What training tools do you use?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by precrime3, Feb 12, 2020.

Tags:
  1. precrime3

    precrime3 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    178
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Birmingham, Alabama
    I'm a big fan of off court training/recovery. I'm considering buying some stuff in addition to what I have

    • Resistance tubes for stretching
    • Foam roller for recovery
    • HECS Ball - for wall drills at home plus, handeye coordination
    I'm considering purchasing these two - and anything else that y'all suggest.
    • Gyro/powerballs - like weighted spinning around ice cubes in a glass? Heard good things but IDK
    • A weighted racket (120g or 160g) - thoughts on this? I tested my friends for 10 minutes and my smash and clears when I went back to my regular racket felt so much better and crisper.
    Would love your thoughts.
     
  2. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,818
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    Nice post - I have stuff for myself and training my kid.

    This should be useful for @Quentin11 !

    Haven't heard of that HECS ball before. Most of us just grab a shuttle and hit it against the wall. Looks good though.

    Large resistance bands in a variety.

    Smaller resistance that go around the thighs or feet.

    Agility ladder

    Tennis balls - good for throwing and catching whilst doing footwork agility exercises.

    Low height hurdles - just got them. Adjustable to three different heights.

    Various cones to mark out the court a bit more clearly for shuttle routines.

    Frisbee - for fun and relaxation (helps running and coordination)

    Volleyball - coordination exercises. I could use a basketball as well

    Blazepods - reaction training.

    Racket head cover - increase resistance to overhead swing.

    Weighted racquet - somehow disappeared so we use an old squash racquet

    Ankle weights - just walk around with them on.

    Bosu ball

    Gym ball


    One caveat is that all of these cannot compensate for knowledge of good footwork rhythm and finger techniques.
     
    #2 Cheung, Feb 12, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
    Khady likes this.
  3. Ouchie

    Ouchie Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2018
    Messages:
    426
    Likes Received:
    244
    Location:
    UK
    The gyro powerballs are quite good but get a decent branded version. El Cheapo knock-offs are poor and will not work well. Be prepared for aching forearms as you build up speed and strength.


    Apparently, parents don't like it when their favourite sons hit shuttles against their living room walls. Apparently :oops:
     
  4. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    Just seen this yesterday and I guess it fits perfectly:


    EDIT: That HECS thingie looks very intersting. Exactly what I'm looking for basically.
     
    #4 s_mair, Feb 13, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2020
    phihag, Khady and thyrif like this.
  5. precrime3

    precrime3 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    178
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Do you recommend a brand? I was thinking of just getting the brand called "Powerball" - they seem to be the original or a really good brand at least.

    Blazepods are way out of my budget at the moment lol but will keep in mind.

    It seems a bit redundant to have a headcover and a weighted racket - do you use both for different purposes?

    What weight and for how long do you keep ankle weights on? What are your thoughts on a weighted vest (say even just 5-10 pounds)?

    I just lost 10 pounds and was playing at that weight for a while before I lost weight so it shouldn't be too bad...

    I'll look at the other things when I have time too :)

    Yeah it's pretty great. I use them every morning and just hit the wall to maintain/improve hand eye coordination.
     
  6. Ouchie

    Ouchie Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2018
    Messages:
    426
    Likes Received:
    244
    Location:
    UK
    Yep, Powerball - I have a 280 pro. Definitely get one with the speed counter to add another dimension to the training - competition. I set up a leaderboard with colleagues to see who could get the fastest.

    I was given a cheap alternative as a present and struggled to even get it started. It felt lighter, had more friction and was just a poor imitation.

    The newer models with autostart look nice. Can't say I ever struggle to get mine started with just my thumb though.


    Also, HECS balls are great if you want to just mess about at home (and don't want to ruin a nice wall). It really depends how often you think you will have time to use them for a very specific set of exercises. Hitting a shuttle against a (robust) wall is better if you are never far from one.
     
    #6 Ouchie, Feb 13, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2020
  7. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
    Just another to add - finger grip strengtheners.

    They have helped a lot to generate the minimum muscle mass/memory to really get more out of finger power. Practise with them as you would with a racquet - quick tightening movements with lots of reps and lower resistance rather than fewer slow squeezes at a high resistance.

    Otherwise the arm/shoulder muscle memory tends to dominate and you lose the quick explosive flicks.
     
  8. precrime3

    precrime3 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    178
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Could you link to what exactly you're talking about?
     
  9. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
  10. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,818
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    Head covers are more convenient to carry around and take less space.

    2.5kg each weight just walk around in it. If you don't have good footwork and strong legs, I would advise not to play with them. Otherwise you'll break you ankle.


    yes. I have that but rather inconvenient.
     
  11. precrime3

    precrime3 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    178
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Birmingham, Alabama
  12. DarkHiatus

    DarkHiatus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Messages:
    1,207
    Likes Received:
    778
    Location:
    Manchester
    Looks pretty useless to me unless you don't know what a shot off your sweet spot is supposed to feel like.

    At a certain level, you KNOW whether you have hit the sweet spot or not. If you want to make your sweet spot smaller artificially for training, string your racquet to a higher tension, as it has the same effect, without also changing the racquet weight/balance etc.
     
  13. precrime3

    precrime3 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    178
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Didn't think of that. So it's no different than getting a regular weighted racket?

    Or do you think it would be negatively performing in terms of training benefit compared to a regular 120/140g racket?

    I don't think it's about knowing if you hit it or not - about hitting it more consistently. My understanding is that the sweet spot makes up the entire head, so it's a hit or nothing. If you can hit on a smaller head it'll be easier to hit the sweet spot on a bigger head, but to hit the shuttle at all (in those flick/reaction shots) .
     
  14. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,818
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    I can’t see this product.

    got a bit of doubt myself on the utility. If you want to practice hitting the sweet spot, shouldn’t you go and hit more shuttles with a normal racquet?

    I get that a larger area head size will get you to hit the shuttle. Whether you are more effective with it with quality shots is a bit doubtful. I actually switched back to a smaller head racquet.


    BTW, the sweet spot does not comprise of the entire head. It’s a small area within the bed of the strings.
     
  15. LenaicM

    LenaicM Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
    Messages:
    1,280
    Likes Received:
    1,035
    Location:
    Europe
    My 3 essentials:

    - A simple yoga mat. Daily strecthing and yoga exercises greatly help to prevent injuries, recovery time between sessions and become more flexible/light-footed on court.

    - Training racket with headcover. Using it 30 mins for shadows and warm ups/some drills (drives, clears mid court and semi smashes, occasionally for a match against a very low level opponent/beginner) every session before grabbing my regular racket.

    - Balance board. It helps improve stability, reinforce ankles and knees, helped me get rid of my shin splits by strengthening my lower legs.

    Everyone is different and some tools end up in the garage. A lot of error and trial before finding the appropriate off/on court training routine.

    These HECS balls looks fun but I'm afraid it will end up in the garage. Lately I've been trying to keep it minimalistic and focus on the essentials with lots of yoga and stretching before after each session to prevent injuries, do a lot of shadows and sleep/eat well. Sounds silly(and boring) but those are probably more efficient than any gimmick tools on the long term.
     
    speCulatius, s_mair and Cheung like this.
  16. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,818
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    I do agree. I have a lot of equipment and most of the time they are not used. The wife complained once about the amount of equipment I have saying "are you trying to make our place into a gym". I didn't bother replying but it was a very accurate question. Lol.


    However, I do use them and rotate them around to challenge my kid and keep things interesting. For example, we used the gym ball last night so she had to try balancing on it on her knees without support. I saw CTC do that exercise and catch objects thrown at him at the same time. Another exercise we did yesterday was using the mini hurdles to do speed work for the feet - stepping across the hurdle repeatedly very quickly.

    Today, I might use the agility ladder for her. To be honest, I could put shuttles or cones on the floor as markers but it's the need to keep things interesting as we haven't used it for a while. Just like going to fitness and conditioning sessions in the gym, we do different exercises to keep things interesting.
     
    s_mair and LenaicM like this.
  17. precrime3

    precrime3 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2011
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    178
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Any recommendations to a specific training racket? And where can you get a headcover? I've been shopping for a racket and I'm most concerned about the weight. My friend swears by the 120g but I want to get recommendations from others on a good weight.
     
  18. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,818
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    120g is good.

    I have never heard of a 'good' training racquet.

    I don't know about others but I use it for mainly dry swings and concentrate on technique and training fingers.
     
    LenaicM likes this.
  19. LenaicM

    LenaicM Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
    Messages:
    1,280
    Likes Received:
    1,035
    Location:
    Europe
    I have the Yonex TR1 and it comes with a dedicated headcover for dry swings which is partially opened for the air to pass and offer just enough air resistance (see photo below). Particularly useful for shadows or working on dry racket swings. It's 120 gr and I never used heavier so I cannot compare but I'm happy with this weight though as I use it to play matches sometimes, like I mentioned above, against beginners and without playing full power strokes. May be a 150gr racket is a bit too heavy to play matches.

    ynx-iso-tr1-2.jpg
     
    #19 LenaicM, Feb 15, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2020
  20. LenaicM

    LenaicM Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
    Messages:
    1,280
    Likes Received:
    1,035
    Location:
    Europe
    I can relate... :D
     

Share This Page