| As a player and a coach I've often wondered | | | | take this one step further... |
| how top flight players have generated such | | | | The art of badminton is to play the shuttle around |
| amazing power. It's a combination of many | | | | the court to outmanoeuvre your opponent. A |
| factors including timing of the shot, getting behind | | | | huge part of badminton is keeping the shuttle in. A |
| the shuttle to hit it, body-weight transfer, string | | | | slow shuttle makes this easy compared to the |
| tension, conditioning/training and the athletes | | | | correct pace of shuttle. |
| natural muscle fibre combinations to name but a | | | | Time and again we see the pros hitting the |
| few. | | | | shuttle out at the back having been put under |
| There is one key element missing that I believe | | | | pressure in a rally. Or, they fail on defence |
| plays a major role in the power played on a | | | | because the attack was just too good. Both |
| badminton court - the speed of the shuttle. | | | | these instances in league and club badminton are |
| I began to analyse shuttle speeds further and it | | | | unfamiliar these days because we play with slow |
| suddenly dawned on me, thinking back over the | | | | shuttles. OK, they do happen but there's way |
| years and even to this day, we're killing skill at | | | | more effort required. |
| club/league level, which in turn is having a negative | | | | So yes, we still hit the shuttle out at the back of |
| effect on our players, both junior and senior. | | | | the court, but I'll wager that this would become |
| By doing this, without even knowing what we're | | | | more frequent if we played with the correct |
| doing, players both young and old are being | | | | speed shuttles. The art of hitting the shuttle with |
| robbed of the art of badminton and in the ability | | | | just about the right amount of power will have to |
| to take their skill to new heights. Let me explain. | | | | return, otherwise we'll lose more points. I believe |
| The rules for testing a shuttle according to the | | | | we've been so accustomed to playing with slow |
| official Laws of Badminton are as follows: | | | | shuttles that these "touch" skills have eroded. |
| 3. TESTING A SHUTTLE FOR SPEED | | | | Let's look at defending for a minute. In world |
| 3.1 To test a shuttle, a player shall use a full | | | | badminton defences have got better and better |
| underhand stroke which makes contact with the | | | | over the years. This is partly down to racquet |
| shuttle over the back boundary line. The shuttle | | | | technology and also constant development of skill |
| shall be hit at an upward angle and in a | | | | by the coaches and players. |
| directionparallel to the side lines. | | | | In league play, we've all but lost this skill as we |
| 3.2 A shuttle of correct speed will land not less | | | | are not facing the same power levels - because |
| than 530 mm and not more than 990 mm short | | | | the shuttle is too slow. So, we are not developing |
| ofthe other back boundary line. | | | | our skills to the same heights in order to control |
| When I grew up as a player, I was always taught | | | | these returns. |
| that the shuttle should land around 15cm either | | | | And there lies the key to our downfall. Slower |
| side of the back doubles service line. Whilst this is | | | | shuttles are actually reducing our ability to control |
| more or less correct, on many occasions we | | | | the shuttle properly - we are merely returning it |
| played with shuttles which landed 30cm short of | | | | with a degree of control. |
| the back doubles line and all the players accepted | | | | I'm not saying the skills don't exist otherwise we |
| the shuttle as good. As a young player not | | | | wouldn't be able to play half the shots we do, but |
| knowing the rules I came to accept this practice | | | | I do believe that skill levels have diminished |
| as the norm. I had no idea at the time that I was | | | | because of slow shuttles. |
| being subjected to systemised de-skilling. | | | | I'll wager that if I showed up at most clubs with |
| If you read section 3.2 again, the rule is very clear | | | | correct speed shuttles, I'd have complaints within |
| - that the shuttle should land between 99cm and | | | | minutes that the shuttles are too fast, with |
| 53cm short of the back line. This is NOT the | | | | players losing points hand over fist because they |
| doubles line as I was lead to believe, but the very | | | | cannot control the shuttle sufficiently to keep it in. |
| back line of the court. | | | | The players wouldn't like the power from their |
| Thinking back, even to last season, I'm actually | | | | opponent that they cannot control although they'd |
| struggling to think of an occasion where we | | | | be really impressed with their own power shots. |
| played with a shuttle that landed beyond the | | | | And this is where the art and skills and have sadly |
| doubles service line. Every shuttle tested was | | | | diminished in our beloved game. |
| short of the double service line by a considerable | | | | How Do We Reverse This Trend? |
| amount. | | | | The good news is we can get them back. We've |
| What Does All Of This Have To Do With Killing | | | | got to make sure players in every club |
| Skill Levels? | | | | understand the rules. They need to change now |
| Think about all the effects of playing with a slow | | | | and within a very short period we could actually |
| shuttle. First of all the simple task of hitting the | | | | see a return to higher skill levels in the game and |
| shuttle to the back with a clear becomes more | | | | hopefully even more entertaining badminton. |
| difficult. Only the very strong or consistently good | | | | It's really is that simple and yet, at the same time |
| players can do this frequently. | | | | very difficult. Club and league players have been |
| Let's say that I'm a pretty good player but don't | | | | playing with slow shuttles for years. The |
| quite have the same power capacity as a top | | | | resistance to change will be as great as any other |
| player. A slow shuttle means I'm struggling to get | | | | major change hitting leagues e.g. the new scoring |
| a good length and have to work harder, or it can | | | | system (even now some clubs around the |
| also mean that I have no chance of hitting any | | | | country have not changed from the old system). |
| decent smash from the back line. | | | | But, we've got to persevere if we are to turn |
| In this example, you may be thinking "well so | | | | this around. For the older generation change may |
| what, tough luck." OK, I hear you, but the speed | | | | take time, but we've got to press on hard for |
| of the shuttle is still having an effect on my skill | | | | the juniors because they are our champions of |
| levels. It means I do not get the same results as | | | | tomorrow. |
| someone playing with correct speed shuttles. Let's | | | | |