What could make it hard to get height on a shuttle? Air currents moving vertically?
     
  5. Charlie-SWUK

    Charlie-SWUK Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2014
    Messages:
    4,398
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    Occupation:
    N90 sycophant
    Location:
    SW UK
    Air current, density, heating system, venue size
     
  6. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
    Density would be factored into the speed test - that's after all why we have different speed shuttles.

    Heating and venue size would be under air current in terms of air distribution. It's the only factor as far as I can see. Horizontal air currents are more famed for drift, so is it solely vertical air currents that create a fast/slow venue?

    Let's imagine a venue where the air currents largely rise. Then the shuttles will fly higher and drop slower, leading to a slower game.

    Perhaps that is the answer. People come up with all sorts of factors that affect the speed of a hall, but never seem to explain it.

    From a training perspective, I'd like to know why it happens so that I can better understand why my strokes may vary in different settings.
     
  7. Charlie-SWUK

    Charlie-SWUK Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2014
    Messages:
    4,398
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    Occupation:
    N90 sycophant
    Location:
    SW UK
    Ever tried to breathe neat an AC vent when it’s heating? It changes things.
     
  8. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
    A nice post to demonstrate exactly what I said before, "People come up with all sorts of factors that affect the speed of a hall, but never seem to explain it."

    Yep, it changes the local air humidity, density, and other physical properties which is exactly why we select a shuttle based on the air physical properties in a hall. It also affects the air current as hot air rises and cool air sinks.

    You are not clarifying anything. I might as well say "leaving the doors open affects the shuttle flight". Great, thanks - I'd like to know the mechanism in which this occurs. Does leaving the door open make a hall faster? Slower? Does it matter what the air conditions outside are like?

    So perhaps you could clarify - how exactly could the air temperature distribution affect the shuttle flight in different halls enough for it to be deemed "fast" or "slow", if the shuttle will land at the correct distance on a standard speed test?

    Unless you are saying they test it when the heaters are off, then turn them on and the shuttle is faster? Because that sounds like a bit of an oversight. They must surely test it with the expected playing conditions including audience levels.
     
  9. Charlie-SWUK

    Charlie-SWUK Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2014
    Messages:
    4,398
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    Occupation:
    N90 sycophant
    Location:
    SW UK
    They do, but if the air is substantially thicker above for whatever reason, the shuttle won’t gain height as easily. It will travel the same distance lengthways, but not the same distance height ways.
     
  10. visor

    visor Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2009
    Messages:
    16,401
    Likes Received:
    2,001
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I think it's more to do with the temperature of the hall changing (ie heating up due to increased crowd) from the time that the shuttle testing occurs to a few hours later when the match takes place. Just a few degrees and the shuttle speed would be wrong.
     
  11. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
    I have wondered why they don't speed test for each match. Happens routinely in smaller tournaments.
     

Share This Page