Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Badminton Fitness

badminton fitness
Badminton fitness is pivotal in helping a player to achieve high standards in badminton and play without fatigue hour after hour.

Badminton players need to be more fit than tennis players in that the time the ball remain in play, average length of rallies and distance traveled by players during the game are all significantly higher in badminton. In other words, the endurance level of badminton players should be very high.

Also it is worthwhile remembering that badminton is significantly faster than tennis, so the player needs to be in peak fitness to run, stretch, dive, bend, jump and reach the birdie with lightning quick reflexes and body balance. Speed is the key to winning.

For badminton fitness to be effective, the methods adopted to improve fitness should be specific to badminton. For example, there is no need to strengthen jaw muscles for badminton, as it serves no useful purpose in developing the playing skills of any badminton player.

Specific badminton fitness involves strengthening of the wrist, elbows, shoulders, neck, chest, abdomen, back, thighs, knees and ankles. Because these are the body areas that are actively involved in playing badminton. Consequently, strengthening these areas by specific exercises improves the fitness and strength of the player, enabling him to endure better during play.

The second important factor in achieving badminton fitness is that it should be progressive in nature. That is, the fitness of the player should be gradually improved by gradual upgrading of the exercise employed.

For example, let us consider that a badminton player's on court endurance is going to be improved by exercise. For the first few days, the player should be instructed to jog in casual speed for up to 10 minutes. Once he is able to do that without any difficulty, he must be allowed to do it in peak jogging speed.

After attaining the second level also, the duration should be gradually increased, say 15, 20, 25 minutes. By doing so, his fitness is gradually upgraded without subjecting him to risk of training injuries and undue fatigue.

Even with the above methods of specific and progressive badminton fitness training, any player is going to feel stale on repeatedly doing the above. He consequently looses interest, which may affect his performance at the subconscious level.

To overcome this problem, variation in badminton fitness training is to be practiced. Variations should attempt to make the player staying focused and interested in training sessions and at the same time help to improve his fitness day after day.

For instance, the player can be instructed to do jogging, skipping, hopping or swimming in different days to keep his interest in training alive. If he starts enjoying his training sessions, naturally it will translate into better on court performance.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Badminton Tips - Help You Excel in the Sport

badminton tips
Badminton is a competitive sport played all over the world, hence you will need some good badminton tips to improve.

Badminton like every other sports where anyone with hard work and passion can make his/her career. All we need to have is will power and willingness to undergo some necessary training and dedication to prove our mental in this sport.

Fortunately for those who really wish to make their career in this sport, these days there are many resources to get help. There are plenty of useful badminton tips to help you excel in the sport in this website. These useful badminton tips can prove to be a mighty weapon for not just beginners but even for expert players.


Click Here! To visit the official website for Badminton Training Tips.

Until recently, unfortunately not enough such resources were available for a common man. In the past there were many players who complaint about lack of necessary help and quality assistance from their coaches.

And, sometimes simply due to their poor economic conditions many players weren't able to join this great sport. Apart from moral and monetary support, they need expert tips and guidance in order to gain proficiency in this game. We'll share some of the badminton tips here:

Click Here! To visit the official website for Badminton Training Tips.

One of the most important techniques in the net play area is the Lunge. Here are some of the main technical aspects:

Aim:The objective should be crystal clear. The aim is to get the shuttle back in to the court and trap the opponent down at the net. This will force the opponent to lift the shuttle up and short, thereby offering you an opportunity to attack.

Technique: The most preferred method is to approach the net and Lunge aggressively. The racket leg must work like a brake to your movement. This act will produce the required force thereby generating the stroke with a minimum amount of racket head movement. The focus must be given on reaching out and taking the shuttle within the minimum possible time.

This will facilitate you to get the shuttle over the net and get back in to the play close to the net on the other side. When playing the shot, it is important to face the racket parallel to the floor. Grip the racket handle lightly in the fingers. You must experiment with your grip to get this movement.

Click Here! To visit the official website for Badminton Training Tips.

However, it is also necessary to impart some spin on the shuttle and making it 'tumble'. You may move the racket head slightly in an outer motion to increase the tumble action. Lifting the racket head slightly will maximize the effect.

Practice: The best way to practice is to work with a friend. To practice the technique, the feeder should stand on the service line and feed shuttles to the net both underarm and overarm. This mimics the shuttle play to the net in a game.

Top tips for beginners:

  • Warm-up: Preparing the body well prior to the game is important. Hence, you need to indulge in a gentle jog or skipping to warm-up your body. Once your body is warm, stretch the major muscle groups concentrating on legs, back and shoulders.
  • Practice the grip: Focus on the grip when choosing a racket. If you have small hands, small grips are ideal and vice-versa. Concentrate on a relaxed grip when holding the racket. You can excel in forehand and backhand shots with the help of a flexible wrist.
  • Shuttle: The shuttle you choose should not wobble.
  • Base Position: Returning to a central base position is a good decision.
  • Play Indoors: Find a proper court to practice.
  • Be prepared: Badminton is an unpredictable game and you require moving in any direction within a certain period of time. So know your body limits.
  • Strategy: Make a game plan. It would be advisable to discover your opponents' weakness.
  • Cross-train: Involve in physical activities that would increase your flexibility such as Brisk Walking and Jogging.
  • Cool-down: Once you are over with your practice, end with a cool-down session. This may include a gentle walk and light stretching.

Click Here! To visit the official website for Badminton Training Tips.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Importance of Evaluating Badminton Performance

badminton performance
Badminton. The importance of evaluating badminton performance cannot be undermined, as it is a popular worldwide game with clubs and academies in almost every country.

Evaluating badminton performance in a player is important for the following reasons:

  1. To understand the player's strengths and fine tune them.
  2. To find out the weaknesses of the player and strengthen them.
  3. To assess the attitude of the player.
  4. To evaluate the commitment and competitiveness of the player.
  5. To facilitate domestic or international ranking.
  6. To shortlist the eligible players for funding assistance from the Government or badminton academies.

When evaluating badminton performance, generally the following is taken in to consideration:

  1. Evaluation of performance.
  2. Evaluation of on court performance.
  3. Evaluation of the opponent against the player being evaluated.

When evaluating performance, the following are taken in to consideration:

  1. His skills.
  2. His agility.
  3. His accuracy.
  4. His consistency.
  5. His stroke producing fluency.
  6. His ability to execute correct shots at the correct time.
  7. His stamina.

Evaluating badminton performance on court takes in to account the following additional things:

  1. Adjustments learnt, be it winning or loosing.
  2. Practice modifications needed.
  3. Adjustments required.
  4. Talents lacking in the player.

In assessing the opponent's game against the player being evaluated, the following are noted:

  1. How the opponent affected the game of the player.
  2. How should the opponent be attacked in the next game.
  3. What the strengths and drawbacks of the opponent are.

Although evaluating badminton performance differs in different countries, generally the following is taken into consideration.

  1. Citizen or immigrant.
  2. Whether the player is taking active participation in training programmes adequately and constantly.
  3. Is he committing himself adequately to achieve excellence at the international level.
  4. His Ranking in domestic, state and national level.
  5. His Performance in domestic, state and national championships.
  6. His Performance in Junior championships.
  7. His attitude and work ethic on and off court.
  8. His performance in international tournaments.
  9. His world rank and at what age he is achieving it.
  10. His ability to raise his level and perform better when necessary.
  11. To confirm that he is not averse to make the needed sacrifices to shine in international level and showing indications for the same by fulfilling his professional commitments adequately throughout the year, year after year.

Not only players, but also coaches, umpires, referees, service judges and line judges can also be evaluated regarding their performance in badminton tournaments. It is helpful in prioritizing the people for international tournaments to avoid officiating errors and ensuring fair play.