Help with Stroke Please!!

I'm sure that your technique is not perfect yet, but I believe, that you are beyond the stage where a simple look at your warm up routine reveals any major issues. At this point people will only over-analyse your technique. So, take what you have already improved and let it settle for some time.

At this point you should really try to get a video of a game vs someone who can beat you easily in a single or in a double game. I think, that there will be other issues which could need your attention more than to try to improve your stroke for now.

 

Nylon Shuttles. If that changed, I'm sorry, I just had a look at that screenshot and even when watching your videos, I never look at the shuttle.
They wobble less than real feather shuttles and slow down less, so it's more difficult to play a tight net shot, especially after a smash.

Are you taking a professional singles player as the best reference to where to stand? Also, he's not ready for anything if you look at his racket and elbow.

Very different situation, and I do not think Mason's position is optional.

Back to the situation before: The lift is slightly short (Mason is standing inside of the court), but to the middle, making it not easy and not advisable to rotate. Blueshorts has to cover any fast response after a smash, therefore he has to move back to be able to get all the shots in front of his body and that's what he should do.

While that situation is great for Mason and his Partner, the choices are limited to a smash through the middle. The opponents know that and are prepared, so there must not be any gap between Mason and his partner, otherwise a flat, fast defense will put them under a lot of pressure, especially since Mason's view behind his partner is not perfect.

 

I am no expert and not county level, but I think i've been able to return blocks from that far back, at the front, consistently, against opponents like that or opponents a bit better than that. Enough that opponents have tried lifting it over me more. And I speak to coaches sometimes and two have told me to stand that far back..(i.e. not as far back as mr blue shorts).. (This is talking about when no rotation)

You say "Mason is standing inside of the court), but to the middle"

I am not suggesting that he should be standing in the middle horizontally!!!

All the pictures I showed are clearly in reference to the distance in the axis perpendicular to the net!! And that is what I have been speaking of.

If the shuttle is lifted over to the left corner, the person at the front stands to the left hand side of the centre line. I've stood there as far back as i've said and they've lifted, my partner has smashed, opponents blocked it and i've blocked it lightly to the net pretty easily, causing them to lift again. It has worked for me. The smash doesn't have to be to the middle/centre line. The block is within reach of myself at the front. I have not felt pressured and felt that I have enough time quite comfortably.

So when you say "the choices are limited to a smash through the middle" I think maybe you have misunderstood what I have said..

I am not sure if you are suggesting that even if he isn't dead centre and he biases one side when he should, then he still still needs to be further back as far back as blue shorts is, Do you have any video of this scenario?

I'm aware that doubles positioning can get quite advanced. It's possible that you speak of something i'm not aware of and haven't heard before.. If you can point me to a point in such a video where pro players stand further back at the front, (and this is a case where there's no rotation).. And you're saying they have to be further back , like as far back as the blue guy was, in order to block a smash.

I'd really like to see an example of that.

Thanks

 

I don't think so.

I think you're misunderstanding that the entire paragraph is only referring to the situation where you said that Blueshorts was too far back. He's not. I explained what's special in that situation.
I cannot remember having seen that situation with that much time in a high level doubles, because every player will try to avoid a short lift to the center of the court.

Anyway, it's way off topic.

 

Okay, most issues are more important in singles, but they will although creep into your double games.

My observations:

1. Low Serve
A low serve is really risky when you are lacking the footwork and reaction time to cover all 6 corners. I think, a high serve will calm down your game and give you more options.

2. Base position
Your base position is too close to the service line. E.g. at 0:15+ you need 3 instead of 2 steps to reach the shuttle, because you are standing almost on the service line when your opponent hit the shuttle.

3. Stance
Your ready stance is often almost parallel to the side line (racket foot back) instead of more neutral and parallel to the net. You can see a very strong anticipation of moving forward-backward, but moving to the sides will be difficult.

4. Smashing & Clears
Did you play a single clear ? Almost all backcourt shots are smashes or a drop shot. This is common in doubles, but in singles you should try to choose the right shot.

My personal advice:
I think, that a lot of your issues you display in your game is rooted in position on court and game pace. Even if you play more doubles, I would sugguest to see singles as training session. I would focus on the following during play, starting with the most important first in my opinion for your situation (no drill training, no coach, not 16 years old):

A. Base position and stance
Your game consists of short rallies, therefor it should be quite easy to learn the (adjusted) base position and a neutral stance. E.g. learn the high serve to get more time, and after each high serve go back to your base position, get into a ready stance and optional try to concentrate on the first split step.

B. Shot choice
You need to include (more) clears, this will help you to slow down the pace. You are moving really hectically around and each smash will be like a boomerang by keeping up the high pace of the match.

C. Game pace
Try to learn to control the game pace. In short: fast shots like a fast drop or smash will increase the pace (more energy in shots will result in even faster returns), a clear and lift will reduce the pace. Try to play around with this and try to get a feeling for it.

D. Split step
I put the split step at a lower priority, because I think, that learning the split step during a match is really hard if you are diving after each shuttle. Thought the split step should be included in each solo/partner drill you do.

Final conclusion:
In my opinion you would benefit most if you slow down your game. This way you have more time to act instead of react and once you have more time you will be able to consciously choose better positions and shots. So, court awarness (where I am standing on the court and where should I stand), stance and shot choice (high serve -> clear -> ?) are things you can actually concentrate during a match more easily than trying to concentrate on something like the split step.

 

It strikes me, that I'm talking more about my self-coaching approach than his wish to improve his scissor kick. So, feel free to ignore the rest. I will hold back in the future .

Yes I know, and I don't mean that he should slow down his game as a tactical purpose, he should slow down his game to have more time to act, to consciously learn. I just want to show him an other way of self-coaching, which worked for me, and which might work for him too.

I'm in a similar, almost equal, situation: to old to get group (youth) training, no coaches available (atleast in reach), 90% double preferrence in club, strong will to improve, everyone in club just want to play a few matches.

It is soo incredible hard to improve in this environment. There is just too little time for (partner) drills, you can cleary see, that once a game started, the previously practiced technique does not take effect. This works good in a coached, drill intensive environment, and therefor the standard 99.9% answer to help is "get a coach, you can only do footwork solo, get a partner, play more games, it will improve over time", but I believe that in an other context you need to adjust how you play your common games: play to improve instead to win

So, I try to include the matches as training session too, but it will not work, as long as you are only reacting, you need time and you need to learn to use this additional time to consciously do things during the match. To activitly train certain stuff, like "okay, I will do a fast drop now", "I will do a half smash now". I even started to say the first service/service-return routine out loud (but not to loud and only in singles ) I want to play before receiving/doing the serve.

So, my way to improve in a limited environment is, that, according to the Pareto principle (80-20 rule), you should try to focus on a broader spectrum and try to invest 20% of your time/energy in multiple aspects to reach 80% of the result, instead of trying to invest 100% of your time/energy in only a single aspect.

 

Hi Mason,

As a fellow beginner at roughly the same age, im shocked watching this video on how long you can last doing this. Your fitness level is amazing!

I tried doing the same (only from mid to rear 3 corners with scissor kick) and I can only last an ABSOLUTE maximum of 11 swings before having to rest approx 3mins for the next 'set'. On average I can only do 9-10 if I want to minimize the rest time.

You did 13, barely took a rest and went on the next 'set'!

 

Regarding the scissor, there are a lot of "half" scissor jumps, where your hip do not rotate a lot. Two nice examples are

1. at 6:04:
A nice scissor with full rotation and immediate take off to take the shuttle at the front court. No problem, one foot was even out of the court.

2. at 6:08:
Same situation, this time you don't have to take the shuttle far behind, your feet didn't touch the trampline, yet you have only done a "half" scissor and have trouble taking the shuttle at the front court afterwards.