Hi, I started competing a few weeks ago in team events. Thus, I find myself watching teammates play; I'd like to help them by providing some coaching, but I struggle finding a good way to do that. A little background: We're all small time players, so everyone in the team has poor technique and little game experience. Yet everybody so far seems motivated and acts like they want to improve, so everybody seems receptive. Here is the guidelines I try to apply so far: During play, focus on trying to notice what makes the opponent struggle, and on the teammate strong areas During the breaks, only talk about one or at most two points. Communicate what I could notice (see previous point). use a cheer-advice-cheer structure. Try to make it easily actionable (e.g. The ideas are: always stay positive, keep everything negative far away from the player I don't want to drown the player under a whole lot of words and pieces of advice. Since we're all small-time, inexperienced players, I could watch anyone of us and speak for an hour about what we do poorly -- but I don't think that I am qualified to teach (being quite level w/ my teammates), & I don't think you're going to learn anything anyway about good technique or proper footwork during competition. Also, that would run afoul of the "nothing negative" mantra. But frankly, I just invented all that by myself in the course of the last weeks, and I am even more wary of my people skills than I am of my racket skills... I was coached a few times as a player already, but being focused on the game at hand, I have basically no idea what my coach watched or said to me. So I can't really use that as a baseline. So I turn to BC to ask: How do you do it? Are there any resources about that area somewhere? Also, how do you proceed when playing doubles? what's a good way to "self-coach" (in-between players) on the field? What's effective? TIA.
I don't know it's wrong or right, but I do it short: 1. Lift-clear, right-left. drop-smash front-back. 2. keep it low 3. Aim straight or middle 4. Reduce the lifts that's the main things as I play doubles and are most important to me.
Last thing is spotting enemy weakness, this is much more on how the coach and player can spot the weakness and make use of it, examples: 1. Aim ...... to him (....=drive/drop/lifts/smash etc) 2. Make them run left-right 3. Make them run front-back 4. Mix your shots (alternate between middle-straight-smash-drop)
Demonstration. Knowledge about the game - basics and fundamentals. Show that you can walk the talk. If you have been trained you probably know techniques and strategy. They need to look up to you to listen. So like when you play and you lose a lot it's going to be pretty hard to convince people that you know what you're doing. Also, not everyone will ask for your help so only be open to those who are ready to listen. How you can spot the weakness depends on the level of your skill I believe bwfbadminton.org can provide you a coaching manual for free upon request
Hi there! You have a good attitude so far - do not overwhelm them, and try to be sensitive as people may not take well to getting "advice". But with those things already in mind, here are some tips: For strengths in your team, try to make sure that the players know what is working well e.g. "when you serve short, you win lots of points in a row - but when you flick you lose the point. So keep serving short!" This kind of comment helps players understand what they are doing well - its not telling them what they need to do different, but reinforcing the good things they are already doing. It can often help players understand what they are doing thats working - they may not realise it! Its always good to focus on some of the strengths that are working well when you give advice! For weaknesses in opposition, you should be really trying to observe any movement or grip weaknesses an relate them to your team mates e.g. "it looks like they struggle to go come forwards after you pushed them back - try keeping them pinned at the back and then drop it in front of them - they will struggle to get to it". Notice that you have explained a weakness, and then described a way to exploit it. You have not told them that they will win the point by doing it, and you have not said anything other than observing the opponent i.e. no comparison between opponents and players - this is good because it helps give tactical understanding to your players, without setting their expectations. If I were to say "all you need to do is X, Y, Z", then my team mates might feel BAD if they can't win - you are putting pressure on them by making it sounds so simple. Thus - keep focussed and only mention the opponent and what can be done to them! Something that you haven't mentioned, which is always worthwhile - is asking them how its going and how they are feeling. If they say - I am really struggling with X, then maybe you can help them overcome it e.g. they don't know where to serve - give them some advice. If you don't ask them how its going, you can't help them fully. Good luck to you!
I am so glad I came across this!! I had been picked to coach the Team Alaska boys team for Arctic Winter Games 2014, which happened earlier this year. I had never done any kind of proper "coaching" before. It was a bit nerve racking at first. Reading the advice given in this so far (and even some of what you touched on 'rgbj_'!!), I found myself doing a lot of this already, so it seems I am on the right track! I am an adult coaching teenagers in those Games, btw.
Thanks to all for your insights. The takeaways so far : be extra careful with the wording so as to avoid involuntarily adding stress through additional pressure Ask for player feedback That last point completely escaped me; As a player, my way to receive coaching effectively boils down to "listen, don't talk", so it hadn't crossed my mind to have the player talk..
