Personnal progression asking for advices

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by SimonCarter, Jan 3, 2019.

  1. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

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    The backhand shot doesn't need to be to the centre. You can play a backhand drive down the sidelines too. @speCulatius is trying to tell you ANYTHING except a slow drop is better - it can be a clear, a fast drop, a drive, even a backhand smash. A slow drop gives your opponent too much time to hold you on the net, so anything is better (unless you see your opponent expecting something else and you deceive him of course). Also, a backhand clear vs. backhand drive? Neither is better, you need both for variety, but they are both better than BH slow drop.

    Regarding serve, you don't have to serve to the line or to the T, like in doubles. A good singles serve might land 1-2 ft beyond the service line, which makes net shots harder for the receiver, but also means you must expect flatter lifts. My main intention is just to get you to practise your serve, because so many players do not practise - have you ever tried to serve 100-200 shuttles in a row in a single session? If not, you should try it - you might find a way to avoid those 2 service errors a game, which is 10% of your opponents points - quite significant!
     
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  2. speCulatius

    speCulatius Regular Member

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    Well, Theres a difference between a drive an a neutral shot. A drive is mostly parallel to the floor, thus travling quite far, while a neutral shot will land behind the front service (T-) line. Anyway, you pretty much gave the answer yourself. When you need time to recover (negative for you), play a higher clear away from the side lines. When you are in a neutral position (for example having to take it backhand, but not too far away from the center, your opponent being ready and waiting for the next shot, a neutral game doesn't give him many options. When he is out of position, a flat clear to the corner might be a valid option to put more pressure on him if you're not already out of balance/stuck in a corner/some other negative situation (can be bad luck like bad lighting, a slippery grip making you almost lose the racket or... ), too. Again: Singles is a game that's rather lost than won.
    Same difference like above. Theres a difference between a shot that will land 50 to 100 cm behind the front service line and a drive. I've played an opponent who was not able to deal with drive serves, but normally, they're rather dangerous, because a serve will always travel upwards. Let's talk about a service in general
    I've tried this method with adaults, too, and the progress they made was quite impressive. To practice serves, it can be nice to have some targets, maybe with different stages (difficulties) going up one when you've hit one target and going down one if you don't get that with a limited number of tries. Targets can be areas on court, limiting the height the shuttle is allowed to travel, make the shuttle go through something, forcing yourself to play over something (and hitting a target) for a flick serve, hitting the shuttle inside a shuttle tube thats standing (for a flick serve), hitting the shuttle to be stuck in a shuttle tube thats at ne net, facing you, combining some of these, and then doing it again with closed eyes (yes that does work and it will let you focus on the movement).

    Now, let's talk about some tactics. For doubles, that's rather obvious: You only have to cover part of the court when serving (the front after a short serve), and you cannot really push your opponent to the back since the court is rather short. So you want to give your opponent not much time, so you want to stand as close to the net as possible and serve on the line in many cases. Where exactly depends on your opponent and should be varied. The flick serve is mostly used to keep the receiving player from rushing to the net.

    Where are the differences between singles and doubles?
    • you are allowed to serve to the back line
    • you have to cover the entire court on your own
    Rather obvious. Did you ever think about what this means? Let's assume your opponent can get to the front and the back quickly and gets a good point of contact when receiving your service. Since you're serving backhand, I will not talk about the option of a high serve, so that leaves you with a short serve (and its variations) and a flick serve.
    Just like in doubles, the flick serve shout mostly be used to keep your opponent from rushing to the front. Due to the flat trajectory, it will not be a neutral position, but positive for your opponent (unless he's too slow movin backwards, the exploit that, of course).
    This leaves us with variations of a short serve. Again, you don't want to serve it wide, but keep it somewhere in the center of the court to limit the angles of the receiving shot (you do have to cover the entire court on your own). Also, to cover the entire court, you won't be standing at the front service line, but at least the length of a racket further back, maybe even more. Again, what are the censequences?
    • the shuttle has to travel a longer distance until it reaches your opponent giving him more time anyway
    • you can serve with a flater trajectory (vary the angle* I talked about in the post I quoted)
    When serving to the front service (T-) line, it leaves your oponnent to play a rather good netshot, even aiming for the side lines, because it's a slightly positive position for him, while he can also play a flat lift. You have to cover it all. When pushing the service further towards your opponent, it travels faster, so he doesn't have more time, but he has to take speed out of the shuttle if he wants to play a short net shot (not that easy, by the way) giving you more time, while the flat lifts he can play are quite similar (but travel even longer) to the ones after a service on the line. It's the same thoughts like the neutral shots.
    Also, try to serve towards the back foot (where he'll don't know if he should use his forehand or backhand), you'll ne surprised how many people have trouble to deal with that.
    Still, the key is to keep the opponent guessing what will happen next, so you need to vary your serve. If you get the chance to kill your opponents rhythm, it's likely you'll win that rally. If you already achieve that with a service (the easiest shot to practice), that gives you an advantage in every rally you start.

    Exactly. Where you want to play depends on so many things, first of all your situation, then the opponents position and balance, but even if its the same like before, you might not want to play the same shot to keep him guessing. A slow drop when you're under pressure in any way just leaves so many options to your opponent, while giving you little time to react.

    After the serve, netplay is probably the easiest to practice. You just need someone who can throw a shuttle consistently over 30 cm and it's easy to get many repititions.
     
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  3. Kento

    Kento Regular Member

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    #23 Kento, Jan 8, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2019
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  4. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

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    I interpreted your post as @speCulatius did, and it appears, as @Cheung did too, regarding equipment.

    Regarding the slow drop, you used the phrase "dropping it short as much as possible". Kento Momota drops it to the service line quickly and steeply with a fast drop, but generally does not drop it "short as much as possible". Your wording implies the objective is for it to land tightly to the net like a tumbling net shot would, even if your intention is was to say "land is as short as possible whilst playing it with enough speed to ensure it does not hang in the air too long".

    One may interpret "short as much as possible" to mean a high looping shot that barely grazes the net on its way down, and lands 2 inches past the net on the floor. We can quite easily interpret this shot as being played "at an angle too" since if it must be contacted below net height an angle is maximised and the receiver must play a very high lift. However, most players have ample time to move forward and punish such a shot before it goes below net height, regardless of the angle. You must remember that your words may be interpreted differently by those not well-versed in badminton strategy.

    Finally, Kento Momota may use aerobite, but LCW used BG66UM and LD used BG80 for the majority of their careers, so you cannot say they aren't competitive due to their strings. Similarly, TTY doesn't use aerobite and has enjoyed a good amount of success as a WR#1 WS player, famed for her deceptive play and incredible feel/touch shots. I personally don't prefer BG65, but there are high ranking international players out there who use it. Just with all equipment, it is preference, so the most sensible advice you could give is for @SimonCarter to try out other configurations. I think again the interpretation is up for debate, as it heavily felt like you were more than recommending a particular setup, rather than giving a rough pointer i.e. one could have inferred from your strongly worded post that if OP does not use your setup, then he will be worse off (it certainly sounded salesy to me as well as @speCulatius, hence his jest in asking what your commission is!).

    Anyway, it looks like we have all said the same things really, so @SimonCarter has a good amount to work through :)
     
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  5. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    That is terrible advice. 30 lbs is very tight and unsuitable for most amateur players -- most likely including Simon here, who is currently playing at a sensible tension.

    Stringing at high tensions can easily cause injuries. Simon: please don't do this. If you want to experiment with string tension (and you don't need to), I would recommend only making small changes -- say adding 1 lb to your usual tension, and seeing how it plays. My personal recommendation would be to keep the tension that gives you the easiest, most comfortable smash. If the strings feel stiff and you're struggling to get power, then your tension is too high.

    Too many players here are obsessed by equipment. Watch out for this! By all means find kit you like, but your real progress will come from improving you.
     
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  6. SimonCarter

    SimonCarter Regular Member

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    Thanks again guys,
    I have set up a practice place to serve at Home following your advices. I feel like the routine is already helping me being more consistent.
    I will also to aim further behind the service line.

    About slow drop and fast drop are you saying that a faster drop landing close to the service Line is better than a drop close to the net but slower.

    About equipment i wont change anything. I have to Say that the way you mentionned to buy a New racquet felt a bit pushed but anyway it Can be a valid advice and the racquet is ~50€ here.

    I Indeed have a lot to work on with all your advices thanks all for that!

    I will come back with footage when my stance is getting better (with my serve i think it is my main axis for improvment)

    Thanks again for the nice feedbacks.
     
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  7. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    As a starting point, it helps to have reasonable expectations of typical drop shots. Very roughly:
    • "Normal" drop: on the service line
    • Slow drop: slightly in front of the service line (maybe 10--20 cm)
    • Fast drop: slightly beyond the service line (maybe 10--20 cm)
    • Neutralising drop: the same, or maybe even further past the service line
    Of course, you can hit slower and faster drops than that too. For example, a "stop drop" might land closer to the net, and a slice might often land deeper in court. But it's useful to recognise that a relatively small difference in distance (say, 20 -- 40 cm) can make a surprisingly big difference in the tactical effect.

    It's important to understand that your choice of shot affects what your opponent can do. If you play a slow drop shot, then they can play tight net more easily, and especially net spin. The tighter your drop shot, the more time they have to reach the net, and the better their spin can be. That doesn't mean slow drops are bad, it's just an issue to bear in mind.

    Now think about what happens tactically when you are under pressure in the rearcourt. Your opponent should be trying to press his advantage, because your options are limited. He will be looking to get to the net early -- not necessarily waiting at the net, but maybe a touch closer, and physically/mentally ready to move in. In particular, he will be looking to attack the straight drop shot.

    Therefore this is often a bad time to play a slow drop. Your opponent is waiting for it; he is well positioned to cover the court; and you may still be badly positioned. Playing a slow drop gives him a good opportunity to play net spin, which will be very hard to deal with.

    By playing a longer-hit drop shot (neutralising drop), you take away his tight net play. You're still under pressure, but his options for increasing that pressure are more limited. He can lift to the rearcourt, where you already are; or he can play back to the net, but not tight (well, not without lofting it up and giving you time).

    That's not to say slow drops are always bad here, but it's not a good standard choice. Establish your longer-hit straight drops first, and later you might want to surprise him with the occasional slow drop.

    (With the cross-court drop, you want to avoid hitting it too hard though, as that makes it pass within your opponent's immediate reach from a central base. Beyond the service line is still okay, if your width is good.)
     
    #27 Gollum, Jan 9, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2019
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  8. Kento

    Kento Regular Member

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    Why do so many people baulk at the prospect of amateur players using 30lbs tension?
    I mean, why would they sustain injury if they are training sensibly and following the correct procedures for gripping the racquet and hitting the shuttlecock?
    Flipping the coin the other way, why do professional players play with 30lbs or higher tension if it is not advantageous to their game?
    I mean, could they not play perfectly well at a lower tension of say, 24lbs?
    The real answer is one that the 'sages' try to avoid letting everyone know. It actually allows precision of control over each shot one plays and do not forget that Simon has been playing competitively for 2 years in his club league and so is no mere beginner.
    @SimonCarter It really is up to you what string and tension you use and by all means stick with your present combination if you feel it is giving you the precision of control you require.
     
    #28 Kento, Jan 9, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2019
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  9. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

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    This is precisely the big IF which 90%+ of amateur players will not meet the requirements of.

    Unless you are hitting the shuttle reliably and consistently on the sweet spot with the control to play tumbles, slices, and all other basic shots (including crosscourt backhand clear), then a player has no business upping their tension to 30lbs.

    You said it yourself - pros gain control. Amateurs may also gain control, but crucially, most amateurs will not benefit from additional control if it comes at the expense of POWER. And that expense is guaranteed if said player does not have the technique to perform basic shots consistently. What follows is players brute-forcing shots to get more power, stressing their tendons/muscles/bodies and eventually injuring themselves, since learning correct technique is actually quite difficult once you've been playing with incorrect technique for years.

    @SimonCarter specifically says he struggles with crosscourt backhand clear accuracy. The control you gain from 30lbs tension is not the sort that will have him hitting the sidelines instead. What he needs is to find the sweet spot of the racquet by practising such shots repeatedly to get the right timing and contact for such a shot (just as you would for any shot you are learning). The last thing he needs is to make the sweet spot smaller by upping tension...

    This is the reason we baulk at high tensions for amateurs. As a stringer, the answer I give to most people asking if they should try 30+lbs, is that they'll demand it from me, rather than ask me, when they are ready for it. I tell them what @Gollum says too - perhaps they want to go up 1-2lbs first and see how it feels...most go back down or take +1lb at most for the next year or so before going up. And there will always be others who chase the big numbers and soon ask, "Why am I losing power", and oh yes, "How do you treat tennis elbow?"
     
    #29 DarkHiatus, Jan 9, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2019
  10. Kento

    Kento Regular Member

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    Unless you are hitting the shuttle reliably and consistently on the sweet spot with the control to play tumbles, slices, and all other basic shots (including crosscourt backhand clear), then a player has no business upping their tension to 30lbs.

    I agree , of course.

    However, I still fail to see how it is possible for the 'sages' to make sweeping, generalised statements such as 'Amateurs should not use high tensions on their strings' without having concrete figures such as the percentage of amateurs worldwide who are unable to do what you have described above.

    Truth be told, there has never to my knowledge been a worldwide study undertaken by statisticians to accumulate data on what amateurs are and are not capable of badminton-wise.

    Nor will there ever be one undertaken because of the sheer monumental task this would have to be.

    Therefore, there is no rationale behind the type of blanket statements issued periodically advising amateurs against using high tensions.

    It simply is not logical.

    Yonex clearly believe so because they have produced several models for the Voltric DG range of their racquets which are build specifically to allow stringing to be done up to a maximum of 35lbs and yet, looking at the lowish prices these retail for, these are overwhelmingly aimed at the budget end of the badminton sales market, in other words, at the amateur players for them to buy.

    Clearly Yonex have confidence in amateur players' ability to decide for themselves whether or not they are capable of hitting the shuttle reliably and consistently on the sweet spot with control and thereby being able to make full use of higher tensions up to 35lbs maximum if required.

    It would be wise for others to take heed of this sensible non-prejudiced attitude displayed by one of the world's top badminton racquet and string manufacturing companies.
     
  11. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

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    You'd be shocked at so-called "investment fund managers" who are able to make generalised sweeping statements about how to invest your money without conclusive scientifically backed studies to definitively show they'll make you money too.

    In short, you don't need concrete figures to be able to see the average amateur player i.e. leisure/club player does not have solid technique to allow them to play a full range of strokes. I mean, there are plenty enough players asking how to do a full court backhand clear, let alone a crosscourt backhand clear. There's was a scammer who appeared to do pretty well advertising a magic backhand formula to players who wanted a quick fix for example.

    As for Yonex producing 35lbs racquets...they can produce 50lbs racquets and market them as indestructible. Marketing is marketing and Yonex only care about selling product - they need something to differentiate new lines from the last season. They also need to keep up with competitors who have been developing racquets capable of 35lbs and even 40lbs recently, otherwise they'll be seen as behind the technology curve. Finally, to use your favourite argument - pros were stringing up to 30lbs when racquets were only rated to 24lbs. What's stopping them going to 35lbs and beyond now?

    Anyway, this is getting a bit off topic so I'll end here. We each have our opinions on stringing tensions and we'll have to agree to disagree on what good advice to amateurs is.
     
  12. Kento

    Kento Regular Member

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    What I will say though is what is one man's meat is another man's poison.
     
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  13. Borkya

    Borkya Regular Member

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    Actually a lot of pro's don't use 30 tension. They keep their below 30. This is an older list from 2016, but I'm sure much of it is still the same.


    • Lee Chong Wei – 30 lbs.
    • Lin Dan – Y 32 lbs, Cross/sideways 31lbs.
    • Viktor Axelsen – 34 lbs
    • Ratchanok Intanon – 30 lbs
    • Hans Kristian Vittinghus – 29 Lbs
    • PV Sindhu – 30 lbs
    • Chris Adcock – 31 lbs Buy one here !
    • Akane Yamaguchi – 27lbs
    • Praveen Jordan – 31 lbs
    • Rajeev Ouseph – 29 lbs
    • Saina Nehwal – BG 65
    • Tan Boon Heong – 31 lbs
    • Greysia Polli – 29 lbs
    • Anthony Ginting – 31 lbs
    • Kenichi Tago – 34 lbs

    So basically the REAL question should be "if not all the pros string to 30 then why should an intermediate amateur player do it?" ;)

    There is a real machismo-ness around string tension. I think people would assume Lin Dan would be stringing at near 40 because we tend to think higher tension=higher skill. Yet, in every interview with a pro player or a stringer about tension, the one thing they say is "tension doesn't equate skill!"

    Obviously you gotta get past the lower 20's with beginners rackets (for the control) but too high tension has caused a lot more pain and injury to people than improving their level by a huge amount. So it's better to take tension increase slowly, and not make it a major part of your improvement strategy because it is not going to give you noticeable improvements in the same way training 20 minutes of footwork everyday will.
     
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  14. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    That 'if' is one heck of an assumption given the number of amateur players out there.

    Even pros get shoulder injuries.
     
  15. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    I don't consider myself a sage, but I'm an experienced coach who works with players from beginner to national level (assisting a "higher-level" coach, mind you; I don't want to give false impressions).

    Coaches like myself make "sweeping statements" because we know they help people. There is a great deal of idiocy surrounding string tensions, and it's not the high-level players who are suffering -- it's the ordinary club players, almost exclusively male, who are influenced by a macho "mine's bigger than yours" culture (as @Borkya said).

    I have no desire to boss players around, and they're free to use whatever tensions they like. There are definitely some amateur players who benefit from 30+lb tensions, but they are in a very small minority and don't need my advice about strings.

    Yonex and other companies exploit amateur players' fantasies of being pro, in order to sell rackets. They are not in the business of looking after players' health.

    I think this series of rackets is utterly ridiculous and perhaps even irresponsible, for the reasons you gave. But like most companies, Yonex will be happy as long as its products sell.
     
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  16. Kento

    Kento Regular Member

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    Yesterday, whilst playing badminton at my leisure club, I spoke with a very experienced coach who has represented England in many events, including the Danish Cup and the Six Nations in the past. I discussed what people have said on this thread against amateurs using high tension strings on their racquets and he concurs with me. His exact words were: " I never advise amateurs against using racquet grips and string tensions of their own choice. Everyone should feel free to be able to come to their own decisions about what they use and it is all part of their learning experience. Yes, it is true that there is a smaller 'sweet' spot when using higher tension strings as compared to lower tensions and this means that shots do not go far when not hit from it as compared to when lower tensions are used where the sweet spot is larger and so more forgiving but there is no reason why even young children using appropriately sized racquets cannot be taught to hit the shuttle consistently correctly using higher tension strings." He went on to say that this is precisely what is happening in China where children as young as 4 or 5 are taught to play in this manner and it is really no wonder that Chinese badminton players dominate the world scene in the way that they do. Incidentally, precisely the same ideology is used by Egyptian coaches when teaching squash to 8 or 9 year-old children when they go for training at academies; they are thoroughly trained to play using correct techniques so that by the time they are 12, some are able to join the professional circuit and compete in competitions against much older opponents and go on to become World Number 1s such as Raneem El-Welily and Nour El-Sherbini have done in the women's game. On August 2, 2009, at 13, Sherbini became the youngest world champion in the history of the sport when she won the women's title at the World Junior squash Championships (U-19).

    Furthermore, he is not the only ex-professional who has said this to me and what they are saying makes sense.

    It is never too soon to start learning to play with precise control and accuracy
     
  17. BadBadmintonPlayer

    BadBadmintonPlayer Regular Member

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    It is indeed a very individual thing. Strength, technique, weather...

    I always play at tournaments and point games with 0,5kg (1lbs) less than during training and feel very comfortable playing with it.
     
  18. MSeeley

    MSeeley Regular Member

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    I am not entirely sure exactly what point you are trying to make with your comments about string tension so I'm going to try and summarise a bit and I'd be interested to hear what you think. Firstly, I think we all agree with you and each other and your coach friend that people can choose to do whatever they want. I think if a players experiments and finds something works for them, then thats great. "Works" for them should be defined as:
    • Feels good when they use it
    • Seems to make better shots consistently without any perceived downside
    • Not too expensive in restringing fees
    • Doesn't result in any injury

    What has irked some of the experienced players here is that you stated in your post that based on viewing a video of someone play, that you can determine that their lack of ability is based on their string tension. Furthermore you specifically recommended that they play with a relatively high tension as a means of improving their badminton. It is that advice, and only that advice, that could be considered contentious. The fact that you think it may be worth them trying a slightly higher string tension as it may feel better is fair enough. I wouldn't disagree with you. Different string tension may work in some cases, but in many cases I would have said greater skill is required primarily, and then people tend to prefer using higher tensions once their skill has evolved (rather than the other way around).

    I think that most of the time if you can play with great technique at 30lbs you can do it with 25 lbs. I actually don't think adding additional tension helps play any shot, except that you might simply play better because you prefer the feel of a string. If I have rubbish strings it plays on my mind and I don't enjoy playing and that makes me play worse. More disturbing than that though, I do know a number of junior and adult players that have started to use a relatively high string tension too quickly and become injured as a result, particularly in the wrist, forearm, elbow, or shoulder.

    What you end up with, after a long time watching and teaching other players, is what is normal and safe for most people. Thats the advice you generally hear from coaches - its the rule of thumb that is generally pretty good all round. If got all good coaches in a room, you'd probably have everyone saying something slightly different, but they'd probably be able to come to a reasonable agreement. I personally know a coach down here in kent that produces outstanding players. Basically all her juniors play with their rackets strung at between 26 and 28 lbs... once they are pretty good (i.e. not the first year or so of playing and trianing, but once their technique is good, then they use that tension). Probable doesn't apply to anyone who isn't 11 or 12 years old yet - normally best to wait for the first growth spurts. The players that start to play international tournaments in their teens then prefer higher tensions than that in some cases (but not all), but all the county kids at whatever age basically use about the same tension. But then again the kids that are smaller and weaker do not have such high tension because they aren't strong enough to wield it.

    Now, what's not exactly clear from your coaches quote is whether he would see someone struggling with their net technique, and then go over and tell them that they need to considerably increase the tension in the strings of their racket. If he is suggesting that, as you seem to have done in your original post, then I would have said he is in the minority of coaches in this country to do so. I don't know of any coach or experienced player that has a problem with someone who plays and trains a lot choosing to use the tension they want. Similarly, I don't know of any coach or experienced player that would recommend an increased tension as a fix for a technique problem. Are you able to clarify what you coaches position was on that? (You may not have discussed it in which case I wouldn't expect you to know).

    A higher tension is capable of producing more power, but takes more strength to use properly too both to produce that power and to withstand the strain that the racket vibrations put through their muscles and joints. So the person has to be ready for it. How do they get ready? They play a lot and get pretty good. The better your technique, implies the more easily you can generate force using a small swing. And its precisely that ability to generate force with a small swing that allows you to withstand the vibrations from the racket. Once you have that technique, its pretty safe to experiment with higher tensions to find something that is nice to use.

    There are exceptions to everything I have just said. Everyone knows an exception, exceptions are normal, but not the same thing works for everyone. I myself learned using a 26lb string tension (starting in university), and I bought a stringing machine and experimented with tensions up to 35lbs. I became so reliant on high tension I then dropped it down to 21lbs for 2 months which was awful... but it taught me a valuable lesson about technique. Nowadays I pull the strings at 32 lbs x 34 lbs, and the strings then stretch after they settle and I play for a bit, and I probably end up with the same tension that someone else would achieve by pulling at 30lbs using a better machine than mine.

    Just to make my position clear: I would probably recommend that beginners use 22 - 24 lbs tension (higher the older they are), intermediates play with 25 - 28 lbs tension, and the regularly competitive and high level players use 28+ lbs tension. I don't know anyone who plays with a higher tension than 31lbs at a county level in my area... once people get good they tend to care less about these things than the new players who are learning the game. And my advice would vary based on using feather and plastic shuttles.

    Anyway, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. I personally think that whatever people want to use is fine. If someone asked my advice I would use the rules of thumb that I outlined just now. But I would never recommend someone increases their tension unless they are clearly using factory strings less than 20 lbs which sounds like garbage.

    Where I completely agree with you is your last statement: it's never too late to improve your technique!
     
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  19. Kento

    Kento Regular Member

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    This is what SimonCarter asked me:

    @Kento when you said to be more deft at the net and cut the shuttle did you mean to kind of slice the shuttle like I tried to do so at some points because it feels like slicing at the net makes me lose a lot of precision (is it only because I am not used to it?).

    Simon, before I answer this point, may I just ask you what racquet, string and tension you are using in match?

    By deft I meant more nimble by using better footwork and by being more aware of what your opponent is likely to do with his return, preempting this by correctly positioning yourself in readiness for the shot you will then play next. He caught you out a few times with his own disguised cut shots after a series of drives from both of you and you were mainly unable to return these adequately.

    I am going to say that from watching the video, it is true that you did slice at the net but I believe the fact that you are not used to it is only part of the issue here, though of course, you will need to keep on practicing this by boldly incorporating this into your matches until it starts to feel 'right' and 'clicks' into your game plan..

    More importantly, from the video evidence, I do not believe you are using the correct string (at the correct tension) that allows you to do this with the best precision.



    As can be seen from my words above, I am advocating practicing playing the slice until it clicks but the 'this' I am referring to it is the point SimonCarter is making about the loss of precision (control of the placement of the shuttle) viz: it feels like slicing at the net makes me lose a lot of precision.

    I have said that he will need to use the correct string at the correct tension, by which I mean that if the 24.5lb tension he is currently using is not allowing the sort of precision that he needs (as suggested by his words) then up it to 30lbs and have a go at using that whilst of course, still practicing the physical aspects of the slice shot over and over again.

    In this way, not only is he getting adequate practice but is also using a higher tension on the strings for precision of placement.

    In my honest opinion, by doing both things in tandem with one another, i believe he will be able to overcome his deficiency in this area of his game.

    So you see, I never did recommend an increased tension as a fix for a technique problem
     
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  20. SimonCarter

    SimonCarter Regular Member

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    Hello guys,

    I have started working on my stance, my net game and my serve (switching back to forehand high serve until it gets better). Still a lot of work to do. I am playing coming back from slight leg pain so no good progress has been done.
    I will probably go up in tension up to 26.5 but not higher yet. I expect no miracle from it of course. But my net game feels bouncy for sure while i feel like i dont need to push myself to clear (except long cross court backhand clear to some extent)
    I agree that going up tension can be prone to injuries and one must be careful when doing so.
    @Kento i did not feel pushed to go on super high tension plus i knew about the risks of doing so with improper techniques but I think what everybody is trying to say is that you should probably mention that one should go up step by step and be careful not to push himself too much while going up tension.
     

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