Need help to become Badminton Monster

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Pavlito79, Jan 25, 2022.

  1. Pavlito79

    Pavlito79 Regular Member

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    Hello guys Iam new here and bit old to start sport in my age but with everything in my life i would like to become better player and find something to push me forward . Need guidance as I really dont know what and how I should train my body and technique to be better player. Where should I start and what foundamentals I should learn. I willing train hard and do my best despite a fact iam a father and working hard .I will post a link with my video (Iam that tall player wearing blue nike Tshirt , leggins and blue shoes)
     
  2. Pavlito79

    Pavlito79 Regular Member

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    #2 Pavlito79, Jan 25, 2022
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2022
  3. Ballschubser

    Ballschubser Regular Member

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    I'm don't really like doubles, so take it with a pinch of salt.

    Most obviously for me is your lacking ready pose. Two rules:
    1. When your team attacks (shuttle goes down), then you need to take your racket up. The shuttle needs to fly up while passing the net and if you have your rackethead at your knees, you need to move it up all the way resulting in some late or hectic shots.

    2. When the opponent attacks, get into a defensive pose, that is , butt down, racket in a neutral to backhand position infront of you. Currently your defense depends on your reaction, not on your anticipation (e.g. the two defensive shots at 1:06, other example 2:10). Video:
     
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  4. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    You need practice on basic techniques (hitting shuttle and footwork) and the best way to become a monster would be to find a coach for on court training of frequency two times a week or more in addition to your regular games.

    Once you have an idea of what badminton training is like, then go start looking through badminton videos on YouTube. Add to that your own time on agility, strength and conditioning exercises if you are not doing those already.

    The advantage of being older and learning is that you would understand faster.

    The disadvantage is that your body doesn't follow and learn as fast as your mind and that's really frustrating.

    Have a look at posts by @precrime3 who has documented very well the process. It requires a certain degree of sheer bloody mindedness, time and financial investment to become a "monster".
     
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  5. Pavlito79

    Pavlito79 Regular Member

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    Thanks guys for all your input. I think for now I try concentrate on some exercises to practise my stroke and do some footwork at home. Maybe some running aswell to improve my stamina. I decided to film more when I will be playing training so you can give me more helpfull advice.
     
  6. UkPlayer

    UkPlayer Regular Member

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    As an older player there is only so much you can do - my body does not recover as it once used to, so focus more on mastering fundamental boring things that require less energy and being consistent, work out where you are giving away points easily.

    Play less games and do more on court training (not necessarily physically demanding), limit playing games to only against better opponents if you can and ask advice. If you are not at a good club, join a good club. Better club players with good technique will readily give advice. Get a couple of people to train with and do routines. Try to play some singles to improve movement. If you can get a coach, get a coach, but don't just rely on the coach, make sure you know what you want out of it. All of this costs money though so you'll have to be efficient and realistic about money and time.

    Dump the ego and forget about whether you are a monster or not, there is always a bigger monster, just do the best you can do and enjoy the process. Go slowly and try not to risk injury. Do not fall into the equipment trap of buying better rackets.

    Oh yeah, finally those courts are concrete - be careful about playing a lot on that court and make sure you're well cushioned in your shoes because you'll risk destroying your knees.

    Either follow the above which is difficult or have fun just playing socially and focus on getting better at other things. Badminton is a sport that will pay back in terms of fitness and focus and enjoyment as you improve your game but it's not easy on the wallet or body.
     
    #6 UkPlayer, Jan 27, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2022
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  7. MarketWizard

    MarketWizard Regular Member

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    You gotta start from the very fundamental basics and strip everything away that you're doing now pretty much. That's if you want to be good and compete at any respectable level. If recreation is your primary motive, then forget about the basics and just have fun. I'm not saying that to be an ass. I also have to do that. I just started coaching lessons. Even though I'm in the advanced class, and I'm a solid B level player, I started badminton only a couple of years ago and didn't learn the right habits, and now I'm unlearning some very basic things. I don't even use my left arm to balance myself much, and I'm just smashing a thousand times a class with the coaching yelling at me to get my left arm up in the air because nobody ever told me to do that in the past.

    It's hard to tell how you're gripping the racket from all the way back at the camera, but it seems like you're holding it as if you were holding a hammer. Also, the rotation for doubles needs to be worked on. All you guys are running into each other and that makes it really dangerous when both teammates are chasing after the shuttle.

    Front/Back formation for attacks.
    Side/Side formation for defense.

    Smashes and drops are attacking shots.
    Clears and lifts are defensive shots.

    Just work on one or 2 things. If you get advice from 30 different people here, you'll get 60 different things to work on, and that'll be way too overwhelming. Just start with 2. I'd say the first thing is the attack/defense formation because that's a injury risk waiting to happen with you guys seeing how you're stepping on each other's toes when its meant clearly for one and 2 of you are running after it.

    Second thing is grip, or footwork. Choose one and master it and move on to the next thing.
     
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  8. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    Yes. Grip is so fundamental to badminton. It affects everything up the chain, arm, should, body and eventually footwork. If you want to get anywhere, fix that work. literally, find the proper grip, tape it to your hands, and force yourself to adjust everything else according to it.

    @precrime3 and also @Mason have threads documenting their dedication to improvement and both looks a completely different players from when they started.

    Stop playing games and focus more on the technique. You have a great start with taping your own moves. Watch players with good technique, and then compare in detail, frame by frame, and it will be obvious what you need to improve.

    Train your wrist flexibility too. Right now, way too stiff.
     
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  9. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    One thing we haven't mentioned is that you have pretty good hand eye coordination and can move your arms quite fast for shots. That's already a very good thing to have to start off.
     
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  10. ralphz

    ralphz Regular Member

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    what on earth

    If you go on youtube and look up wrist flexibility you'll see that's not what you mean at all and is very much not what you think he should do.

    Wrist flexibility means something else than what you think it means.

    Maybe you do mean his wrist flexibility, but perhaps it's fair to assume that like most badminton enthusiasts, you think don't know the difference between a wrist movement, and an arm rotation movement.

    Wrist flexibility means wrist bending , as any youtube video would show you, so is probably not what you want to communicate and is probably not what you mean. But, i'm just guessing re what you mean/don't mean.
     
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  11. ralphz

    ralphz Regular Member

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    It looks like you are having fun.. and the people you are playing with aren't skilled either..

    If you did get better then you would see all your partners mistakes and find it annoying to play with them, because e.g. you'd smash it and it'd come to the net and your partner wouldn't be doing what they should.


    Within the first 10 seconds you mess up . Rally from 0:06-0:10

    Opponent serves, your partner lifts it to opponents backhand side, OK

    Now you are standing in the wrong place. You and your partner are meant to be "Sides".
    ,
    The opponent is likely to hit it to the net or not far. And if he were able to smash that lift then he could do that. Or he could clear it.. You should be sides ready to defend it or kill off a weak reply, or ready to go back if they clear it.

    Suppose the opponent had done a cross court drop, there'd be nobody there. because you left a gap.

    The opponent then does a backhand clear , it's on your partner's side, but you are too near. Your partner goes for it and hits it, but you are next to him and you shouldn't be.. If he had cleared it down the middle and confused you and your partner you might have both gone for it, but here only your partner should be going for it. You (and your partner) should have moved sides as soon as your partner lifted it. And for you that means you needed to move a bit further forwards than you are, and more to the left than you are. Your base should change.

    After your partner smashed it, then If the opponents had blocked it back to the net, there'd have been nobody there,

    When your partner went back to get the clear, you were meant to go forward.

    At 0:20 they hit the shuttle high to you, but your partner has no idea what he is doing. He's just standing there straight legged not attacking at the net.

    The issue with doubles is, both you and your partners need to be trained..

    Some clubs have a group coaching where a coach corrects people when they play, and the coach plays with people and tells them where go to and where not to go..

    That's a problem with doubles. And because of that, some people choose to focus more on singles!

    And clubs where most players know the fundamentals, fill up fast..

    To improve at doubles You need to find a club with a coach that is very active.. That doesn't mean necessarily getting 1-1 coaching..
     
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  12. Zalmon

    Zalmon Regular Member

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    I picked up badminton in my 20s too. Money is an important key here. Its not just to pay for coaching, but also for your time, and to prepare your body. First, I would get a coach to get the fundamental right the sooner the better. Then, I would try to practice what I could do such as footwork , changing grip, wall drill, and etc. After that I will learn the double strategy. Its not that hard “IF” your partner on the same page. Playing double is a lot easier if your team know the strategy and how to move. Otherwise, it is a mess and waste of time. You also need to hit the gym to build up some muscle and stamina since you are not young anymore. You will need a good body to be able to handle the practice and the game. With good body your body recovery faster and less fatigue. Also, you could pay for the coach to play with you. Playing with better players help a lot. And the most important thing, you need a lot of time to spend.
    I know a guy who started at the same time with me at his 20s as well. He did all that I told you and he even joined a club to practice with kids and teens. He practices like 6-7 days a week ,two sessions per day. He also trained with a lot of ex pro. It took him like 3-4 years. Now, he could compete with Thais pro. I mean he lose to them obviously, but he can enjoy the game playing with them and we wont notice much difference if we dont look close enough ( active pro are stronger in raw power and more precise).
    Then there is another guy he was a 40ish senior world championship a few years ago. He picked up badminton at his 25-30. He did almost exactly what the first guy did, but he also paid for the coaches and former players to practice and play with him almost everyday.

    so I strongly believe you could become a monster if you put enough effort ,money, and time into it.
     
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  13. Mason

    Mason Regular Member

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    I echo much of what others have said. As someone who started playing when I was 35 years old and now I’m 38 , I would get a coach If you have one available and can afford it. If you cannot you are in for the long haul. I don not have access to a coach in my area so I was stuck going on he long way. If you are stuck with no coach , you will have to focus on one or two things at a time. Start with the things that will have the greatest impact on your game and also your improvement. If I were in your situation and had no coach I would work on 2 things
    1.) basic footwork. There are many good tutorials online.you can even practice one corner at a time with limited space at home with no racket. But footwork will be your foundation that must get better and you must train for a lot.
    2.) grip. Badminton insight has a great video on the basic grips and when to use them.

    If you do not have access to train with a court and shuttles you can do some warmup shots before your games. During those warmups focus on your clears. Clear using the proper overhead grip ( yours isn’t correct l) and get as many clears as you can before you play. And while you clear , try to do the correct footwork.
    Start with these 2 things for a while and see how it goes.
    When it comes to your game there are many many things that you can fix easily by watching professional games. Study those games and notice where players stand during certain shots, notice what shots they play, and notice how they rotate.

    Overall if you have no coach you should record yourself as much as possible. Then look to make a little bit of improvement each week. I did something similar and although I am still not that good I have made a lot of improvement
    Here is where is started


    Here is where I am now, and I still am making. Little progress each week


    regardless of what you do , you will only be able to fix one or two things at a time without a real time coach so be patient
     
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  14. Pavlito79

    Pavlito79 Regular Member

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    Thanks guys for all your kinds words and advice. I will be filming more of myself as @Mason said and try move from that forward to improve a little by little till I get a good fundamentals of my technique. I noticed as well when I was smash last week started have a pain in my elbow and I think after do some research could be a bad technique. Don't want to hurt or injure myself.
     
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  15. Mason

    Mason Regular Member

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    Yes you are not using your lower and upper body in your stroke enough. I have the same problem. Rotation of your body will be most important and you can practice this with footwork
     
  16. ralphz

    ralphz Regular Member

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    your video currently won't pick up smashes that much but if you video a half court singles game and turn your phone upright and move it back so it picks up the racket then that'd help to see what happens with your overheads.

    elbow pain can happen if the arm full extends, it shouldn't fully extend.

    I notice that between 2:06-2:10 you do a shot, not a smash but your arm is very relaxed and swingy and it goes to full extension then bounces back a bit and if it did that with any force, you'd hurt your elbow. If you were to smash there's more force.

    There's a spectrum of bad technique to good technique and at any point on that spectrum there can be something that leads to injury.. So eg even some good players have knee braces.

    You need to figure out exactly when you get the pain, you say it's during the smash, but see if you can figure out exactly what part of the smash movement
     
    #16 ralphz, Jan 30, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2022
  17. Pavlito79

    Pavlito79 Regular Member

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    Yeah need to keep recording myself as I think I rotate my body and when I look on footage I don't lol
     
  18. Pavlito79

    Pavlito79 Regular Member

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    I will try concentrate next time more about when pain staring and try remember. It was feel last time like I was ok then suddenly was feeling like I pull my arm and pain inside elbow must say I think was feel a bit in shoulder aswell. Lifting a 2l bottles for a drink was bit like a struggle lol
     
  19. Pavlito79

    Pavlito79 Regular Member

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    Also I think keep changing shuttles from plastic to feathers don't benefit me. Unless is no difference ? But at the min some people when I mention feathers shuttles they like mehh too expensive or other excuses . So I play 2 times a week with a plastic and 1 x with feather. Sunday try plastic session with another guy and he bring plastic (red) and I saying cannot mix like that as timing is different and he saying is ok ?
    Don't want to sounds like a snob but is that important ? I think if I want to be consistent and train my muscle memory it is .
     
  20. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Yes. It is important. IMO, it's very difficult to play and train one's accuracy and consistency with plastic shuttles.

    When you start improving, you'll know the difference. I dare say you'll need to leave the people you presently play with behind in search of regular players who use feather shuttles.

    It doesn't help that pain in your arm either having to change your strength between different types of shuttles.
     

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