Badminton

My favourite sport. I have good technique when I know where the shuttle is going, but as soon as I play singles, all my technique is gone.

Videos for reference:

The yonex shoes I want: 65z3 black and white https://www.amazon.com/YONEX-Power-Cushion-Indoor-Court/dp/B09QMTN63S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1X85PHR52DG8L&keywords=65z3&qid=1693626682&sprefix=65z3%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-1&th=1

Goal

Be able to jump smash with a really good form
Be SUPER explosive

What is explosiveness about?

Explosiveness is about being able to accelerate and accelerate the game super fast.

I am good with just playing at a consistent pace in singles. But the moment the game accelerates or decelerates (like the game is fast and then suddenly the opponent hits a super slow drop), I have trouble getting to the shuttle.

So I need to work on being explosive.

my smash is a bit weird 17:58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXmcbVXiftI&list=PLSyNkZjgB8PHKazf2oTiLpPRvYF8uJq0q&index=2&ab_channel=BadmintonLimited

Playing Singles:

Really focus looking at the opponent. I was playing Kevin and I noticed that I was playing a lot better because I was taking the shuttle early, and looking at where Kevin was positioned
stay LOW, best tip ever that TIM gave me. Eyes at the net (white tape) level

See google notes for drills.

For my rear forehand, I need to be able to cross my legs better.

I think another problem I have is that because I play plastic, I tend to use my arm a lot more now, than my wrist. Pros use wrist a lot, but it’s hard to use wrist with plastic birds.

Tips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQsL6MdDpZ4&ab_channel=BadmintonInsight

Players I really like and their footwork:

Mixed doubles player Jiang Zhenbang: I love how he serves, and how low he is when he defends. He has super clean technique
Chen yu fei and wang z y: Their match was superr enjoyable to watch, their technique is just so textbook

Reminders:

Service, have your elbows out

What is shit currently

Your front lunges are REALLY bad when you are late. When you look at the pros, they are very stable. My whole body moves forward when I lunge.

Also, you are very slow moving back to the center. You need to push with your quads.

NEED LOWER CENTER OF GRAVITY, WILL MAKE YOU A LOT MORE EXPLOSIVE. WORK YOUR CARDIO IF NEED BE.

your form is bad, right hand is not behind the head:

Bring your racket behind your head, will generate a lot more power
- do this by opening up your chest

This is soo ugly

Once I got low, I felt a lot more explosive

I feel like I am not doing my shadows properly, like I should be reaching the backcourt lines, but oftentimes I am not

Try taking bigger steps

Like here for example

You only really need to shuffle once, your footwork is really inefficient here

I don’t fully go to the back court when I do my shadows, really need to focus on taking bigger steps so I can reach it

Here, my lunge is pretty small, and I feel like I drag my left foot too much

also, when I move back from the net, it seems that i only move my right leg back, when really I should be shuffling back

Also, when I get juked, I lose my balance super easily

Things I need to work on

First few tips are from the Badminton Insight channel

Lower center of gravity (legs should be more bent)
- Increases stability and balance
- Allow you to change speed faster -> think f1 cars
- But not too bent or too wide, because most of the weights are going to the quads, and not your whole legs
Take bigger steps (use power from both legs)
Directional split steps
Move body more parallel with the line $\to$ will allow you to move faster
CE SHEN (i.e. your body parallel with the line of the bird)
stop slicing the bird with the backhand every time
service is shit
Take bigger steps, no rabbit step
Place body more parallel to bird when moving, always one with the line
Arms higher
take bird higher and more in front
use more pronation
use waist more
after hitting overhead push with left leg
take bird high at the net
take racket high when running
Elbow higher
Relax body

Reflection after Denmark trip

For August 23-August 28th, I went to Denmark. Seeing these professional athletes and how beautifully they move on court touched me to my core. “I want to do that”, was my instant reaction. Yet I knew that I would never reach that level.

I also saw Peter Gade training young disciples.

There’s something about top athletes that I respect and admire very deeply. But something about athletes is that they are 99% about muscle memory and repetition. One of my personal goals in life is to me the top of the top in every industry. I want to meet the best. I have a note in Self-Learning about how to learn VERY fast, and it’s about being amongst the best and learning from them.

But athletes, compared to more creative style top of the top artists like film directors, music creators, they are less “interesting” in terms of the diversity of the things that they create?

It’s just different types of entertainments

Anyways, I got a Whoop this year, hoping to become my best self physically again. And this time, not be physically fit just for the sake of looking good (which for me simply meant be lean and get muscles). But be fit so you can have good Physical Fitness, and live longer like Bryan Johnson.

And I want to get better at badminton because I truly enjoy it. Yet is badminton a distraction from my other main aspiration of becoming like a really really good engineer? I think so. But only if you spend WAY too much time on badminton.

But if you have balance, remember strong body = strong mind. Else, you are going to be lethargic and have much less energy.

You also really really want to beat kevin. he is your best friend, inspires you, yet your whole life he’s beaten you. I’ve accepted my fate, and it’s more of an ego thing, so I was like whatever I’ll let him have this one. And as I said because badminton is not one of my priorities, like why do I want to get to the top, become so good, if the only reason that I want to show that I’m better than kevin at badminton, like that is so petty?

I want to be good to feel good.

But to be good you need to suck. There are days where you are going to feel like you are the best player in the world at badminton, and there are days where you suck so so much, but those days you just need to keep pushing.

So why do I play badminton:

because there’s nothing quite like the feeling of hitting a badminton shuttlecock and the crisp sound that comes from it
it’s SO FUN

Why do I want to get better at badminton:

Because it feels good to be good

Is this something worth dedicating more time to?

Like I already play lots of badminton. Maybe like 3x a week. Yet I don’t feel like I am improving much. It very much feels like stagnation. I am already 21 years old. I don’t have much time left if I want to improve and hit my peak.

I am not happy with my form. Not happy with my speed. Not happy with my technique. And muscle memory is something super hard to change.

I guess everything about the way I play badminton.

But remember that Comparison is the thief of joy.

I feel like the first thing that I need to change about myself is that I am not explosive enough on court. This is why I really struggle to take the shuttlecock in front of me.

I think badminton is my way of obtaining Physical Fitness. It’s the best way. I can have fun doing it.

Gym is more for maintaining muscle.

Men’s Doubles

Defense, always have right leg behind, so you can better defend your right hand side.

However, for the left side, oftentimes players put they left foot forward, like they are getting ready to counter attack:

Santa Clara Message

Hi there,

I am interested in playing some more serious badminton for September - December 2023. I am coming to Santa Clara for an internship, currently am 21 years old from Canada. I am not national youth level nor even provincial, but I have been playing for a long time and am looking to get a lot better these next 4 months. I was wondering if the Santa Clara badminton center had / offered team training for someone like me? Alternativey, are there usually high-skilled players at the drop-ins?

Best,

Steven

Notes

4:49 Like why are my legs bent like that?

Need a reference for how the pros do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH02uyOnpQE&ab_channel=BadmintonASia (beginning of video)

He also lands like me, it’s a very subtle difference but he is straight when he hits the shuttle which is how he can get more power.

Maybe the difference is that he can get more height, and I can’t go up when I jump

So just focus on getting your feet straighter as a next step progress. That will make your life easier when you smash

🛠️ Steven Gong

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