Improve your game
Previous Coaching Tips......
THE BACKHAND CLEAR
- Position yourself beneath and behind the shuttle.
- You can keep a forehand grip (shaking hands with the
racquet) but for greater power and control try moving your thumb
further round the wide part of the racquet so that the flat part of
your thumb is facing the shuttle when you strike it.
- Point your racquet shoulder toward your target and your
racquet elbow toward the approaching shuttle.
- Relax and keep your wrist loose and flexed, this is very
important as the shot comes almsot
entirely from your wrist.
- Keep your arm extended and your elbow slightly bent.
- Swing your racquet by snapping your wrist and strike the
shuttle when it is just slightly in front of you and just above head
height.
- Hit the shuttle with an open racquet face.
- Follow through - upward and out, not across your body - to
drive the shuttle as high and deep as possible.
THE SMASH
In our last hints and tips on how to make the most of your
game we looked at SERVING. If the serve is the stroke that gets you off
to a good start in a rally then our next shot is definitley the one
that will finish it off i.e. the SMASH. Here are some top
tips to hone your power game:
- The smash may be the most powerful offensive shot in
badminton but don’t be fooled into thinking that means you have to hit
the shuttlecock as hard as you possibly can. As with most power shots
in any sport, such as the drive in Golf or the volley in Football, it’s
all about effortless power not powerless effort! The stroke or shot
needs to be smooth and relaxed. This is especially true with the
Badminton smash where a lot of the power is generated from the wrist
and NOT the arm or
shoulder.
- Getting into position is critical for the smash. You need
to take the shuttle in front of and above you as it is virtually
impossible for the average club player to hit a powerful shot once the
shuttle has passed them. In other words, you should be behind and
beneath the shuttle.
- Ideally, your weight should be on your back (racket) foot
so that you can throw your weight forward and through the shuttle when
executing the shot.
- Your racket arm should be raised and behind your shoulders
with your elbow bent and your wrist cocked, relaxed and ready. Although
not essential, raising your left arm (right arm if you’re a
left-hander) often helps to stabilise or balance you in preparation for
the shot and also acts as a guide to direct the shuttle.
- Reach up for the shuttle, striking it as high and early as
you can and definitely in front you by pushing off from your back leg
(racket foot) and transferring your weight to your forward foot. If you
are particularly fit and athletic you can jump for the smash as the
extra height will mean the shuttle is struck down at a steeper angle
making it even more difficult to retrieve. However, constantly jumping
for the smash is very demanding and can put you off balance for the
next shot or reduce your recovery time so unless you’re a budding Fu
Haifeng then it’s probably best to have your feet firmly planted.
-
If you want to hit a powerful smash
there are 2 critically important things to remember. Firstly, snap your
wrist as you make contact with the shuttle, a little like flicking a
towel. Most of the power in the smash comes from this well timed
uncocking or snapping of the wrist. This will only be achieved if you
are focused but completely relaxed. Secondly, make sure you follow
through. Playing right through the shuttle will ensure that you have
maximum arm extension and will encourage the wrist snap through the
shot.
- Vary your smash. Most smashes should be straight down the
line but an occassional cross-court smash will keep your opponents
guessing and in level doubles nothing confuses more than one straight
down the middle.
- Practice! Use club nights to practice smashes and smash
variations. Get your partner to feed you during the warm up using full
and half-court clears.
SERVING
- Vary your serve, don't be predictable. Even if you have a
superb short serve that is difficult to attack, make sure you add
variety such as serving wide to the tramlines or close to the receivers
left hip. Also, vary the pace of the serve.
- An occassional flick serve will unsettle your opponent but
it has to be deceptive and used sparingly. Remember, there is no
substitute for a good short service. Regardless of how tall or quick
the opponent is, if the serve is tight enough to the net, he/she will
have to lift the shuttle down no matter what! Besides, unless your
serve is obviously short of the line, most attacking players rarely
risk leaving it, just in case it is in.
- There should be no difference between a good forehand and a
good backhand serve. However, a good backhand serve can be more
deceptive since the shuttle is closer to the hand before impact. Try
practising the backhand serve on club nights if you're not used to it.
- Notice the position of the receiver. Most people tend to
stand in one place in the service court and have one stock response to
a particular type of service. If you know this, you can vary your
service and expose their weaknesses. For example, driving your serve
fast and low at the receiver's head or chest or trying a flick.
- Talk to your partner and let them know how you are about to
serve. Use a code or signal so that you don't alert your opponents.
Always stay positive and encourage each other. Your partner might be as
intimidated by the return of serve from an aggresive opponent as you.
- If you are the non serving partner, try to work out what
type of return of serve the receiver likes. Usually players have one or
two favourite returns. If the receiver likes soft returns, stand closer
to the server. Likewise, if the receiver favours drive returns, wait
farther away from the server and keep your racket head up.
- Relax! Nothing ruins the serve more than tension. Try to
remember that the service is the only shot in Badminton that you have
complete control over.