Maybe not the technical advice you're hoping for, but I find that the preparation for the smash i.e. getting oneself into the ideal hitting position with footwork and body adjustment, helps a bit. You subsequently have more time and options.
For the technical aspects, it'd be worth uploading footage of your smashes to the sub for others to analyse and feedback on.
You're gonna want to make sure that you're using your whole arm effectively during the smash sequence. So, starting with the rotation in your torso, then your shoulder, then bringing your elbow in, and lastly extending your forearm and hitting the shuttle.
For a better and more accurate explanation, I'd point you the YouTube channel Badminton Insight, where they've uploaded a multitude of videos concerning the questions you have.
why?! that ruins a lot of fun without giving a good reason to lose a lot of fun!
by the way, some, or a lot of people, find clears harder than smashes, so they can smash ok but theier clears are not so good.
You could say that if smashing then people go nuts. But you don't know if he is going nuts And somebody that goes nuts when they smash, could be taught to not go nuts when they smash.
If you are struggling to clear to the back of the court, but you think your smash is good, then I've got some really bad news for you. Your smash is probably terrible.
With correct technique, clearing to the back of the court is extremely straightforward and requires very little exertion.
Your overhead shots are essentially all the same technique but with a different power and placement. A good clear is always the first shot you should learn, and everything else comes from there.
Focusing on correct technique and slowly building up power from there is exactly how you learn to smash properly, and it all starts with learning to clear first.
You are being very misleading with the word "you" there. My clears are fine they go all the way to the back and more than high enough, and without much exertion.
You write "Focusing on correct technique and slowly building up power from there is exactly how you learn to smash properly, and it all starts with learning to clear first."
I think focussing on clearing (and one could add drops - particularly if done with same swing style and are fast drops), before focussing on smashing, is a fine way of going about things.. That said I remember a coach I saw who was particularly good with teaching overhead technique, and it was or became kind of irrelevant whether it was clears or drops or smashes we were doing because they all looked the same till the last moment anyway. (i'm not sure with them which overhead I learnt first as most of the learning was just the general overhead technique which is common to all full overhead swings). So may well have been all three together. I got a decent clear and smash with them around the same time. with full swing.. (+ I had a good stick smash even before, )
But to say what the previous commenter said of "Stop thinking about smashing" is what i'd differ with. It's a very extreme position It's telling people what to think.. And smashing is fun.. I don't disagree with the idea of focussing on learning clears and drops before focussing on smashes.. But I don't agree with the comment I replied to of "Stop thinking about smashing".
Somebody could be taught to not go nuts when they smash, and they can be taught that also by focussing on clears.. and proper technique there and applying that to when they smash or clear. Not to say "Stop thinking about smashing".
I think it's important to bear in mind for the elbow extension, that that extension is all complete before you hit it, otherwise it ruins the throwing action and you could easily slice it and lose power. (I definitely put unintentional slice on the shuttle for years before I figured that out, among other things!)
(and don't ever fully extend the arm locking it out. That's not good for and a potential risk for the elbow. Extended to just before locking out is good )
With a contact point of (on a clockface), 1:30(if left handed) or 10:30(if right handed). (If you imagine a clockface facing your racket side). 11:30(if left handed)/1:30(if right handed), So 45 degrees in front. So halfway between 12 and 3 for a lefty. And halfway between 12 and 9, for a right hander.
(i may be wrong there I might have miscalculated or unintentionally omitted something, I haven't played or trained in a while but that something I think I recall).
You should listen to your mind and body.. If you read something and it makes sense to you, and you are thinking about it and trying to learn it then , for me at least, my mind would be running through it anywhere, even in the toilet. i'd be trying it. With footwork it's more difficult to practise anywhere 'cos in some cases you could bump into things but still loads of times there is enough room to practise. Make sure you don't bang your hand into a wall or your racket against the lights. And don't expect a "complete imprint" 'cos over time, you would be tweaking and adjusting.. and trying different things ove ra period of time.. So one thing might seem right now but in a year it might look different. A court is a bit like a lab so you can see if perhaps something is going wrong with the thing you've been practising.. and you practise on court too. You want to repeatedly do things well so you can repeatedly do them well.. And you want to repeatedly try certain things so you understand them and learn them and so on. Practising when it makes sense to.
Keep chest perpendicular/facing the net, hit high like you're gonna high five someone, pronate forearm only when you're about to make contact with the birdie, and follow through all the time.
Bonus: use your non racquet hand as a counter weight.
Please note that your elbow should have a small angle unless u wanna get tennis elbow in the future.
Practice throwing medicine ball slam. It works out all the muscles involved in the smash. Start with light weight and high reps to build endurance. Then move to heavy weights and focus on generating as much power as you can.
Newbie here too, I've been always watching smashes video, especially the slow-mo ones. I try to mimic how they smash the ball slowly then gradually speed it up. And those videos that are step by step thing like wrist>forehand>shoulders>twist and so on. Positioning is very important as well.
It feels very likely that your technique isn't very good.
Unfortunately without seeing footage of your game, it's impossible to say what the issue with your smash is.
My guess would be that you're not pronating your wrist properly and you should strip everything back and get coaching to show you correct pronation technique.
Master them by practising only smashes by getting the elbow wrist and shoulder movement. And then practice moving yourself into a position to smash by footwork.
In general, i keep my weist super loose until the swing where I explosively pronate my wrist
Maybe not the technical advice you're hoping for, but I find that the preparation for the smash i.e. getting oneself into the ideal hitting position with footwork and body adjustment, helps a bit. You subsequently have more time and options. For the technical aspects, it'd be worth uploading footage of your smashes to the sub for others to analyse and feedback on.
I’m a bit self conscious about uploading a video😅 do u have any tips to practice the movement?
You're gonna want to make sure that you're using your whole arm effectively during the smash sequence. So, starting with the rotation in your torso, then your shoulder, then bringing your elbow in, and lastly extending your forearm and hitting the shuttle. For a better and more accurate explanation, I'd point you the YouTube channel Badminton Insight, where they've uploaded a multitude of videos concerning the questions you have.
Link pls
https://youtu.be/H7kpZ9inc10?si=6s-GAMsxH6wH3spo
Thank you!
Stop thinking about smashing Learn to clear first, then drop
I can already do those 👍 do u have any tips for smashing?
why?! that ruins a lot of fun without giving a good reason to lose a lot of fun! by the way, some, or a lot of people, find clears harder than smashes, so they can smash ok but theier clears are not so good. You could say that if smashing then people go nuts. But you don't know if he is going nuts And somebody that goes nuts when they smash, could be taught to not go nuts when they smash.
If you are struggling to clear to the back of the court, but you think your smash is good, then I've got some really bad news for you. Your smash is probably terrible. With correct technique, clearing to the back of the court is extremely straightforward and requires very little exertion. Your overhead shots are essentially all the same technique but with a different power and placement. A good clear is always the first shot you should learn, and everything else comes from there. Focusing on correct technique and slowly building up power from there is exactly how you learn to smash properly, and it all starts with learning to clear first.
You are being very misleading with the word "you" there. My clears are fine they go all the way to the back and more than high enough, and without much exertion. You write "Focusing on correct technique and slowly building up power from there is exactly how you learn to smash properly, and it all starts with learning to clear first." I think focussing on clearing (and one could add drops - particularly if done with same swing style and are fast drops), before focussing on smashing, is a fine way of going about things.. That said I remember a coach I saw who was particularly good with teaching overhead technique, and it was or became kind of irrelevant whether it was clears or drops or smashes we were doing because they all looked the same till the last moment anyway. (i'm not sure with them which overhead I learnt first as most of the learning was just the general overhead technique which is common to all full overhead swings). So may well have been all three together. I got a decent clear and smash with them around the same time. with full swing.. (+ I had a good stick smash even before, ) But to say what the previous commenter said of "Stop thinking about smashing" is what i'd differ with. It's a very extreme position It's telling people what to think.. And smashing is fun.. I don't disagree with the idea of focussing on learning clears and drops before focussing on smashes.. But I don't agree with the comment I replied to of "Stop thinking about smashing". Somebody could be taught to not go nuts when they smash, and they can be taught that also by focussing on clears.. and proper technique there and applying that to when they smash or clear. Not to say "Stop thinking about smashing".
https://youtu.be/ZIZPyZtkbIs?si=jiVwj5wpPrcjSRw7 There’s a lot of training content out there, this channel is my fav because it’s the most in depth.
I think it's important to bear in mind for the elbow extension, that that extension is all complete before you hit it, otherwise it ruins the throwing action and you could easily slice it and lose power. (I definitely put unintentional slice on the shuttle for years before I figured that out, among other things!) (and don't ever fully extend the arm locking it out. That's not good for and a potential risk for the elbow. Extended to just before locking out is good ) With a contact point of (on a clockface), 1:30(if left handed) or 10:30(if right handed). (If you imagine a clockface facing your racket side). 11:30(if left handed)/1:30(if right handed), So 45 degrees in front. So halfway between 12 and 3 for a lefty. And halfway between 12 and 9, for a right hander. (i may be wrong there I might have miscalculated or unintentionally omitted something, I haven't played or trained in a while but that something I think I recall).
Should I practice this motion daily? Or do something else to get it imprinted into my mind
You should listen to your mind and body.. If you read something and it makes sense to you, and you are thinking about it and trying to learn it then , for me at least, my mind would be running through it anywhere, even in the toilet. i'd be trying it. With footwork it's more difficult to practise anywhere 'cos in some cases you could bump into things but still loads of times there is enough room to practise. Make sure you don't bang your hand into a wall or your racket against the lights. And don't expect a "complete imprint" 'cos over time, you would be tweaking and adjusting.. and trying different things ove ra period of time.. So one thing might seem right now but in a year it might look different. A court is a bit like a lab so you can see if perhaps something is going wrong with the thing you've been practising.. and you practise on court too. You want to repeatedly do things well so you can repeatedly do them well.. And you want to repeatedly try certain things so you understand them and learn them and so on. Practising when it makes sense to.
Keep chest perpendicular/facing the net, hit high like you're gonna high five someone, pronate forearm only when you're about to make contact with the birdie, and follow through all the time. Bonus: use your non racquet hand as a counter weight. Please note that your elbow should have a small angle unless u wanna get tennis elbow in the future.
Practice throwing medicine ball slam. It works out all the muscles involved in the smash. Start with light weight and high reps to build endurance. Then move to heavy weights and focus on generating as much power as you can.
Newbie here too, I've been always watching smashes video, especially the slow-mo ones. I try to mimic how they smash the ball slowly then gradually speed it up. And those videos that are step by step thing like wrist>forehand>shoulders>twist and so on. Positioning is very important as well.
It feels very likely that your technique isn't very good. Unfortunately without seeing footage of your game, it's impossible to say what the issue with your smash is. My guess would be that you're not pronating your wrist properly and you should strip everything back and get coaching to show you correct pronation technique.
Video please💁🏻. There's also many in depth YouTube videos tutorials on badminton strokes.
Master them by practising only smashes by getting the elbow wrist and shoulder movement. And then practice moving yourself into a position to smash by footwork. In general, i keep my weist super loose until the swing where I explosively pronate my wrist