There are many discussions and books on techniques and in almost all cases, the authors do not make distinctions between singles and doubles. My instinct tells me there is a difference, some techniques that work best for singles might not give the same results for doubles. Maybe the variations are not big, but just to be sure......I want to ask your opinions on this topic.
what kind of techniques are u talking about? like shot placement? or how to hit the bird? what shots to make when u are in what position? i personally think that doubles and singles are different, the way u hit the bird usually is different and their is a different variety of shots in each game but everything u do in singles u can do in doubles but not everything u do in doubles u can do in singles, doubles is such a complicated game while singles runs on more technique physical game and doubles is more mental then singles....shot wise i find myself just on the reach of the shots for singles but for doubles i have alot more time to prepare myself get in the spot for teh shot
I never really understood the physics in this, but in singles you want a fast smash, in doubles you want a hard and heavy smash (opponent will have trouble lifting the bird).
techniques? you gotta be more specific... it could be you mean tactics, placement, swing-style, arc (ie: stick-smash?), grip, rotation, serve...
Well, here's my take: Smash Singles - must be accurate, since you're mostly aiming towards the edges of the court, you want to get those difficult angles Doubles - aimed towards body parts like hips, shoulder and head. A bit more emphasis on power since you're not moving them around quite as much Clear Very important in singles to move opponent around, not used all that much in doubles Drop More emphasis on placement in singles, whereas for doubles it is a variation of the smash, so deception is important Drive Important in doubles, less important in singles Return of Smash Lots of drive returns in doubles, in singles net return is more effective Movement Base to corner movement in singles, lateral movement in doubles Generally, doubles is played as more of a pressure game, where you pressure the opponent into making mistakes by pressing the attack on them. In singles, fatigue and focus is more of an issue, so it tends to be more of a grinding game where you try to wear your opponent out to force weak shots.
Thanks stumblingfeet for your comprehensive coverage of the differences. I like to add few more, what about the grip and the smashing techniques? Here is what I think the differences are: 1. Grip - In singles, the fingers are doing most of the work wheareas in doubles, its the palm. 2. Smashing - In singles, relax the wrist and then tighten the grip upon point of contact. In doubles, the grip remains tight from start to end. I am saying this because it seems in doubles, players are always gripping the racquets tight at all times...not sure I am making sense here...
Actually, that is true in some aspects with the grip issue. But in doubles the grip on the racket is slightly higher than singles. The higher your grip, the less time it takes for you to swing your racket around to defend. Doubles changes offense to defense quite quickly, so it's essential to get the grip right. And adding to Stumblingfeet's comments, driving is, well, not just "less important", it's pretty much useless unless it's driving to an open area of a court where the opponent is not at. But all in all, he did nail it.
Afraid I don't agree with any of this Although there are some differences in grip between singles and doubles, I do not believe that the fundamental biomechanics of the strokes change. The fingers are relevant for all power strokes, although the hitting action with which they are used may vary (say, between a smash and a net kill). Players should not grip the racket tightly except when they are hitting the shuttle, where a sudden tightening of the fingers will produce extra power. Note that the fingers cannot be tightened on impact unless they are relaxed prior to impact! The technique that you describe for singles should be used in doubles too; whereas the technique that you describe for doubles should never be used
I think the main difference in grip between singles and doubles is that you're more likely to hold the racquet higher up in doubles when playing at the net, whereas in singles you may keep a longer grip for the added reach.
Yes, many singles players prefer to keep a long grip at the net, although some prefer a short grip for certain strokes.
I prefer for power smash long grip, for stick smash short grip At the net in single long, in doubles short grip
i hold the grip the same all the time o.0 i dont chang4e at all nomatter i am playing isngles or doubles, makes not much difference for me excpet i screw up when i change the grip hahaha, a shorter grip doesnt work for me, i always miss the sweetspot which makes me not able to smash and changing grips in game is too much thinking for me haha
i think the finger does all the work in singles comment by one of you guys is very true for me. I notice many times I become out of position in singles and my fingers does a lot of work, eg smashing without the arm and shoulder, placing the shuttle cunningly etc a little vague here but the finger is probably working as a result of my wrist flicking.
Singles defense Hello I've been searching the archives, but can't find anything on this. I find topics that mention singles and defense separately. If this has been discussed before, please post the link. I've been watching some matches recently and I'm trying to see what the difference between the singles and doubles defense stance is. In the match between Kenneth Jonassen and Lin Dan in the 2004 Thomas cup, Jonassen's defense is excellent. In singles, the stance seems to be more angled, while in doubles it's more (but not fully) square. Can anyone give me an explanation of the two stances, if they are, in fact, different? Thanks a lot!
In singles, you have more area to cover per person (100%) as compared to doubles (50%). As a result, in singles, probably the best smash location is along the sides (lateral movement makes it so that they have to move more and so that they have to get to a farther distance in a short amount of time), which are difficult for defense. As a result, you cannot stand too straight and/or expect a smash right at you, so you must be prepared to move for a smash, even to the point of diving (as Lin Dan does so much). Also, you'll probably be dropping their smash if possible, in order to make them move from the back of the court all the way to the front. However, in doubles, when you're being smashed, you don't want to drop the smash, as they probably have someone right there to finish off bad/weak returns. Instead, you want to either drive it past the front person or clear it over their head. You also won't be moving much (in terms of feet movement) when being smashed, as you and your partner should be standing side/side, forming a wall, so you won't have to lean and reach or dive for a smash, so you'll stand slightly more square. Those are my ideas, but I'm no pro, so can anyone provide some more stuff to help answer?
Technique When you recieve a smash or a drop, and you want to drop, you can't slice or hit the birdie too high because there is already somebody in front of you but in singles, he has to move, so if you are less precise on drops, its still good. The blindspots are the opposite .. when you smash, its the middle that you have to aim (works better i think) and in singles, its better to aim the sides also, it varies because you prolly dont move as much as in singles because you hit (approx) 50% of the birdies, (nvm if you hit fast i.e drives) gotta be very precise, but since the field is bigger, its also easier to put it in alot.. more of and sometimes, if i dont precise, i talk about doubles
