questions about techniques..

1. Letting your hand swing back can sometimes cause you to over rotate and be put off balance, bringing your hand into your chest allows you to be more balanced

2. Should start with your dominant foot forward when you serve (right leg for you). Not doing so will restrict your movement to your backhand side

3. Tensing your wrist will restrict the range of movement you will have with your wrist at the net, preventing you from performing the slightly more delicate touches like double action shots

4. Yeah it can sometimes matter, at the net like you mentioned, and if you smash with a loose grip you could even let go of your racket!

 

Good answers from above. I will add a few points:

1. Great explanation
2. I would agree that dominant foot forwards is more common, but given the tiny backswing necessary, I don't think having the non racket foot forwards is an issue. I personally feel that if you are well balanced, and can move quickly to the next shot (without being hampered), then you are fine. However... in singles, because there is more pressure to move, racket foot forwards is probably better... so on review - if you are learning - try racket leg forwards to start
3. I will also add that I think tensing your wrist may give you less "feeling" on just regular shots. Double actions are mentioned which definitely require relaxation, but regular shots will be helped if everything, including wrist and fingers are relaxed. It simply helps to judge the shots. I think this is pretty much exactly what was stated above! Note: we are both talking about a backhand serve - a forehand serve is different and in general not as good.
4. In general, starting with a softer grip is normal, and the more powerful the shot, the harder you grip "at impact" - so for a smash, you grip powerfully at impact - note you don't "tense" up, but grip "hard". I can't really think of another way of explaining it. Your grip should relax again after the shot is played. Around the net, you start soft, and because you don't need power, you don't need to grip hard - as stated by kenzo.

Hope that has answered your question.

 

How did I know that you of all people would misinterpret that . Movement to the backhand side for the return of serve, not the range of motion you have in your backhand side.

 

Kenzo - haha! You are right! Doh Regardless, my point still stands, I dont think it matters which leg is forwards, because as your opponent hits the shuttle, you would split (presumably) - this is with your dominant foot forwards (normally). Therefore, I don't see an issue with having the other foot forwards if its comfortable!

 

I find that the safest scenario for NOT having your dominant foot forward is if you are sure you won't have to use "backhand footwork", aka, turn left and hit a backhand. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the non-dominant foot forward, as there are too many cons/risks and no benefits.

 

I really don't think it's a big deal which foot is forward when serving. If you watch videos of pro doubles players, you'll see some with the right foot forward, some left foot forward, and some feet together. But you'll see all of them do a split step after they serve; what counts is being in the right position by the time the receiver hits the shuttle.

 

I'd certainly hope so seeing as there are some left handed pro doubles players.

Yeah get used to it, non-racket foot forwards is almost always a disadvantage

 

Certainly it is more common for backhand serves
Not many male players using the forehand serve nowadays, but lots of womens singles players still use it.

Personally i agree with this video, but I think as long as the quality is good, then its probably fine (hence practice practice practice )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iinFT878Zs

edit: although the "rules" he mentions are a bit out of date now.

 

It's worth distinguishing between singles and doubles here.

In doubles, it seems most professionals serve (backhand) with the racket foot forwards. However, you will also see plenty who serve with the non-racket foot forwards, or both feet level.

In singles, all professional players have the racket foot forwards when they serve backhand (go on, find me a counter-example! ).

Among professionals, you will only see forehand serves in singles these days (never doubles). Forehand seves always have the non-racket foot in front.

 

Shon Wan Ho.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-DaZ3jhZGI
However - i am cheating slightly he serves with left foot forwards when standing on the left, and right foot forwards when on the right. This is probably a tactical thing regarding his movement - perhaps he favours having racket leg backwards when the shuttle is on the right (as he looks at it) of his opponents court.

It is unusual I will grant you, and I would NOT be able to find another example Hence, the ammendment "all (but one - half of the time) professional players" is probably fair.

 

Splendid! Thank you Matt.

Would you say that he normally serves with his left foot forwards in the left service court? Scanning through that video, I found:

• Left @ 1:54
• Right @ 2:38
• Right @ 5:13
• Right @ 6:49
• Right @ 9:40
• Right @ 10:28
• Right @ 11:15
• Right @ 13:27
• Right @ 14:57

I haven't watched Shon Wan Ho in any other game, so this is a small sample.

Based on that sample, however, my guess is this: his normal stance is "right foot forwards". He put his left foot forwards as an educated gamble, anticipating that LCW would return serve to his backhand net corner (or perhaps forehand rear corner).

I don't know how he worked that out, or how confident he was; but he was correct!

(By the way, there's a wonderful deceptive net shot in the rally starting @ 14:35 )

 

I was really impressed when I watched Shon Wan Ho play this game - he played an extremely simple brand of singles, with good, clean, simple technique.

In other matches, he does serve with left foot forwards, from the odd court, every so often. You are correct - it is not regular, but something he does every now and then. I seem to remember it being more regular in this game, but you are correct, he doesn't do it as often as I thought - perhaps I was thinking of having seen him in a variety of matches. Unfortunately, a lot of his serves from that side are not televised, because they miss the serve of that rally by showing a replay of the previous point. However, in other games (e.g. against chen jin) he does do this every so often - I can't tell how often though :s (because of the replays)

One thought: It is fairly common for him to split with left foot forwards during a rally when the shuttle is on his forehand side (but on his opponents side of the net obviously), so perhaps he is trying to angle his feet to cover three corners (the two straight corners and one cross court drop corner) - something done to a certain degree by lots of players (although you don't normally see non racket foot forwards - more both feet parallel when the shuttle is on their forehand side during their split step). Perhaps he is serving with his feet like this, because this is how he likes to prepare to move when the shuttle is on his forehand side.

Anyhoo Its a small example, but there is someone who does it sometimes! Like you say, it seems to be an "every so often thing", rather than the norm.