Proper Smashing

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by TourSpEdition, May 12, 2003.

  1. TourSpEdition

    TourSpEdition Regular Member

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    I've seen lotsa ppl smashing out with their arms(toward muscle area) flipped a little the move their wrist!
    Its not that i say its wrong way, but still it will make your smash less power though more accurate

    Proper Smashing --= Raise your racquet holding hand and swing it forward (yes,above your head of course) when its near the shuttle flick your wrist..

    Hope this helps !

    btw. im back ~! :D :D :D
     
  2. Joanne

    Joanne Regular Member

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    Don't really get what you mean... flip a little the move their wrist???
     
  3. SmashingBird

    SmashingBird Regular Member

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    hahaha...i dun get wut u r talkin about either...wut muscle area?... i know ppl who haf muscle on their wrist , fingers, thumb....
     
  4. wilfredlgf

    wilfredlgf Regular Member

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    Horizontal Positioning

    Hello people.

    I've read quite a few threads on smashing and I found that all (the ones that I have read so far, anyway...) spoke about getting the behind the shuttle, and hitting it just in front of you.

    Somehow, no mention was made about the horizontal positioning, ie should you meet the shuttle on the right (if you are a right hander), in the middle or to the left? (No... not the left... then you'd play it over around the head... :D)

    Middle? Over the shoulder? A little to the side of the shoulder? Dead centre?

    Would those with opinions please stand up, please stand up...
     
  5. odjn

    odjn Regular Member

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    I think i know what he means.....I think.

    The motion or form he's talkin about, is like when your throwing a birdie with your racket hand. When you throw the birdie, you first pull your arm back, then point your elbow up toward the ceiling, then extend your arm, then flick your wrist to throw the birdie. Most people don't flick there wrist when thorwing a birdie but...ur supposed to if your pretending to hold a bad. racket. So yeah...

    Of course, the elbow should drop down toward your neck, my coach told me to keep your elbow up and pointing toward the trajectory.
     
  6. bluejeff

    bluejeff Regular Member

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    So complicated..........but anyway, smash is a smash.
     
  7. SmashingBird

    SmashingBird Regular Member

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    so is he posting to tell us how to smash?...lol... i first thought he was asking how how to smash...hahaha.....
     
  8. TourSpEdition

    TourSpEdition Regular Member

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    lol

    yea! its sumthin like odjn said

    cuz its hard to explain so, sorry if make ya all confused :rolleyes:
     
  9. trapped-never

    trapped-never Regular Member

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    Re: Horizontal Positioning

    If it would continue on it's path then it should land on your nose
     
  10. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    Well, we did have a thread not too long ago that discussed the shuttle position relative to the body like the hands on a clock (the old-fashioned kind, before digital). Our conclusion was that if 12 o'clock was straight up overhead and before 12:00 was to your left and after 12:00 was to your right, the best place for power and angle to meet the shuttle was at 1:00 for right handers and 11:00 for lefties, meaning above the end of your shoulder.

    If you contact the shuttle directly over your head, you would get a better downward angle, but you wouldn't be able to use the muscles as efficiently for power.
     
  11. Fourcas

    Fourcas Regular Member

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    wrist power......

    ??flick your wrist??? What do you mean TS?


    You don't use "wrist power" when you smash - the only thing you actually use your wrist to do is to correct direction of shuttle or if you intend to cut .....actually i wouldn't recommend that either. I'd much rather rotate my racket grip when my racket is pointing down/to the back of the court.

    What you think of when you write "flick your wrist" better be the pronation of your lower arm, as your wrist doesn't really generate any power.

    I didn't mean to offend you, and if your meaning was completely different i apologize for misinterpretating you.
     
  12. Joanne

    Joanne Regular Member

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    I usually contact the shuttle directly over my head, it does have a better downward angle. And usually that's good enough for me, because I don't really need strength for smashes... yet anyway. I don't need such strong ones... usually the downward angle kills the shuttle.
     
  13. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    not too sure about that, have you seen any world class games? or even no class games (me). they flick their wrist and the shuttle is on th efloor before you even know it, stroke play in badminton is all about the wrist.the swing does generate moe power for a smash, but drives are all wrist,and pros can hit them faster than i smash,defence strokes-if you take swing then the shuttle will be dead,they are also mostly wrist.top players will be able to flick a shuttle from baseline to baseline all with wrist.

    when smashing the wrist develops power and helps to get the smash steeper, a final flick of the wrist,imagine when you are smashing, do the motion now....., you will find the arm where the point of contact with shuttle is made is trvelling horizontal or a narrow angle downwards. This would make a shuttle travel out. If you then combine the wrist movement at the point of contact this vector creates a high angle downward (~70 degrees) if you combine the two the shuttle will travel downward fast. This can only be achieved with the shuttle being made contact with at the highest point you can,this maximises the downward angle you can achieve. Example of this-have you noticed when pros at the back they use big swings(more across motion,due to needing shallower angle.). however when they are neare the front the guy at the net can just take step back and jump, pop his wrist downward dropping the shuttle near the service line.
    Problems occuring:

    - hitting the net: a number of problems, hiiting shuttle too low, not in proper position
    hitting long: not enough wrist downward.

    It is better (in my opinion) to hit a steep smash not quite as quick, a fast smash is more inconsistent, a shallow one can easily be blocked over the net,surrendering the attack. A steep smash can put the opponent off balance (as he is moving forward), forces them to lift again(lift in the sense that they are hitting from below net level.).
     
  14. Mag

    Mag Moderator

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    So it's time for the old "wrist" discussion again, eh?

    Fourcas is correct. What might look like a flick of the wrist is in fact forearm pronation at work. This is the motion that generates most power. The optimal angle (from a power-generating point of view) between racquet shaft and forearm is about 135 degrees -- if memory serves me right. This has been known since the seventies, when Canadian (!) scientists put forward photographic evidence at an IBF conference. Before that, coaches talked a lot about "wrist action", and the general belief was that a flick of the wrist was what generated that extra power. The players knew better, of course -- albeit unconsciously.

    Flicking the wrist would only be meaningful if the angle between racquet shaft and forearm was 180 degrees, ie racquet pointing in the same direction as the forearm. That is how many beginners start out. That angle makes pronation impossible. In fact, it is a movement that is likely to cause injury in the long run.
     
    #14 Mag, May 13, 2003
    Last edited: May 13, 2003
  15. Fourcas

    Fourcas Regular Member

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    James,

    Allow me to disagree. If you try now....put your elbov on the table. Lock your wrist with the other hand, Then flick your wrist....if you do this with full power..and a racket in your hand...you could hurt yourself. And i don't think that you hit the shuttle that way anyway......
    Instead take a look on your lower arm; from elbov to the wrist. When striking the shuttle you either pronate or subinate, thus generating power.

    Admittedly, you can use your wrist, but not for power. Try looking at you arm while hitting.


    well, MAg....you beat me....arrrghhh :D
     
  16. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    fair enough admit defeat, why does everyone bang on about wrist strenghtth then? is that why my wrist hurts sometimes when i play?
     
  17. Fourcas

    Fourcas Regular Member

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    James,

    I used to use my wrist more aswell. Esp. on those cross court cut drops. I injured my hand on that stroke....took some time before i could play again....one good advise could be to change grip a bit..rotate the racket some degrees.......
     
  18. mlvezina

    mlvezina Regular Member

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    James,

    Pretend that you are throwing a baseball to a friend...the move starts with your elbow leading, then your forearm and finally a wrist flick as your forearm pronates (a move quite similar to a badminton clear or smash depending on where you aim).

    Likely your arm was very relaxed as you did this...

    Now, did that wrist flick occur on its own as a result from the outward transfer of momentum from upper arm to forearm and lastly to wrist/hand (very likely) ? Or did it involve muscular action on the part of your wrist (not likely unless you're a beginner baseball player) ?

    From an outside observer's point of view, it is difficult to tell whether the wrist flick is a natural consequence of the forces of physics involved or of muscular action as they may look the same from afar. Since the latter explanation will sound more intuitive to most, that may contribute to the confusion.

    Cheers,

    Mike
     
  19. Joanne

    Joanne Regular Member

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    I remember my wrist used to hurt A LOT last time, the next day after I played badminton... then when I started training with this new coach first thing he taught was correct grip... so now my wrist doesn't hurt anymore... :)
     
    #19 Joanne, May 13, 2003
    Last edited: May 13, 2003
  20. wilfredlgf

    wilfredlgf Regular Member

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    Funny that I'd be involved much in this thread as I've just aggravated an injury on the back of my shoulder all the way down to the side of the armpit.

    Felt the pull and the pain when I did a massive swing for the kill during a game yesterday. Missed the bird completely, and fell on my knees with an excruciating pain.

    Don't think I'd be playing again for at least 2 months... :(

    Anyway, over the head smashes are steep in angle but quite poor in terms of power. Plus, it brings about the kind of injury that I have now.
     

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