This is the highest contact point when I hit a clear, smash, and drop. I tried to catch the birdie as high as possible, but it seems very low. Please advise and give me tips to improve. Thank you.
Hello, It would be easier to judge the height from side angle I believe. The grip looks pan handle to me. Only effective way to catch it higher I know is to Jump. Cheers.
With most shots, you don't position yourself straight under the shuttle. If you look back, you will notice that you are slightly to the left of the shuttle's path. You can reach higher if you are straight under, and in fact it will also help you to hit with better technique. For most players, forehand shots played from closer to the backhand/overhead side feel more natural because it automatically forces you to stretch more, resulting in a higher hitting point. Try to position yourself more straight under the shuttle, so a little more to the right. You want to be looking straight up to the shuttle when it flies towards you.
Here’s one of them that isn’t low. It looks okay to me. But you might have problems with consistency because your swing action seems to be inconsistent. Hard to say because the feeder is not giving you consistently high enough shuttles as well. When you wait for the shuttle to drop, you hold your right forearm and the racquet almost horizontally. Try to make both of them quite vertical. That will help make you hit at a high point more consistently. It is a bit difficult to see but I think the racquet head is swinging outwards before hitting the shuttle. It would be better if it came from behind the shuttle and directly forwards to hit the shuttle.
Thanks all for your advice. I just tried this today. I have a hard time keeping my racket straight up vertical when contacting the birdie. Maybe, I'm not used to it. It seems like I catch the birdie a little higher.
Did you manage to change this position?. This picture is you waiting for the shuttle to drop into your hitting zone. Your right elbow is at a good height - don’t change this. Your forearm is almost horizontal - can be better Your racquet is hanging out to the right - can be better If you can change the starting position of your arm (see the arrows, you will gradually get used to a better and more consistent height for hitting the shuttle.
Your racket doesn't need to be vertical. Just make sure the hitting point is above you instead of to the side.
You're trying to muscle the birdie with shoulder and arm strength. Try to relax and loosen and use your wrist instead.
@kwun @Cheung @SnowWhite Thank you so much for the advice. These advice are some of the best badminton advice I received. I practiced to position yourself straight under the shuttle and hit it at the highest position possible. I noticed I can catch the birdies higher. I also can see the opponents better. Please advise if there is anything else I should do to improve. Thank you in advance.
That’s a pretty good improvement. It’s nice to see you post up a follow up video with the alterations. It’s a little inconsistent which is normal for a new technique. One thing to try is to make your body go up to the falling shuttle. From the video, your body waits for the shuttle to come down and you swing the racquet. Try to go make your body go upwards (like going up on tiptoe with heels off the ground ) and then stretch your body upwards and swing the racquet. Hit the shuttle as you go upwards. That will be easier to be consistent. Don’t be surprised if you miss the shuttle - it takes time to get used to the extra movement. Also, don’t go for full power straight away as that makes it hard to develop consistency. 3/4 length clear is totally fine
I did once hear of going as much as possible towards tip toes or a lot towards tip toes but that's a lot of work for your ankles. Jumping is probably easier cos legs are bigger muscles. I don't mean a jump smash but block jumps are not too tough (where block jumps are applicable). Back when I was hitting it quite flat footed and not moving much after, then I think I heard sometimes to be towards tip toes a lot , and it was a lot of work on my ankles.. but I realised it didnt need anything that excessive.. cos once i had a bit of bounce , hitting the shuttle and returning to base, I didn't hear so much about "tip toes", which is good cos it suggests to me it was just a coaching cue, and just having the little bounce required was so much more comfortable and natural and easier on the ankles, and more like what pros do. I did once hear of stretching out the body a lot . I tried it but my spine felt uncomfortable if stretching a lot while also hitting the shuttle it felt as if my vertebrae were rattled! I felt much more comfortable hitting without wild stretching.. being more compact. Not so compact that it's noticeable from the other side of the court or from near me. But some degree of tightness and compactness, when hitting and also when moving around , and the body feels stronger to me. (And more comfortable and robust and better for it). Some people are too tense, you don't want to be too tense. One thing I did hear that I think is amazing advice and let me reach very well with high contact point that everybody accepts is a high contact point, is starting the swing when the shuttle is higher. Another thing is making sure my arm is very extended. Not to the point of being locked out, but extended to perhaps just before being locked out. Maybe even so marginally before, that an observer wouldn't be able to judge whether the arm is locked out or not! But I'm comfortable that I won't lock it accidentally. It's far enough from locking out.
