how do i top spin a shuttlecock

Harder to make it look as cool as LD does though

 

the name top spin is misleading...its not like top spin in tennis. as kwun has pointed out, its flicking at the last minute lol

 

Note: it is possible to play the shuttle with topspin, leading to the shuttle having a different trajectory to normal. The effect is however very different to tennis. To do this, you simply brush up the back of the shuttle (i.e. instead of hitting forwards as normal, simply strike the shuttle from low to high, thus striking upwards at the back of the shuttle).

It is very possible to hit top spin lifts, net kills or pushes (many professional net kills are a variant of a top spin tennis forehand, commonly referred to as a "brush" net kill - the brushing motion is the same one used to impart top spin in tennis), and drives.

It seems to me that the shuttle Lin Dan plays does have top spin imparted, because as he snaps his fingers, he looks (to me) to brush up the back of the shuttle - thus, this is why it is referred to as a top spin shot. It is played using the fingers, but the shuttle is struck with the racket moving upwards, reminiscent of a "top spin" tennis shot.

I have seen Lee Chong wei brush up the back of the shuttle many many times when trying to take an opponents net shot early. He leaps forwards, and brushes up the back of the shuttle, pushing it past his opponent. The shot is played this way so he doesn't touch the net, but regardless, it is played with topspin.

 

I agree with MSeeley (he knows alot) ....so is the''tight'' brush net kill just flicking /''brush'' anticlockwise .low...to high ..... I have never seen any club players able to hit this shot , it is difficult ? or could you demonstrate

 

staiger, if you imagine a forehand net kill for a right handed player, you will be likely holding a panhandle grip (similar to a tennis forehand grip - called the semi-western grip - random fact ). Imagine you hold your arm directly out in front of you, and the racket head is pointing upwards. This is 12 oclock. rotating to the right 90 degrees would get you to 3 oclock, and the other direction is 9 oclock.
A brush net kill is normally played by "brushing" the shuttle, by moving the racket head from 3 oclock anticlockwise to 9 oclock, with a contact with the shuttle at roughly 12 oclock. This would make the shuttle travel directly forwards, or downwards and forwards if you angle the racket face to point downwards slightly (I believe there is an excellent brush net kill video on badminton bible...).

This brushing motion is very much a "sideways" brushing motion from right to left (There are a few more things that make the perfect "brush kill", as the path of the racket tends to arc forwards slightly instead of just sideways, but these are the basics) and is the same one used by most professional tennis players for top spin forehands when the ball is high (called a "windscreen wiper forehand" in tennis).

The variant that I see lee chong wei play (and many top professionals) is the same brushing motion from 3 oclock to 9 oclock, but where the shuttle is contacted at more like 2 oclock or 1 oclock. Thus, the shuttle is being brushed "upwards" rather than from right to left. I would refer to this as a top spin shot, because the intention is to hit with spin to make the shuttle dip afterwards.

I am interested to hear what you guys think. Do you think its "top spin"?

 

I'm in the process of learning this shot. I've managed to use it in club games twice during the last three weeks. The shot itself isn't difficult. The problem is getting to the net quickly enough: you won't see it much at club level because there's no point trying to play this shot unless you can take the shuttle very close to the net, and most of us just don't have good enough footwork to achieve that very often.

 

Bingo! That point is frequently forgotten.

Moreover, brush net kills work best when you get to the net on good balance and are not taking the shuttle too far out to the side. For the very tightest kills, you pretty much need to be there waiting for it. If you're still charging forwards to the net, then it's very difficult to keep sufficiently precise control of the forwards motion of your racket.

As for this "top-spin net lift" demonstrated by Lin Dan -- that's a new one to me. I'm not sure how much this is really top-spin for the sake of applying spin, and how much it's just a consequence of holding a straight shot before hitting cross-court. I suspect the latter.

In any case I wouldn't be quick to dismiss Gill Clarke's description; she is usually spot-on, and has a sharp eye for spotting the nuances of what the players are doing. She often spots things during the rally that I can only see in the slow-motion replay.

That's a good observation; now you mention it, I've noticed this too.

The intent may also be to take the shuttle very early, and brush it off the top of the net. Sometimes this upwards-brushing technique may be the only way to do that (especially in singles). If they get some top spin in the process, that's a bonus.

 

Agreed!

Re: Lin Dan. I agree that Lin Dan probably wasn't playing his shot for the spin he could create, its just the way he chose to play the shot. Regardless, I still think it is technically a topspin backhand. I believe Fu Haifeng plays a similar shot every so often, although, given its doubles, the effect is somewhat less devastating than Lin Dan's version!

 

I seen Cai Yun hitting those shots with his backhand a few times .so much to learn in badminton !

 

Other than Cai Yun. another player I seen before is Tan Boon Heong.

 

He does it once here (TBH)[video=youtube;I_uCpeHbpeM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_uCpeHbpeM[/video]