Starttimer
New Member
To my way of thinking, it seems odd that for all the the time that badminton has been played in the U.K. it appears that 'New World' countries can just emerge and be serious contenders. Even Denmark, which seems to have been around for centuries, went from a standing start to an All England finalist in about a decade, admittedly just before the 2nd World War! Evolution doesn't seem to have favoured them but they do seem to have the means to take on the Asians, and this from a population of only 5 million.
More and more I am drawn to the conclusion that our basic approach to the game is wrong. We seem to have adhered to the 'gifted amateur' approach and just cranked it up.We are still locked in to the post-war top-down attitude. While we stand a reasonable chance in doubles, singles success eludes us for the simple reason that singles is a strategic game and doubles largely a tactical game. Singles should be at the heart of the game and doubles a development of the singles approach.
A tactic is a procedure to gain some advantage but it could equally be a procedure to avoid a disadvantage. Badminton in the UK has concentrated on the former approach and to succeed, the player seeking a tactical advantage has to have almost total control in the match. This is just not possible when we are up against an uncooperative opponent. The consequences are the pressure on our shotmaking to be too accurate, frenetic movement about the court and an increase in stress levels.
The alternative approach I would advocate is that singles and hence badminton as a whole should focus on avoiding a disadvantage. Keeping out of trouble is a factor within my control and I can raise the tempo when the opportunity presents. Given that the World Championships have recently been held, Lin Dan is an exemplar of this approach.
More and more I am drawn to the conclusion that our basic approach to the game is wrong. We seem to have adhered to the 'gifted amateur' approach and just cranked it up.We are still locked in to the post-war top-down attitude. While we stand a reasonable chance in doubles, singles success eludes us for the simple reason that singles is a strategic game and doubles largely a tactical game. Singles should be at the heart of the game and doubles a development of the singles approach.
A tactic is a procedure to gain some advantage but it could equally be a procedure to avoid a disadvantage. Badminton in the UK has concentrated on the former approach and to succeed, the player seeking a tactical advantage has to have almost total control in the match. This is just not possible when we are up against an uncooperative opponent. The consequences are the pressure on our shotmaking to be too accurate, frenetic movement about the court and an increase in stress levels.
The alternative approach I would advocate is that singles and hence badminton as a whole should focus on avoiding a disadvantage. Keeping out of trouble is a factor within my control and I can raise the tempo when the opportunity presents. Given that the World Championships have recently been held, Lin Dan is an exemplar of this approach.