The NEW Rules of Playing Badminton

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Published on September 30, 2011 by Anna Rice

Apologies in advance to the Great players of the past.

This article is not meant to offend anyone who ever dominated the sport of badminton.

However, in my 10 years as a professional player, I have had countless conversations with World Champion and All England Champions from the past, who claim that it was in their day when badminton peaked.

Come on.

The modern game is at another level than the one played so many years ago.

The speed is higher, the moves are more athletic, players are better trained and the technique is better.

If you don’t believe me, click here to watch Morten Frost play Han Jian in 1985.

Now click here to Watch Lin Dan play Peter Gade in 2008.

So what must you do to achieve a modern technique and to improve your game?

The single biggest change you can start to make in your game is Racket Efficiency.

Examine the modern overhead techniques of Peter Gade, Taufik Hidayat and Bao Chunlai.

The strokes are very short and there is no wasted motion. The racket is high and ready long before the shuttle arrives and the hit is very clean and compact.

Now look at the Old School Masters such as Rudy Hartono, Morten Frost and Ardy Wirinata.

The swings are generally longer, there are more unnecessary movements and the hits involve more slice.

The same principles hold true for the net.

Watch Peter Gade, Bao Chnlai and Lin Dan play flicks and nets from up close.

he racket is ready even before they arrive at the shuttle. The stroke is short and deceptive. The shot is fast and accurate.

If you disagree, please click here to review the match between Rudy Hartono and Punch Gunalan one more time.

The technique is longer, less efficient and slower.

No disrespect to the players of legend. Without their innovations, we would never have found the modern level of play.

But let us not disrespect the athletes of today, who spend countless hours improving the minutest details of their strokes so that they have a chance to compete within the top 200 in the world.

The level of play is higher today both at the international and recreational level.

Master the modern techniques and you will enjoy the game like never before.

How to Choose a Playing Style That Will Dominate Your Opponents

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Published on September 27, 2011 by Anna Rice

Before declaring that you only want to play like the Chinese because they win 87% of all world titles, remember that many regions of the world have produced brilliant players who got the job done, despite the lower numbers and lower funding for badminton in the area.

We should not advocate that one style is superior to another.

There are only players who have “mastered their own style” better than others.

Once upon a time, Denmark had 5 players in the top 7.

Before that, Indonesia had 9 players in the top 20 and recently, Malaysia had 8 players in the top 30.

Be true to what you are and master yourself.  (Sounds Confucian…maybe that is the secret to China’s dominance today?)

Below are the typical characteristics of styles of play from different regions of the world.

Denmark

Denmark is dominated by Peter Gade copycats, who use a very upright posture and disciplined racket angles to approach the net. The technique is generally deceptive from the net with a lot of variation, especially the cross nets.

Danish style is based on deception and skill shots with speed and quality of rallies being the priority.

Long distance is not their thing but they compensate with tactics and match toughness.

Click Here to watch the Great Dane in action.

Korean

Long distance is their thing. The fittest of the Asian countries, the Koreans are renowned for their early morning warm-up routines that often last hours as well as their incredible discipline on court and absolute lack of emotion.

They typically have a “stiff” technique and look similar to the Chinese in most shots but are generally defensive players rather than attacking as their Chinese counterparts.

The Koreans are all about wearing the opponent down with concentration, aerobic fitness and energy.

They are the least creative of all the countries but their results cannot be ignored.

Click here to watch the classic Korean Lee Hyun Il

Chinese

Always cutting edge, the Chinese have been the main innovators of the game and have influenced the development of badminton around the world more than any other country.

The Chinese style is generally structured with “short swings” and crisp attacking shots.

The style is based on smooth, technical rallies combined with deadly explosions when the chance is right.

They are usually physically very fit but with the explosive element that allows them to be extra deadly.

They are masters of the around the head corner and invented the “turn back jump smash.”

They also appear to be the most polished of all the countries only fielding perfect badminton machines such as Lin Dan, Chen Hong, Boa Chunlai, Zhang Ning, Xie Xinfang…you get the point.

Click here to see the prototypical Chinese innovator Zhao Jianhua

Indonesian

They got the rhythm and creativity. Indonesians are very unusual in that their coaches don’t promote a structure to their technique or style of play. Thus, the Indonesians produce some of the strangest techniques on earth (Flandy Limpele, Taufik Hidayat, Sigit budiarto) as well as some of the most skillful players ever (Flany Limpele, Taufik Hidayat, Sigit Budiarto).

Indos are generally counter attackers, which are fitting because they are so relaxed and carefree when on court.

They often outlast their opponents not based on a superior physical but a superior “game shape.”

Their techniques have great flair and they rely on “feel” rather than structure and discipline.

But their incredible numbers of players and training hours ensure that they are always producing some of the world’s top players.

Simon Santoso is following in the typical Indonesian tradition. Click here to see this technical genius play.

Malaysian

The Malaysians are hard to define. They typically have an overall package…a bit of everything but not one aspect that stands out.

They are more structured in technique than the Indonesians but not to the level of the Koreans or Chinese.

They are much fitter than the Danes but generally go down to the Koreans.

They are tactically superior to the Chinese but not to the Danish.

The Malaysian player is a well-rounded player, not a rallier, an attacker or a defender specifically but capable of all of the above.

There is no better example of Malaysian style than Rashid Sidek.

Where Our Sport is Headed and What You Need To Know About it

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Published on by Anna Rice

Many of my articles have been focused on identifying the breakthroughs that have been made at the international level and how the average player can improve from this knowledge.

But what if we could get ahead of the curve rather than just being along for the ride?

What if we could bring our own revolutions into the game through prediction of how the game will change in the coming years?

Indeed this is what makes a Zhao Jianhua, a Peter Gade and a Lin Dan so special…they innovate and dare the world to catch up.

On that note, let’s make some predictions as to the coming developments of our game.

1)  The Need For Speed

Badminton will only get faster and faster.

I cannot find an example in our 75 years history of the game slowing down. Generations progress and we can reasonably guess that players will continue to ramp up the speed.

The game will become closer and closer to a whole court doubles game with more flat shots and aggressive play from both players.

The “Box Game” will become prevalent in singles but may not be so much of a factor as everyone will learn how to play. It will become like the slow rally game today…necessary to have but not good enough to win.

The speed of Lin Dan will become the average speed of the Top 200 players and the best athletes will possess an explosiveness and power unknown in the sport of badminton today.

It may be hard to imagine the game getting faster but players always find a way and with some of the young talents from Africa and South America rising to the top, I can attest that Badminton has some progress yet to be made.

2)  Bigger and Better Athletes

What is the biggest difference between Michael Jordan and Lin Dan?

10 inches in height and 100 pounds of muscle.

Otherwise they can both jump 40 inches, run ten kilometers in 28 minutes and move with extraordinary explosiveness.

Were Lin Dan bigger and stronger, it would only make him more deadly and there is evidence of athletes moving in this direction.

Dieter Domke of Germany is a perfect example of such a player who is 6”4” with agility and explosiveness. The result is an unstoppable attack that is only neutralized by his below average defense and tactical sense.

Dieter Domke might not be the chosen one but he is a sign of things to come.

Peter Koukal, Chen Long, Bjoern Joppien and Peter Kolding are all examples of physically superior individuals who can use their height and reach to dominate opponents and have only lacked the finer points in becoming the best in the world.

Once the Asian coaches get their hands on giants as seen in the NBA and NFL, Badminton will go the way of these professional sports and the game will get more competitive.

3)  Better Training

In 1970, if you were born a skinny kid, you remained a skinny player without power or strength. Eventually, we learned that you could train to change this attribute but it took a generation to learn.

In the 1990’s, if you were born with poor concentration or a bad attitude, you were labeled a troublemaker and a “mental case.” Today we know that sport psychology can transform even the most unruly child into a mentally tough competitor.

Training is developing all the time and in the future we will know how to correct any problem an athlete may have with the right program, equipment and preparation.

Today we still struggle to teach technique to a slow learner and it can be a challenge to incorporate exclusivity into a recreational player.

Fast forward a decade and it will be commonplace to instill all these international attributes into any level of player making the game more dynamic, competitive and fun at all levels.

4)  More Money, Honey.

With the Korea Open becoming Badminton’s first Million Dollar event and the BWF boasting a surplus close to 10 Million dollars, it is apparent that badminton is changing from a financial perspective.

Many players, who today might quit instead of pursuing the financial hardship of a badminton career may find sudden motivation in the available funds.

With sponsorship, business opportunity and participation rising to new levels in North America and Asia, badminton will change drastically and the sport will develop into a professional game comparable with many of the lucrative international Sports of today.

In preparation for the future, get training, start to revolutionize and when it happens don’t forget that I called it.

Citius, Altius Fortius in the motto of the Olympics and as an Olympic Sport, Badminton is sure to have a future that is Faster, Higher and Stronger.

The #1 Secret to Thinking Like A Pro Player

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Published on by Anna Rice

Everybody can recognize a TRUE Champion.

They have something about them. Something that is a little different than everyone else. The way they walk around the court, the way they play every shot.

It is as if they know for a fact that they are going to win, somehow…and they usually do.

A Champion has CONFIDENCE. 

It doesn’t matter which sport it is. It doesn’t matter at what level they play. It doesn’t matter what style they use or in which era they lived.

A Champion has CONFIDENCE.

But what is confidence, exactly? Is it the same as that player who struts around the court against weaker players, showing the world that they don’t care, especially when they are losing?

Is it the same as the player who guarantees everyone in the tournament that they will win his next round easily only to come off the court with a list of excuses why things did not work out?

Have you ever felt confidence before a match only to have that confidence shattered during the game?

If you know this feeling but cannot explain it, the answer is that you did not feel confidence. You had an EXPECTATION.

The difference is slight but it is what separates the champion and the rest of the field.

EXPECTATIONS are a specific outcome that you believe should happen.

CONFIDENCE is a belief that you will handle any situation that does happen.

Do you see the difference?

An EXPECTATION is a pre-determined thought as to how things SHOULD play out but what happens when anything goes different from your plan?

The Answer: Your Confidence is shattered.

Your brain judges that things are going wrong….that you are choking…that the world is unfair.

A true champion has no expectations. 

They are prepared to reach any level of play necessary to win. They are prepared to use any resource available to overcome today’s challenges. They do not doubt that they are capable of handling the situation.

Champions have high Confidence and no expectations.

Chokers have high expectations and no confidence.

If you have been performing inconsistently, get rid of those predictions about what should happen in your next match.

Be prepared for anything at anytime and believe that it is within your capacity to meet the challenge of the moment.

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