If you don't mind, you can PM me. I'm curious. We have such a seperation. Hobbys have a different hall and can do their games. They are also allowed to come to the Senior night or teamplayer nights, but don't come because of your description and intentions above and maybe me. The higher teamplayers have also a seperate night. Other can come, got integrated, but we play hard. We have also two nights for teamplayers and intermediate seniors. If we get senior freshers/beginners our coach for the juniors take them into his group with kids, because it's closer to their abilities and they can learn the basics. It's not that we have borders or something like that, you can come to each time, but it could be that you don't get picked often and the general play is related to the type of the night. If a beginner comes to the night when I play, he must accept to get crushed or sit around. If I would go to the hobbys, I must accept that they will partner me always with the weakest player, or made me sit around because I'm too good for their games that they want.
I remember this discussion in a different thread earlier. I think players all need to evaluate each game independently. What level of play is everyone at in the game? Are your opponents trying to prove? Are you trying to improve? Are they just trying to have fun? Is there a huge discrepancy in skill level? People need to use their best judgement in every game. People who treat the sport semi seriously need to play league, which will always be 100% games.
Maybe I am a more competitive player, or in a more competitive club than you because I am ALWAYS comparing myself to other players. Hahaha. It's not in any petty or mean-spirited way, it more for me to see my improvements. and if someone is coming from below me and is getting better, it motivates me to work harder. Also, we all kind of know where we are in the hierarchy of the club, so it's not like it's just me acting like a judgy queen. When I play with a lower level club, they all know I'm better and even if I lose, their opinion doesn't change. I feel like badminton reputations aren't made in one game or even a week's worth of games, but slowly over time. Luckily I have a high level group and I am one of the bottom players. But I play with other groups and in them I am the top level player. So I feel both sides of this problem quite clearly and I play with lower level people the way I want higher level people to play with me. That's how I've come to my opinion. I also feel like this is a bit arrogant. Like, you tell them "You are not good enough for me to play against, but since I'm so much better than you I'll feed you some birdies instead of wasting my time." I never want to do training drills with higher level players, I wanted to play them! I want to get beat because I know I'll learn a lot while losing. I have a coach for drills and training. When I play, I want to play. Although one other thing I was thinking is higher level players obviously don't give me 100% when they are playing me. They play at MY 110% level--that is, they play at just a slightly higher level then I am at, which makes it a really good challenge for me. It really pushes me to play my best, tightest game and as a result those have been my favorite games. So that's why I don't give 100% to lower level players. I try to give them a challenge for their level, to make it more fun and interesting, but maybe it is not a challenge for me. And as I've been improving I've noticed that some players who used to play maybe 60% (and could still beat me) now have to play close to 100% to beat me. Like, smashing on me. A lot of the younger, really strong guys don't want to smash me because they think it's not "sportsmanlike" or because they are being "gentleman" and it really used to make me mad (if they don't smash me then how am I going to be an expert at returning a smash?) But now that I am better they are starting to smash me much more. Because if they don't I'll win. Now my strategy and footwork is close to their level so they have to use every advantage they have to try to beat me. (And young guys advantages is their smashes.) It is a real badge of honor when I force a higher level player to give me 100%. Because if they don't they'll lose. And no one likes losing to a girl! hahaha. So I feel like it is not up to the higher level player to give 100%, it is up to the lower level player to earn the 100% effort. (The higher level player needs to be respectful and not look obviously bored or not be really rude in a game.) My opinion anyway.
For me if I play MS against a weaker opponent I usually still play at least 90 % of my top level. My problem is if I play doubles against a weaker team and my partner for that match also sucks and the other team only hits to my partner, then I start to suck and cannot play good anymore.
Maybe you are simply less confident and need to hustle more a a woman (I know your issues from your threads). I see my improvements when I compare me with my prime-me. Often I record myself and compare me with my prime-me every 3 month and make a list what I want to fix. It's hard as a mainly doubles player to compare me (isolated) with others (isolated). Anthing else don't make sense to me, because I don't get faulty impressions. As long as I get better than before I improve. It's really annoying here at BC that everybody needs to explain everthing. (@OhSearsTower will feel me. All in all everything what you do as a better player can annoy the other side. If you play serious, if you play a crappy trickshot-practice game, if you say no etc. If a hobby player comes to a team-time and sit around and I sit around and the other person asks me, it is IMO better to help this person and offer drills and training and explain technique to make them improve instead of giving a game. As long as the gap is huge it is IMO a more supportive and more helpful way instead of knowing that a single clear can make them struggle. Keep in mind as well that I don't have passion for singles. If you think my way of help and support is arrogant, feel free to do this, but what options I have? I can be always arrogant regardless what I do and helping others in a long term way seems to me the best way than all other entertaining options.
Really? Is it weird to compare yourself to others? It's kinda common in our language and our game play here, but I know sometimes things are different in China than other countries. Of course my only true competitor is myself, but like "before, during and after" weght loss pictures, I can see my own progress through my game play with others. It's too hard to miss your actual improvement if you just focus on yourself because things like speed and technique improve slowly and we aren't really good at remembering what we used to be like. (Hence the need for pictures or videos). But leveling up and beating players regularly who used to be better than you is a huge motivational boost for me. (And then getting so good for those players they stop asking to play with you because they are too shy or think you are too good, heh heh.) Also, we regularly say things like "Just you wait, I'm gonna beat you someday," or "I hope I can be your level someday." I say it to others and people have said ti to me, so it's pretty common. Do other people not do that? And it's not at all bitchy or mean or anything. In fact, it's usually quite motivating because we are (for the most part) supportive people. Like once I told a someone who was MUCH better than me, "Give me a year and if I can't beat you, at least I'm gonna give you a challenging game." And their reply? "Why one year? You've improved a lot. You can get to my level in six months if you really want it." That was like the most encouraging thing they could have said (even if it was a total lie. They had been playing for a decade plus and I was only playing for one year, haha. Only now, about a year and a half later, am I almost to this persons level) But I really appreciated that this high level player believing in me so much. And believed that I had the ability to be a top player. And now, I actually do beat them in games! (Although they are still the higher level player, but just barely.) Anyway, comparing myself to others, especially beating people I used to regularly lose to, is a big part of my motivation and my club members motivation. But maybe we are just more competitive than other people? I admit I am a competitive person on the court, haha. Maybe too much! But it keeps the fire in my belly.
I am a bit different. If someone gets below 10 points when we play single. I'd invite him/her to play double, and let him/her mainly cover front 1/4 of the court. Thus, the opponents will not keep attacking my partner because many times they will attack the other 3/4 court area and that's what need to cover. I still much enjoy the double games by challenging myself to cover more court areas, and my weak partner only needs to focus on a small area and won't be under too much pressure. This is also a good to way to improve and practice my footwork. Just make sure don't blame on the partner if you lost the points or game. You are responsible for the majority of the court anyway.
Congratulations for preventing this person from getting better at doubles. I don't like playing with much weaker players but that's one thing I'd never do. Asking a player to be at the front or playing some sort of wrong Mixed doubles with him...
"I don't like..." that's the problem. Somebody needs to play with them and tell them what to do to improve. Front court and back court are equally important. Focusing on the front end doesn't necessary mean only do the net shots. If the person lifts, he still needs to go back to the side middle to defense. I don't expect a beginner to become middle level in just one or two games, and I don't think that plan would prevent this from happening in one or two sessions either. I would rather not to see my partner being attacked all the time and getting panicky and frustrated, which actually will hinder him to do better. Progression is little by little. As time goes, the plan could progressively reach to 50/50.
What's the background behind this? Do you wanna win and don't loose points because of your weak partner or do you want that they got teached the right way? It makes sense, that a beginner can't cover the court as good as a better player, but at the end of the day what has the beginner learned for the combination to play with another beginner? IMO what every beginner should learn first are overhead shots with the forehand and to move around.
You guys need to learn how to change gears in a game. I tend to flip up and down gears when I'm playing against weaker opponents. Towards the end of the game, I ramp up and play properly to ensure we aren't deadlocked. That tends to mean we're close up until the 10pt mark, then we pull ahead. I think it's a good way to encourage players to ramp up themselves, and start adapting to harder shots; if you're always being nice, they never learn how to deal with not-nice. If you're always being mean, they never build up towards it, and it's too big of a step. I'm not a big fan of confining people to one area of the court. I don't think that's productive. I also never tell someone I won't play with them. Usually if both sides have one much weaker player, we'll adapt to try and keep them in the game without being too mad, for example not smashing or playing half smashes to newer players that can't defend. I think if they're not doing well at the back, we'll just have to do well when my partner is serving, and I'll try to make good use of the back. Hopefully, they'll notice where I'm hitting and start to think about what they're doing when they're at the back too. You have to give people a chance to grow. As @ucantseeme has said, you can end up with this petty behaviour that prevents people accessing the sport. It's sad and unproductive, and eventually clubs do start to shrink. I think it's really important to have some humility when playing. I was lucky, I trained with 2 players, one of whom used to play international tournaments, and they beat me often. When people turn their noses up at playing with 'lesser players', I just stop and remind myself that people don't get better that way. I got much better because far better players were willing to play with me. I have no right to claim I shouldn't play with people I think are less skilled players, because that's not how I was treated. I feel *bad* for the players that do have this mentality.
Yes it happens when we play against weak opponents wetry to do some experiments or so . Due to weakness of opponent we tends rotlose our concentration . According to me ,the best tips in this case foe you is that you should try to defeat your opponent as badly as possible . Defeat him/ her by 21-0 ,if possible . Try to make your habit to Whenever we play against weaker players we lost our concentration and the score which should be 21-4 21-3 or so in our favour moves up to 21-19 22-20 or goes even in the favour of our weaker opponent . To prevent this , we should try to defeat our opponent as quickly , badly and efficiently as possible . Try to thrash him / her by 21-0 if possible .
Yes it happens when we play against weak opponents wetry to do some experiments or so . Due to weakness of opponent we tends rotlose our concentration . According to me ,the best tips in this case foe you is that you should try to defeat your opponent as badly as possible . Defeat him/ her by 21-0 ,if possible . Try to make your habit to Whenever we play against weaker players we lost our concentration and the score which should be 21-4 21-3 or so in our favour moves up to 21-19 22-20 or goes even in the favour of our weaker opponent . To prevent this , we should try to defeat our opponent as quickly , badly and efficiently as possible . Try to thrash him / her by 21-0 if possible . I have started a conversation 21-0 returns in which we have to mention about it how much big was our margin of win . This would help you as it will encourage you to defeat your opponent by bigger margins . Join yourself and also invite others .
