badminton drills to improve smash shot

I'm a keen badminton thespian and sports writer. I've been playing badminton since my early teens. At the moment I'yard playing 2-3 times a calendar week.

Badminton racquets.

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How to Smash in Badminton

The smash is the virtually aggressive shot in badminton. The world's fastest badminton smash was 332kph (206mph), hit by Fu Haifeng of China in 2005, though even faster smash speeds of over 400kph (250mph) accept been recorded unofficially during smash speed tests used for promotional purposes.

Smashes are used differently in singles and doubles. In badminton singles, the blast should exist used sparingly—only when you are confident of a weak return. In badminton doubles, you should boom more than oftentimes—afterward all, information technology's your partner's chore to comprehend the strong returns! The technique for peachy is very similar to serving in lawn tennis or throwing a ball overarm.

What You Need to Know to Boom Effectively

1. The footwork needed to move into the right position
2. How to move into the gear up position prior to the blast
3. The procedure of hit the shuttlecock from the smash position

To become in ready position for a badminton smash, stop and centre your residual earlier taking the shot

You lot cannot play a shot finer unless yous are in position in expert time. Y'all need fourth dimension to come to a halt and heart your balance before you endeavour to have the shot.

Hold the racket in a forehand grip (same equally in tennis) when preparing to hit a nail in badminton

ii. Preparing: The Ready Position

Your body should be relaxed, as tense muscles move more slowly than loose ones. Use a relaxed forehand grip (same as in tennis).

Stand up sideways, so that your non-racket foot and shoulder are facing toward the management you wish to smash.

If you are positioned correctly, you should exist standing so that the shuttlecock would drop down the back of your neck, were you to let it fall.

Your not-noise arm should point upwards toward the shuttlecock, while your dissonance arm should also be raised with your elbow bent and your wrist uncocked, and then your dissonance is pointing upwards (see fig. 1 below). Your weight should exist on your dorsum pes.

Hit the badminton smash: proper stroke

3. Hit the Smash

When y'all smash, have a step forward. You lot are aiming to hit the shuttlecock at the highest point you can comfortably, then your arm and racket should be fully extended at the point of bear on.

Imagine you lot are "throwing" your racket through the shuttlecock. Your muscles should exist loose up to the bespeak of impact. Don't endeavor to hit the shuttlecock hard! Doing so will cause your muscles to tighten. Yous may detect information technology hard to believe, but the smoother and more fluid the motion, the faster and more consequent the smash will exist.

The key principle is to maximise the acceleration of the racket and the momentum of your bodyweight.

Scroll to Go on

Here I'll walk you through each step of the process.

As stated, "Your non-noise arm should bespeak upwardly toward the shuttlecock, while your noise arm should also be raised with your elbow bent and your wrist uncocked, then your dissonance is pointing upwards" (see fig. one).

Badminton Nail Effigy one: Begin shifting your weight to your back leg, point your non-racket arm toward the shuttlecock, and hold your racket upward with an uncocked wrist

You should lead the motion with your non-racket arm, which should start off pointing toward the shuttlecock. As it moves forrad and downwardly, your shoulders will rotate (run into fig. 2).

Badminton Boom Figure 2: Pb the motion with your non-racket arm; as yous exercise and so, your shoulders will begin to rotate

As your shoulders rotate, you should simultaneously outset to step forward and swing your forearm forrard, so that your racket arm and racket leg are moving forward at the same time (see fig. 3).

Badminton Blast Figure three: Step forward and swing your forearm forward at the same time

As your forearm swings forward, you should "cock" your wrist—tilt information technology backward so that your racquet is pointing downward rather than upward. Your elbow should also turn so that your racket is pointing behind your back (run across fig. iv).

Badminton Nail Figure 4: Erect your racket by turning your elbow and wrist to point the racket behind your back

Then as you swing your arm forwards, you should rotate your forearm around and straighten your elbow then that your arm straightens out as you "throw" the racket toward the shuttlecock (run across fig. 5).

Badminton Smash Figure v: Then swing your arm by beginning to straighten it out as if yous were going to throw it through the shuttlecock

Just before impact, you should flick your wrist, generating actress speed as the racket hits the shuttlecock. The shuttlecock should hitting the centre of the racket, with the racket flat to the shuttlecock at the point of bear upon. The racket should face downward so that the shuttlecock flies at a steep downwards bending over the net.

The point of impact should be slightly in front of yous. Keep your arm and noise outstretched so that you hit the shuttlecock every bit high in the air as possible without your arm beingness hyper-extended—there should still be a slight curve in your elbow to avoid the possibility of injury (meet fig. six).

Badminton Smash Figure 5: Then swing your arm past beginning to straighten information technology out as if yous were going to throw it through the shuttlecock

Afterwards you hit the shuttlecock, your dissonance should continue downwardly as if information technology had just hit through the shuttlecock and is continuing its trajectory (see fig. seven and 8).

Badminton Boom Figures vii and 8: Later on the bespeak of impact, the racket will face downward

Your racket should follow through in an arc and come to rest virtually your non-racket leg and so that your racket arm crosses your body. Figure nine has nearly completed his arc and will continue to motion his racket until information technology stops by his other leg.

Badminton Smash Figure nine: Finish your arc after you lot hit the shuttlecock

A skilful follow-through maintains your racket speed as you hit the shuttlecock then that you put the maximum forcefulness into the touch on. You lot should be hitting "through" the shuttlecock!

Post-obit this technique may feel foreign at start. Endeavor practising in front of a mirror without shuttlecocks until it feels more comfy. Then get a friend to feed you loftier lifts so you tin can practice the nail. Soon you lot should be hit the shuttlecock much improve and harder than earlier!

Ane last thing that will help is watching this slow-movement video of Fu Haifeng bully. As I mentioned, he has hit the fastest recorded badminton nail, then he knows what he's doing!

It's a jump nail simply the arm movement is the same—watch how his arm coils and uncoils as he smashes it.

Slow-Motility Smash: Fu Haifeng

eduardo on June 15, 2020:

putting effort on pes rest

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i similar red

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gurk timpson on May x, 2019:

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malikye on April 29, 2019:

I need help

justice on March 03, 2017:

i like it

jeff on June 25, 2015:

this commodity was not helpful any.thank you

pushaan on September 04, 2014:

overnice just useless

BB on May 18, 2013:

Smashing

Manjeet on January 04, 2013:

I find hitting the base of the shuttlecock most hard in a amash shot.

Manu on December 01, 2012:

My smashes are now non going to the net. They are just going like a bullet to the opponent's midcourt. I am very happy now. Thanks for your assist. I hope that you volition post few more articles on how to improve our tactics.

Badminton Doubles (author) from London on May 12, 2012:

Yes - I mention the ArcSaber Z-Slash tape in the aforementioned paragraph. It was done in a speed test rather than in a friction match so I don't think it's every bit meaning.

geeth on May 11, 2012:

overnice i have lean many things thank you and then much

JGS on May 11, 2012:

The fastest blast is 421 km/h (261Mph) using the Yonex Arcsaber Z-Slash

SOS!!!! on Apr xiii, 2012:

Since I'm pretty bad at the game I started attending this course but it turned out that in that location too, I was the worst amid the learners.I couldn't even serve correct.Then after some weeks, out of my clear observation of myself, I found out that the problem rested in my lack of ability and aim while hitting a nail or fifty-fifty surving.The bus continually scolds me for my utter defeats.How can I solve this?

abam on March 06, 2012:

bang-up info! and thnx for extra info from Mike and Badgerman'due south comments!! I love this commodity, it's just TOO Crawly TO BE True!!! I can't believe that you just need to put an easy swing to do a nail and TOTALLY Not A VERY HARD SWING to do so... XP

chintia meliala on February 12, 2012:

this info is helpful

supersmashrackett on November 14, 2011:

Badminton is Awesome!!! particularly when it comes to smashes and drops and serves and,,,, oh i don't know but it's crawly!

ginge on June 06, 2011:

actually good commodity

Yasar on May 21, 2011:

This is awesome

costraphil on April 11, 2011:

cheers a lot

cyber on March 27, 2011:

super

Ai on March 07, 2011:

very informative... I recently joined my school badminton team, and so far, I recollect I am the worse player on my squad -.- I will definitely follow these tips and promise to meliorate my hit skills!

shivs on Nov nineteen, 2010:

this has helped me a lot.

flinsura on October 26, 2010:

Wow! I similar this Hub! cheers for the tips... Hope to larn more than.... Bang-up Hub...

Hannah duncan on Oct 06, 2010:

cool

badgerman on September 29, 2010:

Mike,

Y'all have my respect for printing my comment. It'south very had to see what really happens, even in a slowed down video, but I could show you lots of photographs to back up my point about the follow through. However, perhaps it is not that important, as it actually illustrates my Real point. The coaching advice would but exist to 'follow through in the management you want to striking the shuttle.'

Nevertheless, since you seem to like biomechanics, you volition no doubt exist aware that virtually 53% of the ability on the boom comes from shoulder rotation and radio-ulnar pronation. When the forearm pronates the palm moves towards the OUTSIDE of the body. That is the right side of a right hander. That's actually what I mean past the follow through beingness towards the racquet side. The problem is that, due to the thespian's body movement and the instant relaxation of the arm in training for the next shot, it is very hard to see this in 'motion'. If yous freeze the action at the advisable point, it becomes obvious.

The original research on this, which has been confirmed by afterward studies, was presented at the 1977 Earth Championships coaching conference past the Canadians, David B. Waddell and Barbara A. Gowitzke. In a review of xxx years of biomechanical analysis by themselves and others Waddell and Gowitzke (2000) wrote "The myth of "wrist snap" was reportedly laid to residue." Mitt movement, specifically palmar flexion, plays a greater part in hitting circular the caput cross court smashes, and in hitting a smash with a very short follow through, simply I'm afraid players don't change the direction of the nail with their wrist at the final moment, even if they think they do.(Certainly non on a flat out ability smash). The whole stroke takes less than 1/10 of a second to perform. Anyway, that's a whole new argument.

You lot may be correct about what the coach does, because that's what most coaches think they are supposed to exercise. This is the misconception that leads to advice like 'Ah, you lot must snap your wrist at the point of contact.' As if the player can actually determine the verbal millisecond in that shot played in 0.1 seconds when they should be 'snapping'. The best technical coach in the game told me something many years agone which I didn't quite believe at the time. He said that (leaving aside footwork) there are only two things you can teach a player about hit a shot; how to fix, and what hitting action to use. So for a smash that would be starting position (however you want to describe information technology) and throw. The more I thought about this, the more than I realized it was true.

If the player has a problem, the coach must identify that problem AND ITS Crusade and give the player appropriate activities to fix it. It is usually unnecessary to tell the player what the problem is, but they may need advice on the cause. For example, a actor is hitting smashes too flat. The coach who simply thinks he is adept either a) tells the player they are hit besides apartment, advising the player to striking it down more than, or b) spots that the role player's arm is bent and thus the point of contact is too low, advising the actor to straighten the arm and hit the shuttle from a higher signal. The coach who actually IS good asks WHY the arm is bent (actually, he generally knows already) , corrects the actor's pan handle grip and tells the thespian to throw, which they now can with the correct grip (grip being part of 'how to prepare) . (Of form, THAT coach knows that, like giving upwards smoking, giving up a pan handle grip isn't easy, but has a range of measures to assistance the thespian kick the habit).

Nigh badminton coaches in this country haven't a clue about fault detection and correction, and none of the coaching systems we have had since I qualified (1984) railroad train them to do information technology. Apart from having completely the wrong idea well-nigh how near shots actually played, about coaches don't accept the necessary skills to do anything other than a) echo their initial advice, or b) tell the actor what they think they are doing wrong. Talk to most coaches about backward chaining and they either charge y'all of being a theorist or think you are building a fence.

Your comment almost annotating a video indicates that you have missed my point. No, it would NOT be great to break down a smash in particular and have players attempt to work out if their elbow was in the same place as Peter Gade'southward elbow at some given point in the stroke. What would be helpful would exist to show them how good players prepare to striking and then show them at full speed how the hit is performed. Have you lot never noticed how fast young players amend when they are around adept players? That is because they larn past faux. They don't analyze, they Blot the visual data and re-create. I could talk well-nigh visualization techniques at some length, but this is now an fifty-fifty longer comment than my kickoff.

I am pleased that you are doing your Coach Part ane, and I hope you continue to higher levels. I also really hope that you will learn something useful, but I gave upwards training coaches when I could no longer justify teaching people the absolute garbage the B.A of Due east. (equally they were then) were putting in their courses. At that indicate the courses were being written by people who did not even have the experience to know how ignorant they were. Some of them were very good players, just that is not always, indeed, not oftentimes, a detail advantage in technical coaching. I have ofttimes seen summit-class players draw how a shot is played and then demonstrate something completely different, and, of course, much more than right.

I promise that things have improved since and then, but when I stopped I felt that the content of the system was far less useful than what I was taught in 1984. I quickly learned that a lot of that was rubbish, just at least it attempted to cover the nuts of instruction, and was aimed at preparing coaches to do what most of them do initially – coaching beginners. Past the latter stages of my career as a Tutor Assessor the system seemed to have lost all impact with reality. I attended a grade at HQ where the tutors gave us the depression-downward on the new system of didactics grips. Subsequently a forenoon listening to complete nonsense we had a break, during which I witnessed a Danish coach, whom the Association had brought in largely for his technical knowledge, saying to a grouping of coaches "Of course if you lot want to the shuttle hard on the forehand, you hold the racquet like this." He and then proceeded to demonstrate what I had taught for years every bit the 'forehand ability grip,' used for all forehand strokes with a long swing, (hard and soft) like a high serve, clear, drop or smash (without piece). I said to him 'I completely concord with you, only why is that grip non in the transmission?' He shrugged. I took that to mean 'information technology'south more than my jobs worth to contradict all these idiots.'

That story sums up what's wrong with coaching. Too much of it is based on what people think and say players exercise (including the players at times) and not plenty on what they actually exercise. Don't wait at staged photos in coaching books; proceed looking at the live videos and at activeness photos from existent games. (For instance, at that place'southward a superb photo of Lee Chong Wei using exactly the grip I am talking nearly on the current All England Affiche).

If you intend to coach I hope that you volition consider what I am maxim. The scientific discipline of coaching is to know how the strokes are produced; the art of coaching is to teach players to do what you want them to practice WITHOUT giving them too much detail. That is to say, effective coaches don't talk virtually what happens DURING the shot; instead, the ensure preparation is correct and talk virtually hitting activity types like, throw, push button and tap. (Which vocabulary, the player must of course understand). Coaching is full of pseudo-scientists; just at that place are very few real artists out at that place.

Badminton Doubles (author) from London on September 16, 2010:

To follow up my last comment, here'south a YouTube video from Badminton England about smash technique, where all the smashes end with the racket arm following through across the body:

http://www.youtube.com/sentry?v=8QlW8_PdYbw.

Badminton Doubles (writer) from London on September 16, 2010:

Thanks, Badgerman for reading my article then thoroughly and giving me detailed effective feedback.

I'm not a professional badminton omnibus and I only play at a (decent) social club level, simply I do play in league matches and have been playing for near xv years, so I'thou not a complete novice either.

You brand skilful points just I'll outset off with the ane I disagree with most - "the follow through volition only be beyond the body in a cross court smash from the smasher's forehand side (that is to say a right hander hitting from his/her right to left)."

Actually I used to suffer shoulder strain until a very experienced jitney who's judgement I trusted pointed out that my follow through on overhead shots was straight rather than across my torso and this was putting a strain on my shoulder. I checked this with another coach and decided to change my technique - this plus physio work has sorted my shoulder out.

I'thou currently taking the Britain level 1 badminton coaching grade, which I'chiliad sure will affect my arroyo to writing about badminton technique in time to come. I've just double checked the handbook, which has pace by stride photos of players like Peter Gade playing shots - the overhead shots show right handed players on the left side of the courtroom with their racket following through beyond their trunk.

In fact, looking at the slow move video of Fu Haifeng's smash (and yes, perhaps a jump smash is not the all-time choice but at that place'southward non and so many tedious motion videos to pick from and this ane actually lets you lot focus on his beautifully fluid arm movement) it'southward very difficult to tell which side of his body his arm is going, but it's definitely kickoff to cross his body. Every bit he's jumping to his backhand side information technology looks to me like his racket arm volition cease nearer his non-racket leg, and this is him playing the blast cross court to his forehand side, and then I'chiliad still non convinced by your argument.

I don't have time to await through YouTube videos for examples or counter examples right now, so hither's a challenge: I recall that when whatever decent actor hits a blast cross courtroom, if they want to striking a proper smash at total ability they face their whole trunk that direction, they never swing their arm in a unlike direction. If they don't desire to circulate the management of their smash and so they utilize their wrist to conform the direction (as Fu Haifeng does in the slo mo video). And so your challenge is to find a video counter-example and mail the link on the comments.

Yous make a reasonable betoken nearly writing about bio-mechanics - the player should (initially) focus on a practiced shine throwing motility, and any more than information does risk paralysis by analysis. Yet, it's notwithstanding possible for a actor to read an article like this, place something they don't remember they practise correctly, and then pay attention to that one affair while practicing the shot? Surely this is what a coach does - identifies a office of the stroke that could improve and explains to the role player what they should try to achieve?

I must admit, a video is a better medium and it'd be great to annotate a slow movement video on youtube so that players can visually assimilate the desired motion rather than read a dry out description of it. I've non seen this done anywhere....if anyone has and then delight post the link!

Anyway, Badgerman, this is a v long comment so I hope you have time to read information technology. Thanks for starting the discussion, I hope to hear from you further.

Cheers,

Mike

Badgerman on September xv, 2010:

My goodness, what a lot of data! Unfortunately near of information technology is unnecessary and quite a bit of it inaccurate. For instance, if your video was taken from a different bending and lasted a bit longer, you'd come across that Fu Hai Feng'southward racquet will follow through much closer to the racquet leg than the non-racquet leg, which is what happens on a straight smash. (One tin merely encounter it happening). The follow through will only be beyond the torso in a cross court smash from the smasher's forehand side (that is to say a right hander hitting from his/her right to left).

Your site is a laudable attempt, just it is notoriously difficult to write near badminton technique, and Michael, you are non making it. Do you really believe that a player should THINK about 'flicking' the wrist (whatever that is) 'merely earlier impact' on a shot that takes well under a second, fifty-fifty for an average gild player? The action you are referring to will happen naturally, if the player prepares correctly and THROWS. Watching irksome-motion videos and reading a fairly inaccurate biomechanical breakdown of a shot will produce 'paralysis by analysis' as the player becomes witting of technique.

Proficient coaches don't talk about biomechanics (except to other coaches), considering they know that their job is produce technically sound players who are UNCONSCIOUS of technique. Whatsoever coach who starts to spout biomechanics is either very naïve, or is showing off. You brand some reasonable points, such as relaxing for ability, only if y'all are going to set yourself up as a badminton guru you need to know a lot more and say a lot less.

Yous don't bother to mention the grip, but perhaps that is simply as well, since yous'd probably stop up telling u.s.a. what you lot heard or read, rather than looking at what Fu Hai Feng is DOING, which is most certainly non what 99% of coaches would expect him to be doing - because they don't look. Why utilize a video of a jump smash, and so talk virtually a nail with no spring? However, fifty-fifty if a role player is not going to jump smash, information technology is important to piece of work towards being able to hit overhead forehands with what is usually chosen a 'scissor kicking', where both anxiety are off the basis, (although sometimes simply merely.) To practise this the thespian will demand to know that an overhead forehand is initiated by pushing up of the bent back (racquet) leg – non by any movement of the non racquet arm.

By the way, since you'll no dubiousness be wondering, I am a professional badminton autobus with over xx five years of experience, and I DO know how to teach technique; which in this state (UK) makes me a very rare animal indeed.

nelson on August 28, 2010:

very adept article i can smash very well at present

Ly on July 20, 2010:

Keen article... Only need to put that into exercise!

Sandeep on January 13, 2010:

yes, a lot informative

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