PACIFIC COACH EDUCATION. Secondary School Teachers Module. Version

PACIFIC COACH EDUCATION Secondary School Teachers Module Version 2010.1

INTRODUCTION This is an introductory coaching resource that has been created to assist the Secondary School teacher. This resource is suitable to teach children aged between the ages of eleven and sixteen years of age. You will also be able to gain the basic knowledge to teach lessons in badminton or take a group of students or players in a session and teach basic skills and techniques. This information has been put together to mainly assist the pacific island nations but a lot of the material will be relevant to everyone who wants to learn about badminton. Acknowledgements Tony Mordaunt Sparc Corinne Barnard Lynne Scutt Sainimili Talatoka [OSEP Programme Coordinator] 2

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 2 WARM UP... 4 GRIPS... 4 Forehand Grip... 4 Backhand Grip... 4 BASIC HITTING... 5 LOW SERVING... 6 Backhand... 6 HIGH SERVING... 7 Forehand... 7 FOREHAND OVERHEAD SHOTS... 7 Forehand Clear... 7 Smash... 8 Drop shots... 9 DRIVE... 10 COOL-DOWN & STRETCHING... 11 PLANNING A SESSION... 11 EQUIPMENT... 12 Racquets... 12 Net... 12 FUN GAMES... 13 COURT PLAYING AREAS... 14 Singles Court... 14 Doubles Court... 15 SCORING A GAME... 16 THE BADMINTON COURT... 17 For more information contact:... 18 3

WARM UP An effective warm-up is a vital part of all training and competition. It prepares the mind, heart, muscles and joints for action, therefore reducing the chance of injury. A warm-up generally involves 5 minutes of general activity. Players should begin at a low intensity and gradually build to the level needed. Exercises that closely copy the movements involved in the sport are a good idea. If players find the usual warm-ups boring, use short games, such as tag games. This way the mind and body are getting ready for action and the skills of the game are also involved. Some classes spend too long on warm ups for example some teachers take 15mins warming up in a 45-minute class, (5 minutes is plenty). You can use a fun game as the warm up. Keep it simple and fun. Include something new (e.g. a new stretch) in each lesson in the warm up or warm down so they learn the exercises. A good sign of a sound warm-up is a light sweat. Forehand Grip GRIPS To adopt the forehand grip you should shake hands with your Racquet. When holding the Racquet out in front of you, the Racquet should be parallel with the floor. The V produced between your finger and thumb should be on top of the Racquet handle pic 1A The grip should be relaxed, the fingers will tighten on the handle just before impact with the shuttle the greater the power needed the tighter the grip. Backhand Grip Picture 1A To use the backhand grip your thumb must sit on the flat part of the Racquet handle (you must be able to see the strings) pic 1B. The grip must be loose to enable the thumb to guide the Racquet through the shot. The Racquet should be held in your fingers, not your palm. Your fingers and thumb should be used to control the Racquet and for power pic 1C Picture 1B Picture 1C 4

BASIC HITTING Each player has a Racquet and a shuttle (if not enough Racquets players can work in pairs or 3s and take turns). Below are Two examples:- Hitting - Encourage your players to use the grips learnt on the last page, the Racquet needs to be pointing upwards and small strokes are to be used, see pic 2A. When the player is comfortable with the forehand try the same using the backhand grip, and then progress to alternate between the two grips forehand / backhand. Hitting - Players try to hit the shuttle in the air continuously (about 1 metre high) while trying to stand still - the teacher can quickly evaluate players skill level. This should be continuous and the player should attempt to hit as many in a row as possible. Picture 2A Extension exercises: 1. Use a variety of movements while hitting only forehands / only backhands 2. Hit shuttle high and low, sit down and stand up in time to hit the next shot 3. See how many times the player can hit the shuttle without making a mistake, set targets start low with a low number i.e. 5 and progress to 20 4. Hit shuttle with racket between the legs; behind back 5. Ask the players how they would like to hit the shuttle and allow them to try Points to remember Be aware of the surroundings e.g. obstacles, dangers for the group If outside, be aware of weather (if windy it s better to play into the wind therefore the shuttle flies towards you, not away) try to keep in controlled environment so not to lose shuttles. Set targets for the players, make sure all players attempt this skill 5

LOW SERVING The aim of this serve is to serve as low to the net and as close to the front service line as possible. You can use either a forehand serve (forehand grip) or backhand serve with (backhand grip), but the easiest to learn for beginners and new players and the most consistent is the backhand serve. Backhand Use the backhand grip (see pic 3B and 3C) Stand close to the service line, in a comfortable position, e.g. some players stand with left foot forward, some right foot, some face on to the net, it is important that the player feels comfortable and balanced pic 3A Have the Racquet head below their lowest rib Hold the shuttle at the top by the feather in front of the Racquet head pic 3B & 3C Using the fingers and thumb push the shuttle flat over the net, keeping the Racquet strings aimed in a flat line so the serve does not go too high pic 3C On contact, the Racquet strings push through in the direction they want the shuttle to travel If you hold the Racquet too tight the shuttle will go too high and far NOTE: it s a fault serve if you slide or lift your feet during a serve Picture 3A Picture 3B Picture 3C 6

HIGH SERVING Forehand Basic forehand grip pic 3D Wide balanced stable base Weight distributed on both legs slightly more on rear leg Take Racket back Wrist will be bent / open Push through the shuttle Transfer weight from back foot to front foot Hit through line of shuttle you intend the shuttle to travel to Bring racket upwards into ready position after serve Picture 3D FOREHAND OVERHEAD SHOTS Forehand Clear The clear is one of 3 overhead strokes played with the forehand grip - the others are the smash, and the drop. The aim is to produce all these shots in the same way so that the opponent cannot pick which shot is going to be played until the last split- second. The action can be broken down into 4 easy steps, and is almost exactly the same as the action used to throw a cricket ball from the boundary. Most athletic players will use this action naturally. 1. Stand side on to the net, with elbows and upper arm parallel to the ground, racket head above the head 2. Bring the elbow through high and close to the head, at the same time thrusting the hip forward. Tighten the abdominals. 3. Reach up high with the racket to make contact with the shuttle 4. Follow through with the racket and step forward 5. Footwork - chasse from base into position and jump off the racket leg as the shuttle is hit. Land on the non-racket leg. Training routine Feeder high serves, worker clears to the back court. Repeat 10 x then change roles. Note that it is essential for the feeder to serve the shuttle high if possible to allow the worker to get under the shuttle. The technique cannot be used if the shuttle is served flat. 7 Ready position for clear, drop & smash

Extension Players who can hit clears consistently can hit continuously down the sideline, aiming for the back corners. This is quite hard work, but it is excellent training for accuracy. Aim to build up to 3 minutes non-stop. Play a game where the shuttle can only be hit into the tramlines at the back of the court. If the players cannot hit this far, the in-zone can be brought closer to the net by using cones to mark the new boundaries. Smash The preparation for the smash is the same as for the other overhead forehand strokes - the clear and the drop shot. Power will be generated by the thrust of the racket hip, the rotation of the forearm and the tightening of the grip just before the racket impacts with the shuttle. The impact point is slightly forward of the shoulder and should be as high as possible, otherwise the smash will not be steep. Training Routine Work in pairs, one player feeding with a high serve, the other smashing. Do 10 shots then change roles. 8

Drop shots The aim of the drop shot is to bring the opponent in close to the net. preparation as for the clear, but: At the last split-second, take the power out of the shot by slowing the arm action and by keeping the grip relaxed. The contact point with the shuttle is slightly further forward than the clear. Use the same Training routines In pairs, the feeder high serves and the worker plays the drop shot. Repeat 10 times, then change roles. Players should aim to land the drop shot approximately on the short service line i.e. close to the net, so that in a match, the opponent would have to move a long way into the net. Ready position for clear, drop & smash 9

DRIVE The aim of this shot is to hit the shuttle flat and hard so that it skims the net. Contact point is about the same height as the net Weight transfers to the racket foot at the point of contact Explosive hitting action Training Routine In pairs, one player feeds a set of 15 shuttles, the partner drives them back. Better players can hit continuous drives. Game Half court singles, however the in zone is restricted to the area between the short service line and the doubles service line. This will have the effect of speeding up the game because there is less movement involved. Players should look to attack using smashes and drives. In Zone Training routine In threes: one player serves, one receives and the other plays the third shot. The rally is not continued past this point. In Zone 10

COOL-DOWN & STRETCHING Cool-down or warm-down are important because they prevent pooling of the blood in the limbs, which could lead to fainting or dizziness. They also improve the recovery of the heart muscles and other tissues after exercise. An effective cool-down consists of a gradual reduction in activity levels for about five minutes, followed by stretching. It is important that students / players are aware of the need to Cool-down and stretch. PLANNING A SESSION Plan the session as much as possible, taking into account the following: Facility (if outside conditions, weather) Badminton can be taught outside, you just have to adapt the lesson and work with the conditions Equipment available (how many Racquets, shuttles, nets) The more Racquets the better but it is not important to have one Racquet per person as long as you keep sharing the equipment around, look after your equipment throughout the session. Group size - Ability of the group How long the session lasts In each session or lesson try to include: A fun game related to badminton A skill or technique, depending on time Always try for full participation of the group Set challenges for the players where possible different levels of students can mean some cannot achieve the same results as the more advanced Ask questions of the players, allow them to be creative and come up with ideas Always give positive and constructive feedback For beginner and school groups ensure that the session is fun and that everyone gets a turn at trying everything. Where possible let the players hit shuttles, have fun, play on the court too much instruction can be too boring and players will lose interest. 11

EQUIPMENT Racquets Any Racquet can be used for beginner or school groups. The more Racquets you have in a session the better one per person is ideal but not necessary. Make sure the players take care of your equipment as badminton Racquets can break easily. For small children there are shorter handled Racquets available to assist with hitting the shuttle. Net In some lessons or areas nets and posts will not be available. This isn t a problem, many basic lessons and techniques can be done without nets, but you can compromise by using other materials e.g. a rope across the whole area tied to the wall or trees, a climbing frame, jandals or t shirts that can be used as a boundary or net. SHUTTLES There are two types of shuttles plastic and feather. The plastic shuttle is heavier, flies differently but lasts a lot longer than the feather, ideal for school groups, outside use and beginners. The feather shuttle is used for most official tournaments. It is much lighter and players are able to hit a wider range of shots but the feathers break easily and the shuttle won t last as long as the plastic and are expensive. 12

FUN GAMES It is important to include fun games into sessions when possible. There are many different games that coaches and teachers use. If possible try to make the games badminton related and always change the game in each session unless all participants request it. Where you have many students but only one court then badminton related games are always good. Be sure to be clear in the instruction and keep in mind safety of the players and equipment. Please see examples for a brief explanation: Rob the nest 4 players, each player stands on a corner of a court / area marked out, with 7 shuttles in the centre of the 4 players. They must pick up a shuttle and take it back to their corner. They can steal from another team when a player has 3 in their corner they win. You are only allowed one shuttle at a time, lunge to pick up each shuttle. Group / team relays players split into even team numbers if possible, if not even then some players can go twice, it is important to involve everyone. First player in each team runs to a mark on the court / field, balancing the shuttle whilst running to the marker and back to the team, once all team members have completed this exercise, the first team to finish are the winners. This game can be adapted in many ways using different challenges, don t be afraid to ask the players what they can come up with, you will be surprised. Round the world (round the house) - players line up at one end of the court, hit one shot and run to the back of the line this game can be played in various ways, one way is with a coach at the other end feeding the shuttle and the players rotate on their side of the net, another way is for the players to line up on each side, hit the shuttle, run to the other side of the court and join the back of the queue. GAMES MUST BE FUN!!!!!! 13

COURT PLAYING AREAS This page shows you the areas for a player to serve into and playing areas for singles and doubles games. Something easy to help you remember for playing areas - singles court is long and skinny, the doubles area is wide and fat. Singles Court Server stands in this area Serve must land in this area Area of play after return of service In Singles during the rally the outside tramlines are out At all times if the shuttle hits on the line in the shaded area it is called in 14

Doubles Court Back tramlines are out on serve Server stands in this area Serve must land in this area Area of play after return of service In Doubles during the rally the whole court is in At all times if the shuttle hits on the line in the shaded area it is called in 15

SCORING A GAME Since January 2006 Badminton World Federation changed the scoring system so now points are scored after all rallies. Games are played to 21 with advantage of 2 and breaks are only at 11 or 21. Below is a basic explanation for the new scoring system. For further details see www.internationalbadminton.org SIMPLIFIED NEW RALLY POINTS SCORING SYSTEM Scoring System A match consists of the best of 3 games of 21 points. The side winning a rally adds a point to its score. At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead first, wins that game. At 29 all, the side scoring the 30 th point, wins that game. The side winning a game serves first in the next game. Intervals and Change of Ends When the leading score reaches 11 points, players have a 60 second interval. A 2-minute interval between each game is allowed. In the third game, players change ends when a side scores 11 points. Singles At the beginning of the game and when the score is even, the server serves from the right service court. When it is odd, the server serves from the left service court. If the server wins a rally, the server scores a point and then serves again from alternate service court. If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver scores a point and becomes the new server. Doubles There is only one serve in doubles. At the beginning of the game and when the score is even, the server serves from the right court. When it is odd, the server serves from the left court. If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and the same server serves again from the alternate service court. If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving side becomes the new serving side. The player of the receiving side who served last stays in the same service court from where he served last. The reverse pattern applies to the receiver s partner The players do not change their respective service courts until they win a point when their side is serving. If players commit an error in the service court, the error is corrected when the mistake is discovered 16

THE BADMINTON COURT Note: (1) Diagonal length of full court = 14.723m Court as shown above can be used for both singles and doubles play 17

For more information contact: Badminton Oceania PO BOX 24282 Wellington 6142 New Zealand www.oceaniabadminton.org ph. +64 4 916 2450 fax. +64 4 916 2494 Email. corinne@oceaniabadminton.org 18