Badminton Coaching e-zine for the Bay of Plenty

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1 Badminton Coaching e-zine for the Bay of Plenty Issue 4 October 2009 LEVEL 1 COACHING COURSE Bay of Plenty Badminton in conjunction with Waikato Badminton will be holding a Level 1 Coaching Course on 14th and 15th November The first day (Sat 14th) will be held at the Waikato Badminton Stadium from 10am to 5pm and the second day at the Rotorua Badminton Hall from 10am to 4pm. The level 1 course is designed for beginner coaches and once you have completed the course you will be able to: Teach basic strokes and footwork Take sessions with beginner & junior players Hand-feed basic routines Understand simple tactics for singles and doubles Have a knowledge of the laws of badminton. The tutors for the course are very experienced and include TJ Weistra (former national coach), Luis Suarez (Waikato Director of Coaching) and Matt Hanson (Bay of Plenty CoachForce Officer). The cost for the course is $80 which includes morning and afternoon tea and course resources. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 4th November so make sure you register now to reserve your place! If you would like more information or you want to register for the course then please contact Matt Hanson: badminton@sportbop.co.nz Ph: (07) ext 812 Mob: BAYTRUST COACH DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIPS The BayTrust Coach Scholarships are designed to assist those coaches who contribute and add value to coaching in their area, to further develop their skills and put back what they have learned into the community. Any person currently living in the region covered by the BayTrust and Sport Bay of Plenty who is currently coaching at a recognised level by their regional sporting organisation is eligible to apply. The scholarship will be to the value of $500-$5000 which must go towards coach development such as courses, workshops, books and resources. Applications close on 9th October so contact Matt Hanson for an application form now!! Alternatively you can visit for more information and to download the application form.

2 What is a smash? SMASHING! A smash is an overhead shot played with power and hit downwards. It is an offensive shot and can be used to try and win the rally or force a weak reply from your opponent. Execution and Hitting point Once the racket is back ready, it should be thrown forward (like throwing a ball) and make contact with the shuttle slightly in front of the body. As the racket comes forward, the back leg should also come through allowing the body to rotate into the shot. The grip As with the overhead clear, a forehand grip should be used to play a smash. Children and beginners often feel that they need to use their index finger behind the grip as support but this Figure 1 should be discouraged. Another common error is the use of a pan handle grip which will restrict the player in terms of power and control when hitting overhead shots. Preparation and Hitting Position The player should have their feet positioned so that the shuttlecock is just in front of the body. A good way to get the correct position is to let the shuttle drop and if it lands on the player s front foot then they are in the right position. The preparation for all overhead shots should be the same. As with the overhead clear, the player should be in a sideways on position with racket back ready to hit and non-racket arm out in front for balance (see figure 2). The sideways position is important for the smash because it allows rotation of the body which contributes to the power generated in the shot. Figure 2 The tendency for a lot of players when hitting a smash is to use a big wind up when preparing to play the shot. This should be discouraged for a number of reasons. The same amount of power can be generated from a shorter, more compact action. In badminton you generally don t have time to use a big swing anyway. Using a big swing can often lead to more errors due to a less controlled preparation. The racket should be drawn back into a loaded position with a bend at the elbow ready to hit. In order to get an angle downwards on the smash it requires the racket face to be angled downwards when making contact with the shuttlecock (see figure 3). The technique used to achieve this angle is a snap of the wrist at the point of impact. Once contact has been made with the shuttlecock the racket should follow through across the body. Jump Smash Figure 3 A jump smash is used to gain extra angle on the shot. The steeper the shot is hit, the more difficult it is for your opponent to return. It is important that players first learn how to hit a smash without jumping because it is an extremely difficult skill. Once players are able to consistently hit a smash on the ground then you can introduce a jump. Figure 4 The main principles of the shot are the same but a jump has to be combined with the hitting action allowing you to take the shuttle a lot higher and get a steeper angle. Starting in a sideways position the legs should be loaded by bending the knees and then extend upwards. The arms can be used to assist with the jump. This also helps to get the arms in the correct position for hitting the shot. The power of the shot comes from rotating the trunk and this is where good core stability is of benefit. Timing the jump so that you strike the shuttle at the peak can be difficult to begin with but will come with practice.

3 SMASHING TACTICS: VARYING THE PACE, TRAJECTORY AND DIRECTION When you think of a smash in badminton, most people will think of hitting the shuttlecock as hard as possible. Power is an important element of the shot but there is much more to the smash than just hitting the shuttle hard. In this article we will discuss ways in which a smash can be varied in terms of the pace, trajectory and direction for both singles and doubles. Singles Figure 1 The direction of the smash in singles is the most relevant tactical factor. The most common smash in singles is to hit straight down the sidelines. This is extremely useful because it forces your opponent to move out wide which makes it more difficult for them to play the return and also opens up the court. The straight smash is therefore extremely useful for playing a winning shot or forcing a weak reply and opening up the court. In attack it is a good idea to vary the angle to keep your opponent guessing. If you only play straight smashes then your opponent may start to read the shot and take it earlier. If you have the option of playing a cross court smash then it leads to uncertainty in the opponents mind. Preparation for both straight and cross court smashes should be identical so as to disguise the shot up until the last second. A good occasional variation is to hit a smash directly at the opponent or down the middle of the court. This often catches out opponents expecting for the shuttle to be hit down the sides. If your opponent is particularly poor at defending off the body then this is also a good tactic. Varying the pace of the smash is important because some opponents may get into a rhythm of returning a smash which is played at the same pace. Taking the pace off the shot occasionally may catch your opponent out if they are expecting a hard smash. The final variation which can be used is the trajectory or angle of the smash. The most common is to hit a very steep smash because it is much harder to pick up the shuttle from near the floor. The trajectory can be varied to include some flatter smashes which again have a surprise effect. Doubles Varying the smash in doubles is just as important as in singles. The direction, pace and angle of the shot can all be used to the attacker s advantage. Figure 2 shows possible areas of attack in doubles. The percentage smash in doubles is directed down the middle of the court. This creates confusion between the opposition pair and there is no danger of the shot being hit out of court. Another common tactic in doubles is to aim for the right hip of your opponent (left hip for left handers) which is awkward to defend because it is in between forehand and backhand. Straight smashes down the side lines are an option in doubles but you must be in good position to hit the shot otherwise it will be easy for the opponent to whip the shuttle cross court into the space. Cross court smashes are generally not coached much in doubles but they can be extremely useful if executed correctly. A cross court smash can often surprise your opponent but must be hit Figure 2 when in good position otherwise if executed poorly the defender has a big gap to play into on the other side of the court. Variation of pace in doubles is very useful. Defenders often find it easy to deal with the same pace of smash all the time. Occasionally taking the pace out of the shot can sometimes deceive the defender and force a poor reply. Varying the speed of your smash is particularly useful when playing against opponents that can deal with hard smashes quite easily. The trajectory of the shot is something which can be changed to keep your opponents guessing. Figure 3 shows possible angles of attack when hitting a smash. The steep Figure 3 smash is one of the most difficult to retrieve as the shuttle has to be defended from close to the ground and therefore must come back in an upwards direction. The flatter smashes at the body of the opponent are usually used as a surprise attack.

4 SMASHING PRACTICE In this section we will look at various ways to practice the smash. This will include simple practices which can be used with children as well as more complex practices for adults and advanced players. Static practice The first stage is getting the technique correct which requires a basic practice. Working in pairs, one person high serves and one person hits the smash from a static position. This is repeated 10 times and then the feeder and smasher swap over. Once the players start to get a feeling for the technique you can introduce more movement into the shot. Target Practice The next progression is to introduce a target. Children in particular respond well to targets because they have something to aim for. Rewards are a good way of motivating players and provide an incentive to hit the target. Start off with a large target and then progress by decreasing the target size. Shuttlecock tubes Figure 1 lined up in a row are a good target to use as you can take one away each time to make it more difficult. The aim is to knock one of the tubes over. Other targets which can be used include hoops, racket cases and boxes. Smash rally A progression from the static practice is to build the smash into a rally situation. A rally of smash, return to net, net shot and then lift again is a good place to start. Work for a period of approximately 2 minutes and then change the smasher. Another option is a rally practice which includes both players practicing the smash at the same time. The rally starts with a lift by player 1, player 2 hits a smash, player 1 returns to the net and then player 2 lifts for player 1 to smash. This can also be practiced in a group of 3 with 2 feeders and 1 worker. The feeders start with a straight lift and then the worker hits a straight smash which the feeder then blocks back to the net, the worker plays a net shot back and then the feeder lifts cross court for the worker to smash straight again. Smashing Practice for Singles The key areas to hit a smash in singles are down the side lines. This requires accuracy and so one of the best ways to practice is repetition. If you are able to multi-feed then this is ideal. Otherwise single shuttles can be fed. The coach should feed shuttles into one rear corner to begin with. This should be repeated after a short rest. The same should be done in the other rear corner. Progress this on by alternate feeding into both rear corners followed by random feeding to either rear corner. A target such as a shuttle tube can be introduced so that the player has something to aim for and to provide a motive for hitting an accurate shot. Smashing Practice for Doubles As was mentioned in the tactics zone, a good place to hit the smash in doubles is at the inside hip of your opponent. This is to create uncertainty as to whether it should be a forehand or backhand. A fun practice is to lift to a partner and then set up a target by standing with your racket face on your inside hip (right hip if right handed) as shown in figure 2. One point is scored if the Figure 2 smasher gets the shuttle through the triangle created by the body, arm and racket of the target player. Three points are scored if the smasher hits the racket strings. A progression from this practice is where the target player deliberately puts their racket to one side of their body. The person smashing must then use their peripheral vision to smash the shuttle to the opposite side. Practicing the Jump Smash Before practicing with a shuttlecock it is a good idea to practice the jump on its own first to get the technique. You can then look to build in a shadow shot at the top of the jump. The best way to start practicing a jump smash with a shuttle is through a closed practice. The feeder hits a serve just short of the back and the worker jumps up to hit a smash from a static position. There should then be a short pause before the next shuttle is fed. The worker should do approximately 10 reps because the jump smash can be very physically demanding. This can then be progressed by introducing more movement into the shot. The player should be able to perform the skill consistently from a static position before introducing more movement.

5 FLEXIBILITY What is it? Flexibility is the range of movement around a joint and its surrounding muscles. What are the benefits of flexibility training? By increasing your range of motion, performance can be enhanced. For example in Badminton, increased range of movement will allow you to play and reach shots that others cannot. Increased flexibility will in turn increase mobility allowing ease of movement around the badminton court. Flexibility training has been shown to decrease the risk of injury. The reason for this is that a limb can move further before an injury occurs. Tight hamstrings for example will restrict how far you can lunge. If pushed beyond this range then injury will occur. Increasing your flexibility will therefore decrease the chance of going beyond your range. Increased flexibility has been shown to decrease muscle soreness after exercise. Stretching after exercise can help to relax and balance tension on muscles that have just been exercised. Types of Flexibility 1) Dynamic Flexibility - This is the ability to perform dynamic movements which take a limb through its full range of motion. A good example is kicking an imaginary ball. 2) Static-active Flexibility - This is the ability to assume and maintain an extended position using only the tension of the agonist while the antagonist is being stretched. An example would be lifting the leg up high and keeping it there without any support other than from your leg muscles. 3) Static-passive Flexibility - This is the ability to hold a stretch using your own body weight, the support of some other part of your body or other equipment. An example is holding a quad stretch by resting your leg on a chair. Types of Stretching Dynamic Stretching - According to Kurz, Dynamic stretching "involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both." This includes controlled movements such as leg and arm swings which take you to the limits of your range of motion. Dynamic stretching should not be confused with Ballistic Stretching as there are no bouncy or jerky movements. Ballistic Stretching - This is similar to dynamic stretching but uses a bouncy or jerky movement to increase the stretch. This can be an effective way of increasing the range of motion but has been associated with injury. An example is a ballistic stretch is touching your toes with a bouncy movement. Static Active Stretching - In this type of stretching the muscles groups are stretched without moving the limb itself. The end position is held for a period of up to 30 seconds. An example is standing on one leg and holding the other leg out in front of you using the strength of the opposing muscle to hold it in place. This is an effective way of increasing active flexibility but is not recommended immediately before competition Static Passive Stretching Commonly referred to as just static stretching, this is where you assume a position and hold it with some other part of your body or with the assistance of a partner. Recent research has shown that this can have a detrimental effect on performance if used pre-training. Static stretching as part of a cool down after exercise has however been shown to have benefits in reducing muscle fatigue and soreness. Isometric Stretching - This is a type of stretching which involves the resistance of muscle groups through tensing of the stretched muscles. It also helps develop strength in the tensed muscles. The most common ways to apply resistance for an isometric stretch are manually, through a partner or by using a wall or the floor. An example of an isometric stretch is a calf stretch where you push against the wall to create tension in the calf. PNF Stretching - PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscluar Facilitation) stretching is extremely useful for increasing the range of motion. This is where a muscle group is passively stretched, then isometrically contracts against resistance while in the stretched position, and then is passively stretched again through the resulting increased range of motion. A partner is usually used to provide the resistance and then to guide the joint through the increased range of motion. An example is a hamstring stretch lying on your back with one leg extended out on the floor and one extended in the air.

6 THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING Planning is an extremely important part of the coaching process (see figure 1) and is something that is often neglected by coaches. Planning provides the link between aspirations, intentions and activity. It is a guide to day-by-day activity, provides a template against which changes can be calculated, and is a strategic overview of the process. (Lyle, 2002) There is a famous quote by Alan Lakein who states that failing to plan is planning to fail This summarises the importance of planning in every day life and coaching is no different. Why is Planning Important? Provides goals which give direction and help motivate players and coaches Allows coaches to monitor progress Provides a framework to evaluate against Supports the effective progression of skills Gives a specific procedure for moving forward. Goal Setting Setting goals is the first stage in the planning process. This is important because if you do not know where you are going then you will not know how to get there. Goals provide direction and also help motivate coaches and players. In the short term, each coaching session should have specific goals or objectives so that they can be reviewed and evaluated against when the session is complete. This provides the coach with valuable feedback on how successful athletes were and how successful they were in meeting the objectives. These should be incorporated into the session plan. In the longer term, it is vital to set goals for an annual coaching plan because they provide structure and give the coach something to plan towards. The SMARTER acronym is a useful guide for setting goals and is outlined below: S pecific M easurable A greed R ealistic T ime based E xciting R ecorded Short Term Planning Planning coaching sessions is something that is often overlooked as part of the coaching process (see figure 1) Coaches have a tendency to focus on the do phase more than the plan phase which can often result in sessions which lack structure and direction. Session Planning is something that can be written down on paper or prepared on a computer using a template. These can include a recap from the last session, aims and objectives, session activities, coaching points, time scale and space for evaluation/reflection. The session can be split up into various sections which may include a warm up, fitness training, technical practice, match practice and cool down. Using session plans allows the coach to plan activities so that they are progressive and build on what has been learned in the previous session. The nature of coaching means that you will always have to adapt due to various circumstances such as players getting injured. Having a plan in place at least then makes it easier to adapt your session than if you have nothing in place at all. Long Term Planning Figure 1 Long term planning is just as important and whether you work in a club or performance environment coaches should look at putting together an annual coaching plan. The annual plan can be broken down into various cycles which focus on developing a specific area. For example in a performance environment, the off season training phase would be very much based around fitness and physical preparation for the new season. Training cycles in season would include a lot more event specific preparation such as match practice. In a club environment, a specific cycle might be based around movement skills or basic racket skills. Competitions and tournaments should be built in to the annual plan as these are what training and practice should build towards. If there is a competition then training/practice should be tailored appropriately. For example, the intensity of training the week before a tournament should be lower than normal concentrating on specific preparation such as match practice.

7 For more information about Badminton coaching in the Bay of Plenty please contact: MATT HANSON CoachForce Badminton Development Officer Sport Bay of Plenty 406 Devonport Road PO Box Tauranga Ph ext 812 Fax Mob More People, More Active, More Often