P.G.

DIPLOMA IN SPORTS COACHING (BADMINTON)

BADMINTON COACH ---MR.ADARSH RAJ GAUR
AN INTRODUCTION -THE BASICS The importance of learning the right basics in any sport cannot be over-emphasised to a budding player. The game of Badminton is no exception and therefore, it is very important that a player learns the correct fundamentals from the beginning. It is generally observed that a player with the right basics has a better chance of performing well at International level at a later date as he is in a better position to adapt to the finer points of the game compared to a player whose fundamentals are not so sound. I realised this when I was still young and spent a lot of time on strengthening my grip, footwork and right action while executing the different strokes. The positioning of the player while playing different shots is also equally important. All these aspects and more will be discussed in detail in this 'Stroking for Perfection' master class, with the aid of photographs. I have observed that due to various reasons, the present day youngsters are not technically as sound as those in 1960's and 70's. This could be due to a number of reasons like: 1. 2. 3. More youngsters taking to the game and not enough coaches available to teach them the right fundamentals. Because of the increased number of players, coaches are not able to devote enough time on an individual basis. In certain cases, quality of coaches has also gone down.

Nevertheless, in this age of IT and CD- Rom's, it is still possible to learn and improve one's game provided one makes a little bit of effort. The 'Badminton Master Class' section is an effort in this direction and I hope that it will be of some benefit to you. I will be starting off with the very basics, like the grip and the service, and then move on to other topics such as the stance, tactics, preparations (mental and physical). THE GRIP The grip is the most important element in a player's armoury. Basically there are two types of Grips:

Forehand Grip

Backhand Grip Luckily, there is not much variation between these two types of Grips -only a slight adjustment of the position of the Thumb is enough to give you a correct backhand grip. But let us first begin with the forehand grip. FOREHAND GRIP To grip the racket correctly, hold the racket by the centre of the shaft of your non-playing hand, place the palm of your playing hand on the string and start sliding your hand down till it makes contact with the handle of your playing hand. Continue the movement of the playing hand until the heel of the palm touches the butt of the handle. Then gently close the fingers around the handle and hold the grip as if you are shaking hands with the handle. This is called the SHAKEHAND GRIP. Make sure that there is sufficient gap between your thumb and the middle finger, and also between the thumb and the index finger (as shown in the photograph). Also make sure that the thumb is comfortably placed on the flat position of the grip. Another point to note is that when the racket is held straight in front of you, one should be able to see the 'V' formation between the thumb and the index finger (see photograph). The racket should be gripped firmly - neither too tight nor too loose. Make sure that the racket does not move around in your palm when you are executing the strokes. One of the most common mistakes I have observed is that a lot of players have a tendency to grip the racket slightly higher which will restrict the free movement of the racket as the butt of the handle is likely to hit the wrist. This may not look significant in the initial stages, but can be a hindrance as one reaches higher levels, specially since a lot of wrist is used in Badminton.

BACKHAND GRIP The only change while playing backhand strokes is that the thumb moves slightly upwards and rests firmly on the flat position of the grip (see photograph). The thumb acts as a support while playing backhand shots. THE SERVICE The service is one of the most important strokes in Badminton. Unfortunately, not many realise its importance as it is not an attacking or a scoring shot unlike in Tennis. It is a stroke, which is used to start a rally. But a good control over the serve -be it high, low or flat -can make a big difference to one's game. Unfortunately, these days, even at the highest levels, service is not given its due importance. I have seen so many youngsters making mistakes while serving without realising its consequences.

For, unlike in some of the other sports like Table Tennis etc., a player cannot score a point on opponent's serve. In other words, one can advance only on one's own serve. There is no point in playing a rally really well on opponent's service, get a side over and then serve out or into the net. All your efforts will be wasted. It is therefore crucial that an aspiring youngster has a good command over your serve. The first service is delivered from the right-hand service court and is made in a diagonal direction into the receiver's right- hand court. As play commences with this move, one must understand the correct service laws and tactics. The server must wait until the receiver is ready The server should stand within the appropriate service court The server should have both feet touching the ground The shuttle should be below the server's waist as it is struck The head of the racket should be below the hand holding the grip when the shuttle is struck The shuttle must be hit over the net, diagonally There are basically three types of serves: High Low Flat To begin with, let us kick-off with the high service as this is the most basic of all strokes and something you learn first when you start playing the game. You need to concentrate on the following three broad points while delivering the high service: Initial Stance Point of contact Follow-through

THE INITIAL STANCE To deliver the high service, take a position about two feet from the short service line and about six inches from the centre line (see photograph). Make sure that you do not touch the centre line as it will be called a foot fault. Then stand comfortably with both feet spread apart and parallel to each other.

Take the initial serving position as shown in the photograph. At this stage, the full weight of the body will be on the back foot.

THE POINT OF CONTACT As you start the forward movement of the racket, slowly start shifting the weight from the back foot to the front foot. Then drop the shuttle and hit it high and back to the baseline making sure that the point of contact is always below the waist.

THE FOLLOW-THROUGH Once the service is delivered, continue the swing of the racket right across your left shoulder (or right shoulder if you are a left-hander). This is called the Follow Through which is equally important. RETURN OF SERVICE Return of service is just as important as a good serve itself. This stroke plays a crucial part in a rally as a good return of serve can straight away allow a player to dictate terms and be in control of a rally till the point is won. Similarly, it goes without saying that a tentative or weak return of serve will allow the opponent to go on the offensive from the word 'go'. Not many players realise this aspect and give it the importance that it deserves. Let us now analyse the positioning of a player while receiving the serve and the various options available to him: Ideally one should stand in the centre of the court with the left foot forward and the weight of the body more on the front foot. This will enable the player to reach all types of serves i.e. high, low and flick serves-early which is a pre requisite in this game. In fact, as a player graduates to higher levels, it is advisable to take the stance closer to the short service line as the modem trend is to serve low most of the time. Also, a player has more time to reach the bird when a high or flick serve is delivered as the shuttle is in the air for a longer period compared to a short service. On a high serve, a player has the choice of playing an attacking clear, drop shot, smash or a half smash. The choice of stroke would however, depend on how well or otherwise the service has been delivered. Similarly, on a low serve, a player can either dribble, flick, push or lift the shuttle to the baseline. The important thing to note here is to take a lunge and try to meet the shuttle as close to the net as possible so that the receiver has, more options available to him to choose his shots. CLEARS A CLEAR OR A TOSS can be basically classified into two types: - Attacking clear and Defensive clear. A clear is a stroke which is played from the backcourt or the baseline to the backcourt of the opponent. This stroke can also be played from the forehand as well as backhand or overhead. Also there are two variations to the stroke -straight clear and a crosscourt clear. The positioning and execution of the shot is more or less the same as a Drop shot until the point of contact. To play the clear, use the wrist and the shoulder to some extent to hit the shuttle high and back to the opponent's baseline.

Remember not to slice the shuttle while hitting. Contact the shuttle at the highest point, with a straight arm and hit the bird with the full face of the racket. The follow through will come right across the body as shown in the photograph. The major difference between an attacking clear and a defensive clear is the trajectory or the height at which the shuttle is hit. The attacking clear is hit flatter compared to a defensive clear and is played to catch the opponent on the wrong foot by giving him/her less time to get under the bird Defensive clears, on the other hand, are generally used when a player needs more time to recover from a defensive position.

THE DROP SHOT A drop shot is a stroke executed from the back court which falls close to the net on the opponent's side. One can play either a straight drop or a crosscourt drop from forehand as well as backhand. Over the years, like many other strokes in this game, the drop shot has also undergone some changes. In the olden days, the emphasis was to play the drop shot as close to the net as possible which meant that the shuttle came slowly on the opposite side. However, the modern trend is to play it fast which means that the shuttle falls away from the short service line. An ideal way would be to play the shot fast and at the same time try to play as close to the net as possible. To play the drop shot, contact the shuttle at the highest point with the arm raised absolutely straight. Make sure not to bend the arm, for this is a common mistake committed by even advanced players. Playing the stroke with a bent arm would mean contacting the shuttle a little lower, which in turn would affect the accuracy. The back-swing would be the same as a clear, but at the point of contact the shuttle is sliced so that it goes downwards. The follow through would also be the same as a clear- the racket coming right across the body (see photograph). To play the crosscourt drop, move the shoulder across along with the follow through. THE SMASH Smash is one of the most important weapons in modern day Badminton. Most of the points these days are scored from smashes. It is important to know how to hit a good smash. One needs to use both shoulder and the wrist to get a good smash. Shoulder generates the power and the wrist gives it the depth. One cannot hit a good smash by using only the shoulder or the wrist. Both have to be combined effectively, for if a player uses only the shoulder, the smash would go flat which makes it easy for the opponent to return. On the other hand, if only the wrist is used, there will be no force or power in the smash which again makes it easy for the opponent to return. The following points would help in executing a good smash: 1. Get right under the shuttle

2. 3. 4. 5.

Contact the shuttle at the highest point with a straight arm. Using the shoulder & the wrist, hit the shuttle downwards using full force to get a whiplash action. Remember to transfer the body weight forward while playing the stroke. Follow through should be across the body.

As soon as the smash is cleared, rush towards the net so that the return can be met high at the net. RETURN OF SMASH Return of smash is also equally important as it is not possible for a player to be on the attack all the time. One should have a good defence as well to be a complete player. The point to remember while returning a smash is to contact the shuttle in front of the body and not let the bird go behind. In fact, many of the established players also commit the mistake of taking the shuttle behind the body, which makes it difficult to return the bird wherever required. One should try to position in such a way that the arm is straight while returning and not bent (see photograph). Another point to be noted is not to push the shuttle too much while returning the smash as it is likely to go away from the net and closer to the opponent. Smash can either be returned straight, cross or can be lifted back again. Return of Service Return of service is just as important as a good serve itself. This stroke plays a crucial part in a rally as a good return of serve can straight away allow a player to dictate terms and be in control of a rally till the point is won. Similarly, it goes without saying that a tentative or weak return of serve will allow the opponent to go on the offensive from the word 'go'. Not many players realise this aspect and give it the importance that it deserves. Let us now analyse the positioning of a player while receiving the serve and the various options available to him: Ideally one should stand in the centre of the court with the left foot forward and the weight of the body more on the front foot. This will enable the player to reach all types of serves i.e. high, low and flick serves-early which is a pre requisite in this game. In fact, as a player graduates to higher levels, it is advisable to take the stance closer to the short service line as the modern trend is to serve low most of the time. Also, a player has more time to reach the bird when a high or flick serve is delivered as the shuttle is in the air for a longer period compared to a short service. On a high serve, a player has the choice of playing an attacking clear, drop shot, smash or a half smash. The choice of stroke would, however, depend on how well or otherwise the service has been delivered. Similarly, on a low serve, a player can either dribble, flick, push or lift the shuttle to the baseline. The important thing to note here is to take a lunge and try to meet the shuttle as close to the net as possible so that the receiver has more options available to him to choose his shots. Clears A CLEAR OR A TOSS can be basically classified into two types: - Attacking clear & Defensive Clear. A clear is a stroke which is played from the backcourt or the baseline to the backcourt of the opponent. This stroke can also be played from the fore-hand as well as back-hand or overhead. Also there are two variations to the stroke viz straight clear & a cross court clear.

The positioning & execution of the shot is more or less the same as a Drop shot until the point of contact. To play the clear, use the wrist & the shoulder to some extent to hit the shuttle high & back to the opponent's baseline. Remember not to slice the shuttle while hitting. Contact the shuttle at the highest point, with a straight arm & hit the bird with the full face of the racket. The follow through will come right across the body as shown in the photograph. The major difference between an attacking clear & a defensive clear is the trajectory or the height at which the shuttle is hit. The attacking clear is hit flatter compared to a defensive clear & is played to catch the opponent on the wrong foot by giving him/ her less time to get under the bird. Defensive clears, on the other hand, are generally used when a player needs more time to recover from a defensive position. Drop Shot A drop shot is a stroke executed from the back court which falls close to the net on the opponent's side. One can play either a straight drop or a cross court drop from forehand as well as backhand. Over the years, like many other strokes in this game, the drop shot has also undergone some changes. In the olden days, the emphasis was to play the drop shot as close to the net as possible which meant that the shuttle came slowly on the opposite side. However, the modern trend is to play it fast which means that the shuttle falls away from the short service line. An ideal way would be to play the shot fast and at the same time try to play as close to the net as possible. To play the drop shot, contact the shuttle at the highest point with the arm raised absolutely straight. Make sure not to bend the arm for this is a common mistake committed by even advanced players. Playing the stroke with a bent arm would mean contacting the shuttle a little lower which in turn would affect the accuracy. The back-swing would be the same as a clear but at the point of contact the shuttle is sliced so that it goes downwards. The follow through would also be the same as a clear- the racket coming right across the body (see photograph). To play the cross court drop, move the shoulder across along with the follow through. Smash Smash is one of the most important weapons in modern day Badminton. Most of the points these days are scored from smashes. It is important to know how to hit a good smash. One needs to use both shoulder & the wrist to get a good smash. Shoulder generates the power & the wrist gives it the depth. One cannot hit a good smash by using only the shoulder or the wrist. Both have to be combined effectively for if a player uses only the shoulder, the smash would go flat which makes it easy for the opponent to return. On the other hand if only the wrist is used, there will be no force or power in the smash which again makes it easy for the opponent to return. The following points would help in executing a good smash: 1. 2. 3. Get right under the shuttle Contact the shuttle at the highest point with a straight arm. Using the shoulder & the wrist, hit the shuttle downwards using full force to get a whiplash action. Remember to transfer the body weight forward while playing the stroke. Follow through should be across the body. As soon as the smash is cleared, rush towards the net so that the return can be met high at the net.

4. 5. 6.

Return of smash Return of smash is also equally important as it is not possible for a player to be on the attack all the time. One should have a good defence as well to be a complete player. The main thing to remember while returning a smash is to contact the shuttle in front of the body & not let the bird go behind. In fact many of the established players also commit the mistake of taking the shuttle behind the body which makes it difficult to return the bird wherever required. One should try to position in such a way that the arm is straight while returning & not bent (see photograph). Another point to be noted is not to push the shuttle too much while returning the smash as it is likely to go away from the net & closer to the opponent. Smash can either be returned straight, cross or can be lifted back again. The next (Final) chapter will consist of the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. Half Smash Dribble or Tumble at the net Lifting/ Returning of the dribble Doubles Strategy etc.

Mind Training in Badminton

Why mind training? You might rightly doubt whether there is any need at all for mind training for such a physical sport like Badminton. If you can move better, hit harder, be more accurate and have more endurance than your opponent, you should win and then where does mind come in? Imagine being asked to walk between two lines drawn two feet apart on the ground. Even a child should be able to do it. Imagine similar lines being drawn on a platform fifty feet up in the air without any support on the sides. How many of you would be able to do it? Imagine raising the height further to a thousand feet!!! Here, the physical effort required was the same but the mental factor came in the way preventing most from performing a seemingly simple action. It is often seen that players find it extremely difficult to reproduce the form they show in practice in an actual match situation. It is attributable to match tension, which in turn is mainly due to excessive secretion of the 'flight or fright hormone' adrenaline. A certain tension is required for an athlete to perform optimally but excess of it can become debilitating. So mind training definitely has its relevance in Badminton training. The famous sports psychologist James Loehr says that players when faced with a pressure situation react with a a.tanking response b.choking response c.tantrum response d.challenge response

Tanking is when the player fails to turn up to play the match, overcome by pressure and therefore unable to even appear to face his opponent. Choking is when a player, when faced with a tense situation in a match like being match point up - fails to win the remaining point and crumbles under the enormous pressure built up. Tantrum is when a player under stress in a match situation, picks up a quarrel with the umpire, linesperson or opponent, loses the match and attributes his loss to the tantrum he threw. Challenge is the response of the very few genuine champions; to fight for every point whether he wins or loses and that too under what ever conditions that might prevail be they hostile crowds, unfair umpiring, inspired opponents etc. Thus, mind training has a lot to offer to get your player to come up with the challenge response when he faces match pressure. Behind every physical process there is a mental process. Any physical stimulus and your response to it, is recorded in your muscle memory. The more you respond to a stimulus, the record in your muscle memory becomes all the more embedded and easier to reproduce. This is the reason why players with more practice do better than those with less practice. Word TT Champion Ogimura was a great example. So was Yehudi Menuhin the great violinist. Taking the badminton example, your ability to play a particular stroke, however skilled you may be, under various circumstances differs. The circumstances are: 01. 02. 03. 04. in in in in practice without pressure practice under pressure a match without pressure a match under pressure

The supreme test is to perform well in a crucial match under extreme pressure. Here the player's reproduction from his muscle memory has to be exceptionally good. In order to be able to do that his mind has to be pure, relaxed and focussed. Pure: The player should have respect for his opponent and should wish him no harm. The attitude should be that one must play to the very best of his ability and if the opponent plays better on that day-he deserves to win. A great player always would want his opponent to play very well so that he can play better. Relaxed: It has been observed that if you are relaxed you will not have any fear and also that if you have fear you cannot be relaxed. The trick is to be relaxed during your match. It is very important that the player does not confuse being relaxed to being lackadaisical, casual or feeling kindly towards his opponent. What is meant here is that the player has to be relaxed to execute his task - the task of mercilessly beating his opponent. Focus: It is the ability to concentrate intensely on one thing at a time. In Badminton it would mean being able to concentrate on only the point being played and not on points, which are gone by, and on points, which are yet to be played. Care should be taken to ensure that the player realises that he has lost focus during the match and succeeds in getting it back. Also important is to remain in focus till the very end of the match i.e. till the umpire announces the final result. (Eg. Andre Pavel against Michael Tillstrom, Arvind Bhat against Abhinn Shyam Gupta).

A Good Pre match Routine The trainee should reach the venue well in advance and take in the ambience of the playing area paying special attention to the particular court on which he is going to play, positioning of the umpire's chair, crowd, lighting background etc. Sit with your player in a relative calm place and ask him to close his eyes; and relax in a suitable posture for three to five minutes. (Nishpanda Bhava) Once he is relaxed, tell him positive things like 'You are going to play the second round of the Men's Singles event of the Malaysian Open Tournament in a few minutes from now. You have trained hard and you are feeling fit and keen to do well in the match. You have the blessings of your parents, coaches and well-wishers. Ask him to start his visualisation session telling him to visualise himself playing a few rallies most positively. Tell him that his serves are going high and right to the base line; low serves skimming the net; net shots very close to the net. Smashes powerful and on the lines. Ask him to visualise himself winning the match, shaking the hands of the opponent and the umpire. Ask him to enjoy the pleasant sensations of victory. The player should be asked to slowly come out of his visualisation session and start his warm up. From then on, he should be advised not to talk much and mingle much with others before his match. A very important thing to note is that there should not be any negative statements as you speak to your player. You should be telling him "You have lots of stamina" and not "You will not get tired; "you will play positive" and not "you will not make mistakes". This is because your sub conscious mind is unable to understand negative statements. This is very much applicable in the case of self-talk by the player as well. During the match: A Badminton player has no problem in concentrating when the shuttle is in play as he has an "alamba" or focus of attention i.e. the flying shuttle. The problem starts when the shuttle falls on the ground and the mind gets an opportunity to wander. The player should be taught to develop a regular routine while picking up the shuttle and giving it back to the opponent and while receiving the shuttle from the opponent's side and getting ready to serve. This when fully developed, enables the player to be calm and collected and less susceptible to make unforced errors. When the player loses focus: It is very natural for any player to lose focus during matches. The important thing for him is to realise this and make efforts to regain it. It is a good habit to train him to regain focus during practice sessions so that he can gradually do it successfully in match situations. It is imperative that both the coach and the trainee realise that mind-training techniques require lots and lots of dedicated practice before one can master the same and put them into effective practice in match situations.

Diet and Nutrition for badminton players

Nutrition Tips for Badminton players: by Shelly Meltzer RD (SA): Optimising your diet can help you achieve required for badminton. Your diet should: the speed, agility, concentration and endurance

Supply you with sufficient ENERGY for training and recovery - playing badminton places high demands on both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems so your carbohydrate needs are

high.

Meet your FLUID requirements - sweat losses in badminton players (especially in large players) can be high - even in winter and when playing several matches in successive, days can result in chronic dehydration.

Promote LOW BODY FAT levels - too much body fat will make you fat and the extra 'dead weight' will slow you down, reduce your stamina and heat tolerance.

Eat REGULAR meals and snacks Eating small frequent meals and snacks will help you meet your energy needs. If you are on the go the whole day, pack portable snacks and drinks to take with to school, work and to training.

Make CARBOHYDRATES the focus of all your meals and snacks: Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the diet. Your body can only store a small amount of carbohydrate in the muscles (as glycogen), liver and blood and because regular training rapidly diminishes these small reserves you need to constantly ensure an adequate daily carbohydrate intake. Choose nutrient-dense carbohydrate-rich foods such as cereals and porridge (e.g. mealie meal), breads, rice, pasta, potatoes and starchy vegetables, fruit (fresh, dried, canned, juice) and dairy products (milk, yoghurt, maas). Cold drinks, sports drinks (Energade, Powerade etc.,) energy bars, sugar, jam, honey, syrup, sweets (jelly babies, marshmallows etc) can be used to boost your carbohydrate intake, but because these foods are low in vitamins, minerals and fibre, they should not replace meals. Also note that eating or drinking sugary foods and beverages between meals, without regular cleaning of teeth will promote dental caries so - brush and floss your teeth regularly, rinse your mouth frequently with water, eat casein-containing food like milk/cheese, chew sugar-free gum, drink through a straw or squeeze bottles directly into your mouth (this minimizes contact time with teeth), have drinks chilled (the erosive potential of acidic drinks is temperature dependent) and always be adequately hydrated (this will promote sativa which is an important buffer that prevents erosion). Eat moderate portion of low fat PROTEINS at least at eve meal You need protein for strength, growth and to build muscle. Rather than going out and buying expensive protein powders, enjoy eating protein-rich foods like lean meat, fish (fresh, frozen, canned e.g. pilchards), liver, low fat dairy products (milk, cheese, maas, skim milk powder) and legumes (dried beans, split peas, lentils). Minimize your FAT intake: Limit your intake of chips, chocolates, biscuits, doughnuts, pies, samoosas, fatty meats, chicken skin, full cream dairy products, oils, margarine, cream, mayonnaise etc. See Tip 7 for appropriate snack options.