train with a light racquet and play with a heavier one or vice versa?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Togey, Jun 2, 2005.

  1. Togey

    Togey Regular Member

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    It makes more sense to train with a heavier racquet so u can biuld up the muscles and then play with a lighter to produce more power. Or does it work the other way around?
     
  2. DSAS6

    DSAS6 Regular Member

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    no the first one is right i suppose
     
  3. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    A friend of mine did that by experimenting with a heavier racquet, he would practice with a heavy old racquet he borrowed from his wife and then play mainly with his regular AT700. He used the heavier racuqet with any games with lesser skilled opponents and used his main racquet for serious games. What he found out was that he could swing the lighter racquet faster, but it screwed up his timing. So his fast drives and net game would be faster after the switch, but his overhead strokes would suffer. This happens every time he made the switch. So after intermittently using both racquets for awhile, he came to the conclusion that yes it builds up the forearm muscles but the muscles can never get used to the different swing weight quick enough whenever he made the switch. In the end, he felt that it's better to just stick with one racquet and get used to it.
     
  4. macca

    macca Regular Member

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    i dont agree with changing the racquets around at all. If you play enough your muscles will build up over time. I have two racquets at the moment, a yonnex one that weighs around 100g and a carlton airblade lite which weighs around 85g. If i switch between the two i loose form totaly for a while. I find it much easier if you stick with the one racquet. If you want to build your muscles up go down a gym for a month or 2
     
  5. pengu1ns

    pengu1ns Regular Member

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    I agree with macca, playing two weights is not going to help your game at all, because your brain is trying to get used to two ways of playing. When your playing a reaction shot, if your brain gets it wrong, youre going to hit the shuttle too hard or soft, either way thats no good.
    If you become very good with one weight, strength will come with experience and technique, as will speed and stamina, so there are no real reasons for messing yourself about with two very different weights
     
  6. sessyargc

    sessyargc Regular Member

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    it will all depends on how fast you adapt to the change. changing racket weights affects your timing adversely unless you have trained intesively on both rackets.
     
  7. Nephrus

    Nephrus Regular Member

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    I started playing badminton with a really heavy 12 dollar raquet, and it built up my arm muscles pretty well giving me a good swing power over my friends at an early stage. I think that its good to start with a heavy raquet from a total beginner then once you get the basics done you can move onto a lighter (serious) raquet.
     
  8. Dill

    Dill Regular Member

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    The idea behind the heavier racket thing is through your swing you have to generate racket head speed which enables you to hit the shuttle hard using whatever speed swing and body motion you use.

    We are all different in our playing style, but all the same in the regards that we all need to get a good speed in the racket head to enable us to hit the shuttle faster, further and harder.

    YOu should not train all the time with a heavier racket but you should either train with a hevier racket or your normal racket with the cover on (only those covers that cover the head of the racket) so that the added resistance builds up your muscles and when you go back to using your normal racket you automatically feel the difference in power you have over what you had.


    Try it and see


    On the other hand the extreme end of the scale is people training with squash rackets for exactly the same thing but they are overly heavy in my opinion and might cause injury if the technique is wrong.
     
  9. Yodums

    Yodums Regular Member

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    Similarly to Dill's idea, I don't think the idea of using a heavier racquet should be taken into consideration before a crucial match or event.

    I think the process of using say a squash racquet should be used in the "training periods." The professionals here use it during their training sessions or badminton off-season to further build the muscles of their forearms and strength.

    I think the timing of their shots would be greatly affected if they went from squash or heavy racquet to a badminton racquet.
     
  10. Dill

    Dill Regular Member

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    Indeed, it is for a tailored training solution only, hence the try it and see.

    when you change back to your main racket its almost as if it is not there and the power you generate is amazing.

    If you try it with a squash racket then move back to your own normal badminton racket you will be hitting the shuttle about 4 foot out hte back of the court all the time once your timing is back.

    I would not try this before a game as the time taken to get the proper timing back could well easily cost you the first game if it were 3 to 15.

    For organised training sessions only
     

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