As a beginner badminton player, is running or cycling better for improving my ability to play badminton? Or should I be doing both?
As stamina improvement yes, other than that its no no. Badminton had unique movement than different from both running & cycling. Even my basketball experience are good for my fitness & strength only.
Running & skipping has helped me to build overall stamina and speed. Cycling won't help much unless you are going uphill. But playing better badminton would require footwork drills, shot selection and precision. Having ORS/Glucose also helps my energy levels. Cheers.
Running and cycling are actually great and fun ways to improve endurance (still needed, especially on thoses long amateur tournament days) but also pace/explosivity when done right. Clearly, one should not favour long session when biking or running. Only occasionally to build a endurance. Otherwise, regular and short interval sessions are great ways to add variety in training while having fun (who does weekly rope skipping since years without getting bored at our level?) and keeping a steady training program adapted to badminton. I would not base a whole program on those 2 sports though.
Do you even have an endurance problem on court? You do what any beginner does. You play in clubs that accept you, and people will tell you things. Like that you are doing things wrong and should get a coach. Beginner clubs might even have a coach in there.
And footwork drills without a shuttle. Try doing the same footwork pattern exercise for one minute then break for one minute. Five rounds. Then try another footwork pattern. Same again for one minute rest one minute and then five rounds. Doing the footwork pattern at a semi fast pace should help your stamina loads.
As long as we are on the topic of improvement. I was wondering what is the mindset/goals for a veteran ? Those who are past their professional careers.. or have been playing the sport for 10-15 or more yrs. Do they also try and improve their game if yes then how ? Those who are +35 or 40, what should be their strategy... ?
The mindset is entirely up to the individual. Learning is lifelong. What should a person do according to the age and ability depends on what goals they want to achieve. Some people play for enjoyment, some for exercise, some for social， some for competitive. Definite the aims clearly (realistic aims) and then it's easier to say what one should do.
The game inevitably changes with age. For instance, backhands must be mastered in singles as it becomes physically harder to take all the shuttle with a forehand stroke. Endurance is also a physical quality that is easier to maintain than explosivity for senior players. As it is mentionned hereabove, it depends of one's goals too.
I ride fixed gear and can confidently say it helped my stamina a lot! (Pretty good hills in my area tho) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yepp. A fixed gear uphill would really keep that core engaged and build those thighs. Coming downhill is a bliss. Be careful with the brakes. Cheers.
improving to the level of pro, might not be. But another improvement might be yes. Improving technique are 1 thing but, experience are what matter. As for example myself, few times i had to carry the bad player. How i can still win with my team handicap is the fun for me. Thinking strategy & many times it fail, when its hitting the point, thats the real joy & in some way i think it also called improvement. So there is many path for improvement depend on which path you want to take.
Thank-you. I didn't want to highjack the thread.. so refrained from further posting earlier. I also play for the competition. But as I see more senior players losing steam quickly or making more errors than they used to (few years back) Or may be i have improved/adapted to them, it has forced me to think that I would also go through the same. I would like to propose the LinD & LCW analogy here... How both of them took different approaches to badminton at the end of their careers. Playing with a handicap and winning has been fun for me too but i have realised that it has also lead to a few bad habits. I have given up head heavy & stiff racquets 5yrs ago owing to elbow/shoulder pain and now on bad days my right knee limits my movement. So I was wondering if i should keep striving for a fast/attacking game or improve more towards a defensive gameplay ? Because i don't play badminton for exercise, socialising, enjoyment.. winning a tough game is my reward/kick. Cheers.
the more you used to play with someone over & over, you kinda had some foresight & predict what they would do thus it seems they are easier to handle. Afterall all player always had some kind of habit where they move in repeatitive pattern, like Kevin who had tendency to rush forward leaving his area open. If you could read the pattern, it would be easier for you to deal with them. yes if you play to much you unconciously become lazy, your shot quality getting bad as every mistake not to punishing. But mixing it would be good. I could practice some trickshot or my bad shot & even if i make a bad return, its not quite punishing so the rally can keep going. Or i learn to play with more brain than brute as i cant be reckless with my shot. Doing a shot that to difficult for my partner to handle would mean i had to cover it myself. as long you didnt aim for a pros, any path you chose is totally up to you. As long you enjoy it, just do it. For example if you had bad shoulder, can your shoulder handle agresive games for whole games? Or maybe doing less aggresive could makes you last longer? Its a choice to makes, 10 minute all out or 30 minute long fight. No answer are the right or wrong. Just a choice of life to take Or looking at pros player, Chenlong playstyle are more defensive while Lindan are pretty aggresive. Both are amazing, so play fast or defensive, both still looking cool. so doesnt mean giving up HH stiff racket mean you are getting weaker. What really end for us is when we give up to our life difficulty & stop trying.
If I can chime in, just play badminton and play at the hardest sessions you can. Eat well and hydrate between games. I've been playing for ~13 years and am described as an "advanced" player. I tried out for a strong club at their club night and they accepted me. The first time there, I was out of breath most other points. I found the pace and decision making required was intense. The second time, not as much. Now when I go there I can give it my all. When I tried for a club of this level ~5 years ago I was tired just from doing clears in the warm ups haha (they denied me, rightfully). - In my early teenage years I had a trampoline in my garden, so going on that for maybe an hour or so 3-4 days a week helped build up my thighs. Someone said it looks like I have 4 knees. -- Definitely do "fast foot" exercises as well as footwork patterns or the 8 corner drills like Cheung said.
