International Coaching

I totally agree with you. The greatest players often aren't the greatest coaches and vice versa. I feel that the international player in question is limiting his development. If I ever become world number one or even a national level player, I will make sure I have regular coaching. World number one players especially can damage themselves by thinking they are too good to loose or too good to be coached. On court, there may not be a better player but great coaches could still teach them. Coaching is more about pinpointing mistakes and working out tactics that fit a player's game. Playing is about physical conditioning, stroke-work and listening to tactics that coaches think will be right for you or developing tactics with coaches. IMO, it doesn't matter how good a coach is on court, it's what he knows about the game and its players off court that make him/her useful.

As for being coached by people who are a higher level than you, I disagree. Of the three coaches I am taught by, I am fairly confident that I would be able to beat two of them in a game. They're fairly old now and not massively fit, despite coaching badminton. However, their play now isn't what I'm bothered about, in terms of experience, knowledge and ability to analyse is what I look for in a coach. A coach could have been number one on court and only recently retired but said coach may not have such a vast degree of experience or ability to analyse the whole game. He would know how to play but not how to teach.

 

A significant component of success at the highest level is fitness. This declines both with advancing age and lack of practise. A coach by definition is likely to be lacking (at least a little) in fitness (as being a coach by definition means you're not training as much as you could), but this does not make them a poor coach. Their aim is not to beat their student 100% of the time whilst demonstrating supreme skill and fitness, but to highlight areas of the game which can be improved or better understood. For this, skill and knowledge are needed, both ideally surpassing that of the student. This, I feel, is what a good coach needs to have.

If the student wishes to test his true performance, removing the element of fitness, he can simply play a singles match against two coaches.

 

I think there is a grain of truth in this. No coach who has never risen to the rank of an international player can really be a suitable coach for a player who wants to aspire to be an international level. However, this is only true if the coaching is serious because there are ex-international players who only coach for the money and not for quality, especially if they are advanced in age. There is a world of difference between the standard and quality of play between international players, especially of the top badminton countries, and others.

 

In theory, it is possible, but in practice, it is rather unlikely.

Consider the perspective of a promising young player. He wants a coach that can get him to the top. Ideally, he would go with an experienced high-level coach. If that's not an option, would he prefer a coach with prior pro experience or an untried coach who thinks he might be good enough?

It's certainly possible for an "outsider" coach to have innovative new ideas, but it is just as possible for them to have methods that don't work. In bigger sports with more monetary incentive, some of these coaches might make it to the top because athletes will all be looking for the "edge" but for a sport like badminton, I just don't see it happening.

 

Just look at the top badminton countries, China, S. Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Denmark, how many coaches can you find in their teams who have never played for their country?

 

thats the thing though in top badminton contries theres always an abundence of players who have represented their country and theres a good chance that they will be a good coach since theres a large selection. but when you start looking at the smaller nations that arnt as powerful there isnt always those top players you might just have somebody who has played nationally for their country or played 1 international tournament etc. but that doesnt mean they wont be a good coach its all about how they can help improve your game to make you become the best that you can be regardless of your skill as long as they know their stuff can help you with technique and analyze your game plus help with stragaties etc.

 

There are ways to get first class training even if your country does not have any coach who has played at top international tournamnets. They can go to China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, or Denmark for special training. Thailand's Boosak trained in Fujian some years back. India's Prakash trained in Indonesia and Denmark for many years. Now even countries like Poland and Russia are getting top Chinese coaches.

 

deffinetly they are i dont disagree with that, but ti is true that some players from the islands in the carribean or other countries simpley do not have that option as well as trying to bring in a forgien coach who played at that high calaber isnt always as easy too but i still stand with it that the coach doesnt necessarly have to have been a top international player for their country or anything in order to coach international players but just that they know what they are talking about just talking from expirence i remember when i was in some of the small island countrys in the carribean they had some imported coaches but they were just only back up national players at best other countries had just a local player as their team coach but that coach was able to help them and deffinetly knew their stuff even if there skill wasnt as good as the players.

 

i have old old clips when i was a junior but its nothing special i wasnt the best or anything, i will deffinetly try to get some when i play more its just hard to find people to record them for me or unless i get a camera to set up behing the court. i actually really want videos of me playing so i shall do what i can when tournaments come around.