Team-BHP - The right way to play Badminton

Hi Mayank, thanks a lot for posting this info. I used to play badminton during my school and college days. I started playing again 2 years ago. I'm not a pro player in any way, but have decent game (probably a step above noob level:D).

I use the Carbonex 21 Special (same one which you have) and I was using it during my college days and now again from the past 2 years.

From what I know, warming up your body before playing is very very important. Playing without warming up could lead to injuries.

Speaking of injuries, I have had a couple of them. Once while running backwards to take a toss, I fell down awkwardly and tore a tissue in my toe. I was lucky that I did not fracture it. I analysed why this injury happened and found out that my shoes had worn out. Now, this is another important thing.

Selection of the right footwear is very important. I have seen people wearing Nike and Reebok joggers (and even sneakers in one case) to play.

Another injury I have got is the tennis elbow. It is similar to dhanushs condition. It has been recurring ever since August last year. I did consult a doctor who asked me to wear the tennis elbow bands while playing. These bands did give me some relief, but the pain started again. Because of the pain , I have not played since February this year.

About the rubber thingy you have told us, where can I get it and what would be its cost?

Quote:

Originally Posted by csr (Post 2386562)

I think I'm stamping on the court more often than not.

csr, there you go. Don't worry about weight (At least not yet) If your feet can carry you 12 hours a day (or maybe more) than they can surely carry you on the court. Move on the court slow and sure (Like a cat if i can add). Stretch your legs and hands to reach the shuttle rather than run or stamp the feet. Also if you aren't using a proper badminton shoes already please do so, you could also add a Gel cushion inside the shoes form Dr Scholls.

Quote:

Originally Posted by addyhemmige (Post 2386627)

About the rubber thingy you have told us, where can I get it and what would be its cost?

From Planet sports at Garuda Mall. If i remember it correctly it costed me about INR 300/-.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmxylorider (Post 2386475)

1. A warm up is essential to get your eyes adjusted to the moving s'cock and the artificial lighting inside.
2. Alway try and hit the s'cock when it is at an elevation of about 45 degrees. This places the least amount of strain on your neck as you look upwards, and physics will tell us that max distance can be achieved with this trajectory
3. Use your non playing hand to kind of 'center' the s'cock before you hit it. This to ensure you get a good hit from the racquets' center rather than a frame hit.
4. The grip is an essential part of the racquet and it should be just thick enough that your finger curl comfortably without touching the palm.
5. Practice with the plastic shuttles. Carlton or Yonex are best. Feather ones will require more energy to hit and it's good to switch once you have a good control over the game.

Nicely Said :) The first point is the essence of starting Badminton at the first place . 99% of us dont realize the importance of it , but it is a basic necessity .

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhanushs (Post 2386446)

I experience severe pain in my arm (tennis elbow) and that forces me to change my style of game. Is there a way/exercise/warm up to get around this?
Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by csr (Post 2386522)

After playing for a couple of months my ankles started paining. It's not an unbearable pain, but increases when I play daily for more than 1.5hrs.

CSR

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806 (Post 2386546)

Are you stamping your feet, or are you gently moving around the court (I am assuming its a wooden court).

Any unsual pain in Arm / Elbow / Knee / Ankle / Shoulders with regular play is just an incorrect approach/posture to play a shot . The best way to correct is take some time and analyze whats the wrong you are doing by watching others professional play . Imagine yourself in the shot while watching it and compare it how you would have played it . The difference can be noticed in a quicky .

Don't play with Knee starps / Ankle straps on until suggested by the doctors , they can have adverse effects .

Do exercise before the start and end of play (to avoid the muscle tears(ACL/PCL)) .

Tennis Elbow band, brand Kamachi. There are other baddy friends who use a different band, but i like this one.

The right way to play Badminton-img_0543.jpg

The right way to play Badminton-img_0544.jpg

Roller for my back and abdomen muscles. Since i have started using this my back pain is gone, and i am able to generate much more power in my game.

The right way to play Badminton-img_0545.jpg

Ice pack that i bought, don't need it anymore but nevertheless. I see lot of folks having elbow pain this one helped me a lot in between games to relieve the pain.

The right way to play Badminton-img_0546.jpg

Its got this nice Jelly Bag inside which stays cool for long periods of time.

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And finally the grip, this is a forehand grip.

The right way to play Badminton-20110611-07.07.53.jpg

And this is a backhand grip, the racket turns a little and the thumb moves little transferring all the all the power from the elbow and wrist to the racket swing.

The right way to play Badminton-20110611-07.08.13.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806 (Post 2385046)

Well, here it is. I have been thinking about starting this thread for sometime and had been postponing (Scared of being roughed up on and outside the court).

A little bit of background, i have been playing badminton for last close to over 20 years. Earlier in school days and in MPEB colony in Korba (If some one is from there) and later in Pune, and now in bangalore. Since last 2 years i have taken it more seriously and have tried to improve my game to a level that is satisfactory (Well no level is satisfactory actually).

Had the privilege to interact with "Peter Rasmussen" over the internet and video chat and discussed finer points of the game. He actually published a video tutorial (DVD) of badminton techniques and there is a new one launched which talks about preparation and fitness.

PS : I am no way marketing or endorsing the product :). Few assumptions

I will not talk about rules i.e. singles/doubles old/new/new new, line rules, all that info can be gathered from other web-sites.
I dont consider myself an expert, although i do consider myself decently good at it to train some folks which i occasionally do, and hope to do formally someday.
I will talk about my experiences in getting better, choice or rackets, style of play, how to improve, how to spot a weakness in oneself and work on it etc etc.
In no way i aim to have a final say, there can be differing opinions and one is free to choose what one prefers (Like for example European, Asian style of play or mix of both).
The choice and selection of rackets i will talk about will be restricted to Yonex, again i am neither endorsing the product its just that i have maximum exposure to Yonex line of rackets and know them slightly better than the rest. I have used other brands like "Lining" which Chinese love, Wilson and Ashaway.
I will also talk about body pains Elbow, Knee, Wrist, Shoulder, etc etc and what is probably wrong in the game that is causing it, and what should one do when it happens, before going to the doctor.
Last but not the least, this is a journey and i am a fellow traveler sharing notes.

So here we go, what exactly i am going to talk about.

Style of play
Choosing the right rackets (Knowing which rackets suits your style of play (Believe me this takes longer to understand)
Holding the racket, movement of wrists, importance of wrists, thumb.
Working on movement in the court, court coverage.
Working on backhand, alternatives to backhand
Working on efficient usage of available stamina and what to fix if you are running out of energy.

For now i will finish this first, and if someone has suggestions to have some additions, editing they are welcome. Folks who are already good at it are welcome to add value to the thread.

Hey bro can you share the link of the Video Published, even i am a badminton freak. have lots of videos though but this one looks special.
Any other links you can share, even i'll support by giving more areas to explore on this game.
Cheers clap:

Quote:

Originally Posted by slalom (Post 2387267)

I'm using a carbonex 8600 Ti and would love to get some better strings than the ones which comes with the racket ,I'm an attacking player I guess .

Thanks slalom.

I usually use BG 65 and don't like the Ti strings, it says it delivers more power but i somehow find it not very comfortable and don't get the feel for the contact. I have used BG 65 Ti and Nanogy 95 and moved back to Bg 65.

If you ask me, i would advise move to a isometric first, much larger sweet spot and you can find something that more matches with your style of play than the Carbonex.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slalom (Post 2387267)

Please gimme a hint about the string as well as an upgrade from the 8600 ti .

Well you can use BG 65 Ti or alternatively if you are more offensive player use BG 85 Ti .

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806 (Post 2387276)

Thanks slalom.
If you ask me, i would advise move to a isometric first, much larger sweet spot and you can find something that more matches with your style of play than the Carbonex.

Boy , trust me you are doing wonders here . Nice piece of effort :thumbs up .
Keep it flowing , would certainly be of help to many Baddy lovers .

As shown earlier the backhand grip and the position of thumb, Few things that you need to remember on backhand are

Power comes from timing, hitting the sweet spot, Thumb and the wrist. If tried from the baseline trying to hit baseline then the one would need to use the elbow strength as well. For this reason the elbow takes a lot of beating when returning backhand and eventually elbow pains. This is one of the more difficult shots to master and takes time (Keeping jump smash aside). Here are few videos that i could find.

Backhand, does not talk about grip
YouTube - ‪Badminton Techniques Backhand clear‬&rlm;

Back hand does talk about importance of grip and thumb
YouTube - ‪Badminton backhand tricks & techniques in forecourt by Zhao Jianhua & Xiao Jie‬&rlm;

Another video that i found on youtube of Peter Footwork Drill, please view this its awesome and helped me a lot on my court movement.

YouTube - ‪Peter Rasmussen - Footwork Drill‬&rlm;