Han Jian The greatest of them all

I think his footwork is good because he play soccer before the age of 16!

But there is no right or wrong depends on how u look at it! Not a clear right!

 

There are two things that Han Jian can claim to be better than the best. One is his footwork, which is almost legendary, even among the Chinese team at that time. In long distance runs he would always end up last among the national team players, but on the court he could easily outlast all of his team mates-hallmark of excellent footwork. The second was his consistency. In his 9 years of international competitions he had always managed to reach no less than the quarter-finals in all tournaments he played in. Reaching the semi-finals and the finals was the rule, quarter-finals the exception. His footwork was the key to such consistency. Why can't HH be half as consistent? Past great players like Punch Gunalan, Raszif Sidek and Park Joo-bong talked in awe of his footwork.

 

Athough I have never met him, I heard his footwork is second to none. Many people thought he was unbeatable. Some friends who got lots of tips from him shared with me some of the basic footwork.

But I found during my time, Yang Yang and Rudy Hartono to be the greatest. Yang Yang, a left hander like LD, was almost difficult to beat -- he can call in the extra reserve when required. Of course, he too had that big jumping smash. Rudy Hartono was the toughest -- that is why he is 8 times ALL-England Champion (I think). Rudy was particulary sharp with his acute angle drop smash (not a hard smash but always hard to retrieve) -- a game between him and Tan Aik Huang in a Thomas Cup match in Malaysia, he beat Tan Aik Huang easily (Aik Huang's younger brother told me Aik Huang said it was hell playing Rudy -- he said Rudy was so fit and can play rallies as well as smash).

The impressions they made are indelible and if you ask me whether today's players are better than yesteryears, I would have to say yesteryears (or at least the time when I saw these players play).

 

Being a fan of players from yesteryears I too would want to believe that Han Jian's footwork are technically and functionally on not only par but even better than dominant players of today game such as Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei, Taufik Hidayat to name a few...

 

All top players today have good footwork but the real test is to do this with the minimal amount of energy in a prolonged match. There were other players during Han Jian's time with very good footwork but they had a heavier demand on energy. Han Jian's footwork was a bit different in that he made use of gravity to allow his body to move forward or backwards instead of propelling it with his legs. It is a bit like falling with your right foot when you lunge at the net. It is much faster and it saves tons of energy. Just like in football where the ball always travel faster than you can run or dive, a falling type of lunge will always get you to the shuttle faster and earlier than the fastest pair of legs in the world.

 

rofl.

An oldie 60+ year old World Chinese MS Champion just called Han Jian as very good stayer with very strong legs but not much explosive movement an so-so footwork. Comparable to Roslin Hashim, he said the two of them would have a great match playing each other. Can't touch Zhao Jian Hua tho.

But that's just his opinion I suppose.

It's great to play a singles match at a non stop constant pace for 2 hours... but what's the point if the match is over in 20 minutes.

 

I must admit that I do have a habit of skimming very long post just a little too fast. However, on a less busy day like today, I've managed to properly redegist your very well written essay and must agree with many points you have stated. I must say however that of late... Lee Chong Wei seems to be displaying more of that 'tactical timing retrieval' you mentioned so passionately.

Cheers.

 

I never seen any of this old timer play… 1st watch badminton when player like Rashid, ardy & Zhao Jian Hua start playing. I would say old timer are good at their time, not in this generation but their contribution to the development of badminton is 2nd to none.

 

Just wonder, why people like to compare players 20years ago with current player. What do your guys expect? Condemning the old-generation or show those old guy that they have expired their glory days?

 

That's an interesting comparison that I've never heard anyone else make before. I would find it hard to accept that haha But that's just me.

I would agree that both are relentless retrieving machines... but not similar in method nor means but of similar heart & determination.

I also did not realize the diving save was perfected by Han Jian. Are you sure?

 

I have to agree very much with you that it is their contribution that we should salute.

 

Yes, I do actually feel like that everytime I participate in these discussion I inadvertently have to 'condemn' these past heroes for not being superior than their contemporary counterparts. It is not their fault that the game has developed further but their time has passed.

 

That explains alot

I have a hard time swallowing the statement that Lee chong Wei's defensive nature can be fully credited to Yang Yang & Han Jians tutolage.

Of course these elders came before Lee Chong Wei and have in one way or the other contributed to the development of the retrieval game. Even their presence especially Han Jian's duration of stay in Malaysia must have had some effect.

However I am more to believe that the level of defense of Lee Chong Wei and other badminton players of today's game are better understood as the result of the surgence of high level attacking play (in the playing field as a whole) in the late 90's which was counteracted with further development of the defensive level of play which became quite noticeable in the early 2000's.

I believe succesfull attackers like Taufik Hidayat and Peter Gade was noted of making such observations in the mentioned period.

 

Zhao JianHua footwork is just excellent in my opinion. To summarize he was excellent is almost every department excepting fitness, the reason for his inconsistent performances.

Tang Xin Fu's footwork is considered the best - powerful, agile and fast. Can switch/re-arrange very quickly under different game situations. Once I saw him returning a very low fast drop - almost reaching the floor and the next moment returning a smash to the backhand side sideline. That was an extremely high level of footwork, done seemingly without much effort.

Han Jian was a great player. Footwork wise is very good though a bit unorthodox. In my opinion other than Tang XinFu, Hou JiaChang, Chen Tian Cheung, Chen Tian Long, Zhao JianHua, Yang Yang from the Chinese side are definitely superior. I consider Morten Frost footwork better than Han Jian's.

What I think is Han Jian adapted the way he moves perfectly to his playing style.

 

Thank you for sharing your observation. I will definitely make it a point to find videos of Tang Xinfu and the others mentioned to better appreciate their footwork.

Yes, Morten Frost footwork was very good. I remember hearing that ONLY Zhao Jian Hua and another player (Can't remember name or there is no other player ) could send him fumbling the wrong way in a few instances only.

That is indeed a very impressive and advance feat to accomplish. Perhaps Tang Xinfu and Lin Dan are both also very exceptional athletes.

This may explain a little why he still looks so full of vigour in the recent Hong Kong Open 2007 pictures.

 

I would say is their contribution that makes today games develop firstly as a benchmark players than as a coach or maybe a chairman for a club. They might lose 21-0 to the current player but theri contribution is too great to be ignore.

 

Oh! This is a neverending story because we are comparing something that are 40 years old to a new stuff. Some more the 40years things has expired. Only God knows.

 

Can you tell me how much changed in badminton, footwork wise in these 40 years? Patterns, training methodology, etc

You might want to watch how the top Chinese players in the 60's performed their footwork compared with today's players. You may then invoke your god again.

Furthermore, Chen Tian Long, Han Jian, Yang Yang, Zhao Jian Hua, Morten Frost were all about from the same era. Tang Xin Fu and Hou Jia Chang are older but still trained with Han Jian, though at that time they were semi-retired as players.