I am currently reading a book on a detailed analysis of some of the pro’s badminton techniques. The analysis is given by Japan’s Kenichi Tago, who is the finalist of the 2010 All England men’s singles. He was eventually beaten by world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia. Please bear in mind that this is merely translation of what I have read. Nevertheless, I hope it can be of benefit to whoever reads it.
The first part discusses about the front court lob, using China’s Lin Dan as the model player. The front court lob itself is a shot played in response to an opponent’s net shot or drop shot to the front court. When playing this shot, one needs to keep the backswing motion as minimal as possible, to make it difficult for the opponent to guess whether it is going to be a hairpin net shot or a lob. One thing that one should pay attention to is to react quickly and use efficient footwork to comfortably get under the shuttle. Even in difficult conditions (such as reaching the shuttle late), one should try to use the same swinging motion to deceive the opponent.
The front court lob is an excellent play to defend while looking for opportunities to gain the upper hand. The lob gives sufficient time to prepare for the next shot. And whenever the opponent’s reply is weak, one can be fully ready to take the advantage. Furthermore, as stated before, since the action during the shot is a very concise one, the opponent will not be able to directly guess what shot is going to be played (a lob or net play), thus making the shot even more effective.
Normally, when lunging for the execution of this shot, all of the center of gravity is transferred to the advancing racket foot. However, in the case of Lin Dan, with his speed, the center of gravity is also shared with the rear (non racket) foot, thus making it a less difficult and quicker task to return to the base position. The key here is speed and effectiveness of the footwork to reach the shuttle. Lin Dan’s speed is one of the reasons why he is one of the best in the world.
One of the exercises that can be done to improve the footwork needed to execute this technique is to do zigzag lunges, while trying to maintain the center gravity at the rear non racket foot. This exercise can be done anywhere, and will definitely improve one’s footwork.
The first part discusses about the front court lob, using China’s Lin Dan as the model player. The front court lob itself is a shot played in response to an opponent’s net shot or drop shot to the front court. When playing this shot, one needs to keep the backswing motion as minimal as possible, to make it difficult for the opponent to guess whether it is going to be a hairpin net shot or a lob. One thing that one should pay attention to is to react quickly and use efficient footwork to comfortably get under the shuttle. Even in difficult conditions (such as reaching the shuttle late), one should try to use the same swinging motion to deceive the opponent.
The front court lob is an excellent play to defend while looking for opportunities to gain the upper hand. The lob gives sufficient time to prepare for the next shot. And whenever the opponent’s reply is weak, one can be fully ready to take the advantage. Furthermore, as stated before, since the action during the shot is a very concise one, the opponent will not be able to directly guess what shot is going to be played (a lob or net play), thus making the shot even more effective.
Normally, when lunging for the execution of this shot, all of the center of gravity is transferred to the advancing racket foot. However, in the case of Lin Dan, with his speed, the center of gravity is also shared with the rear (non racket) foot, thus making it a less difficult and quicker task to return to the base position. The key here is speed and effectiveness of the footwork to reach the shuttle. Lin Dan’s speed is one of the reasons why he is one of the best in the world.
One of the exercises that can be done to improve the footwork needed to execute this technique is to do zigzag lunges, while trying to maintain the center gravity at the rear non racket foot. This exercise can be done anywhere, and will definitely improve one’s footwork.
