Singles tactics (drives, flat game)

Usually you first get a read on your opponent, if you haven't yet. I'd use attacking clears when the opponent has difficulty doing the backwards movement (or is easily worn out), especially if I get on the shuttle early. The same with drives. Some singles players are just uncomfortable with them. Even in the pro scene. LXR used a great deal of it against WYH back in the day.

 

If you were to use one at all, then it means you want to increase the pace of the rally.

That is not a problem, it just means you will play your attacking clear or drive as low as possible to avoid an early interception. By as low as possible, this will vary against different opponents. Some are always ready to intercept backwards and are able to play any response back to an attacking clear, including a angled, accurate smash whilst you're still moving back so you'd hit it a little higher, or be prepared for a quick reply. Others may only use a slow backhand/step out footwork (in which case you can REALLY) push them around the court and make it quite flat.

You do need VARIETY though. If you always use attacking clears, a smart opponent will realise he never needs to move all the way to the back of the court, and he will only use jump out and scissor round-the-head footwork, saving him energy and getting the shuttle early. If you mix in standard clears, he now has to think about full 3 step footworks to the back line, or neutral shots in general. If you mix in some drives, he now has to think about 1 step Footworks to avoid moving too far out of position. Your hope is that you find a weakness where e.g. he doesn't like going all the way to the back, and by using 1-2 step footworks, he can never get behind the shuttle, so you know he can't smash/drop with angle. Or e.g. he only takes 3 steps to move back all the time, so he gets cramped with bad balance, making direction changes extra difficult.

Singles is about patience and out-manoeuvering your opponent. The height of your clears/drives gives you the time/pace/tempo aspect to try and get him to mistime his split step, move too far, not move enough, or simply unbalance him by testing whether he uses the correct footwork.

All of the shots will land in the same place if left untouched, but they clearly get there in different times, so instead of just thinking of using shot placement around the court for variety, you can use tempo as well.

 

It can mean either.

Gillian Clark (very popular commentator) often uses the phrase ''injection of pace", normally referring to a shot or series of shots within a rally where suddenly the pace was increased by a player. This often wins them a point since the opponent was not able to adjust within the rally.

Sometimes the commentators say, "player X has upped the tempo - they're definitely playing faster now", and that often refers to the player increasing the pace for the rest of the game.

Both are useful strategies and depend on the opponent you play. Lin Dan was able to play at an EXTREMELY high tempo in his peak, and one of his signature traits was being able to suddenly drop the pace, then speed it up within 3-4 shots in a single rally. Breaking your opponents rhythm is quite useful, especially if their preferred natural tempo is faster than yours! Other times, if maintaining a high tempo is enough to win by itself, and the opponent does nothing to try and slow the game down, then it's worth playing at a higher tempo for the rest of the match. Playing at a slower tempo is also useful sometimes - Lin Dan's play more recently (2012 onwards) shows a more controlled game which can really put off players who are used to out-pacing their opponents. You have to much better racquet skill, consistency, and accuracy to pull of playing at a slower tempo, but if you manage it, your opponent can feel like they're out of rhythm and they're playing against a brick wall.

 

Just a note to say that playing faster is usually moving much faster (i.e. bigger effort to get the shuttle very early) and this may be combined with faster or slower shots. A higher tempo of rally means faster movement, but may not necessarily mean "fast" shots like drives. Taking the shuttle earlier than expected normally does the trick!

 

Agree with the first half - playing faster = faster movement, shots may be faster or slower. Appears to contradict your second sentence - I took high tempo to mean the actual shots, rather than the movement, but you've said tempo is related to movement, not shot selection.

I think for example, a player can play faster than their opponent, but at a slower tempo. Meaning they get to shots very early, but they are not necessarily playing smashes/drops/drives/attacking clears. Equally you have have a player slower than their opponent, but playing a high tempo game.

Therefore, i see playing faster as always advantageous within a rally, but can be detrimental for a match/tournament for energy expenditure, whereas playing high/lower tempo is not necessarily better or worse - it depends on the opponent, since everyone has an optimal tempo/rhythm of play.

 

Yeah there is probably a useful distinction to be made. For me, playing at a higher tempo means moving faster, so that my shots come faster. I may actually be playing the same shots though i.e. lifting with the same speed as previously, but taken earlier means a faster pace of rally. Whereas I am not actually hitting it faster or flatter, but it arrives sooner.

I would think of a high tempo rally is one where both players are moving fast. Now, it's normally the case when they move fast they also hit fast. I have had conversations with people who can say "higher tempo" and mean either faster movement, or faster shots or both.

I think its useful to distinguish increased speed of movement compared with increased speed of shot. Anyhoo - I agree with your point which is two players may be moving slow and hitting fast or vice versa etc. Worth noting that hitting faster shots requires faster recovery movement to match.

I agree with your sentiment about moving fast and playing at a fast tempo etc - always useful to be early, and whether you play fast or slow depends on what the opponent enjoys.

 

Generally, it is worth increasing the tempo of a rally when you are ahead in the rally i.e. your opponent is later in recovery than he should be - either not prepared to recover, or in a sub-optimal base position. This is because the following same strokes are likely to be more manageable for you whereas it will stretch your opponent more. E.g. it is much easier to play an attacking clear if you are nicely behind the shuttle, than when you're flying backwards. It doesn't mean you won't be able to return it, but it increases the chance your opponent will make an error.

Pushing an "advantage" can be you at the front, where you take the shot earlier and earlier and play increasingly flatter so your opponent is less likely to be able to play a smash or even clear (allowing you to push forward even more until you get a kill). This could be you at the back, playing punch clears, drives, and fast drops until you opponent pops up a short lift for you to kill.

Changing the tempo in general is useful if you are in a stalemate on neutral rallies too (where neither side has an "advantage" in time. I wouldn't call it "randomly", but I suppose the idea is to add variety.

You might also choose to increase the tempo if you are in a situations where you are losing a lot, and you just need to change strategy. Effectively an all or nothing play. E.g. you have been caught out of position, and you gamble that your opponent will play to a corner - you can either neutralise it (high lift) and reset the rally, or you can double down and perhaps flip the tables by counter driving/counter smashing.