I have had this kind of issue for most of my 10-year-so time playing in competitions. I found two things that would calm me down: - Nearly exhaust myself before a match. I would do shadow movements, rope skipping, sometimes even a match with a friend. That obviously only works if you know you can last for the match afterwards - Focus on the shuttle. Constantly look at it, keep your full concentration on it, so that your reflexes kick in and you don't think so much about the rest. That's the method I still use today in squash, and it works for me at least.
Maybe they secretly like your punishments... Maybe try punishments like losers have to buy lunch, bubble tea, etc...
Learnt a new word today Are you saying your players who were semipro perform badly? Or are the ones who play on weekends the ones who get nervous. Notwithstanding, trash talking doesn't help at all. In fact I think it puts more pressure on the player. But first, exactly who are the ones with the big problems? The good players or ones with poor technique. How long have they been playing and what is their previous badminton and competition experience?
I think a whole book can be written on this issue. First, identify the reasons why. Put yourself in their shoes. They are in a team with ex semipros as team mates and people react in different ways. If you were in the Thomas cup, your teammates are in the world top twenty and you are the only one outside the top fifty, it's a lot of pressure and technique breakdown. Two years is actually not a long time before playing competitions and it very much depends on the character of the person. A person who hasn't done many other sports before cannot be expected to handle the mental game so well. A person who comes to badminton after trying out bowling, football or whatever in an individual competition will handle the mental aspects much better. Your original post also focussed on techniques with no mention of tactics. Although your team may have the skills, they don't know how to use them or if they do, they cannot think quickly enough. Many times, it's not the quality of the shot that counts. It is how to use it. For example, the smash. They have to understand a good smash comes from good technique, but also it doesn't need to be perfect. Often hitting a smash one side of the body and then the other side of the opponent will frequently win a point. The other thing to do is setup practice games against people who are slightly better or similar. Then you focus on a small part of their game. For example, the next practice game focus on positioning when the shuttle is lifted. Try to resist correcting every single mistake because it is information overload. I was sitting next to some Chinese coaches on the side of the court during a superseries q/final and semifinal. Their instructions were very simple. Be patient! They repeated this many times. So, I think if you teach your weaker members how to problem solve and control the game, this will help them not get so nervous.
Also understand that there is an optimal anxiety level for best performance. Some people like me are a bit relaxed and need to be reminded to keep pushing and being more proactive. Some people get too anxious and need to be told to calm down on court and think clearly. Look carefully and consider what person you do with. They need a practice game before the actual.game. Then do they need a relaxation technique pregame or do they need a trash talk type of talk?
I am like your players. Whenever better players played in court, I am always intimidated. Eventually though, the pressure kept piling until one day I couldn't take it and let it off. After the pressure was let off, it was the breakthrough mentally that allowed me to perform freely on court and the techniques just flow fluidly. Depending on the players, some could be pressured until they decide that it has reached a breaking point and they released it on their own, others will likely need to be told find ways to release it. One thing my coach did to pressure me until breaking point was to mention that he will be sending me for competitions. He would constantly remind me by posting competition posters. It prepared me mentally, but also added a lot of pressure as I couldn't find any avenues to let it off (guess it's a character issue; I'm quite introverted). So you will likely have to explore each of the girl's character and push them towards releasing it, then slowly let them improve their mentality on their own once they found out how powerful it is.
Maybe tell them they have nothing to lose as newcomers, not as much as the opposing team anyway? I always felt the pressure even when I signed up for tournaments, or the day before the match. But during the actual matches, I'm always relaxed in a 'bring it on' way (whether or not I'm trailing behind or winning). Being someone who learnt badminton rather late, and therefore unable to make state selections, I'm not considered an elite player. Therefore I have the view that it's them who have everything to lose playing me.
Girls also are very different to guys Many don't like the pure testosterone aggressive approach. From your analysis of tactical weaknesses on their game, when in practice, do routines that simulate the same simulation. For instance, if they always lift the return of serve, teach them to stand a bit closer and practice hitting to two other areas of the court. They will forget in the game but gradually it will sink in. I'd say it's a tough task because they haven't got the time to put into the training. Experienced college players are usually very experienced having played up to four times a week when younger and played in many matches and competitions. It's just not comparable. I know one teenager who plays and can the shuttle but has confidence issues. I saw in her singles game that she just hits the shuttle but depended of quality of shot to win the point. So, she didn't have the tactical knowledge. I spent two sessions with her explaining and training how to move the opponent around the court. She stood in one corner hitting the shuttle and I was the guinea pig that she has to move around the court. Rather than her simply hit the shuttle, I showed her how to make the opponent change direction and not always feel like needing to win the point on each shot. Next time she had her training session, I asked her how the practice games went. She said she was tired so just tried the tactic out. She won a lot of points even though she was tired. Her confidence has greatly improved as a result (because she has been beating boys LOL ).
I am sorry to say I haven't had time to read all of these posts - I am sure they come with useful advice that I will read at another time. However, a quick answer from me: The key to performing well in competition/games is to performing the same as in training. That means making sure they are thinking the same in games as in training e.g. thinking about placement of shot, focusing only on the shuttle, being completely relaxed and aiming a foot above the net and a foot inside the lines etc. If they are nervous in games, then they are thinking about things other than what they do in training. This is a mistake - the purpose of training is to prepare for games! Not to all of a sudden start thinking about different things altogether! So all the talk of tactics etc is just a confusion because you do not do that in training. Something that may help is giving them something to REALLY focus on e.g. they need to spot which way they shuttle is spinning and listen to the sound of the shuttle on the strings. And they need to be so engrossed by this that they don't have the opportunity to worry about losing or opponents etc. This may help them perform more naturally without thought, which probably means without anxiety or negativity. Cheers! Good luck all!
Why did you ask only ladies these questions? What answers would you expect to get that is so different to that of a male athlete?
I've often wondered about this in the pro females WS category as well... whether if and how much their monthly cycles affect their performance. And whether this plays a significant role in how the top 10 WS players are never very solid in holding onto their rankings.
