CLEARING WITH THE FOREHAND

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

(illustration borrowed from badminton.chorwong.com)

The forehand clear is one of the most versatile strokes in badminton. It can be used for defense, in which case it is called a "defensive clear." One can also attack with it, making it an "offensive clear." Yet again, players normally use it for warm-up before games. A "warm-up clear"? And beginners probably think it is the only stroke in badminton. I hope the following steps will help illustrate the stroke (note: for lefties, just reverse the movement):

1. As you see the birdie coming, position yourself by moving your right foot to the back and shifting your weight into it. Make sure the right foot is not alined directly behind the left foot as this will cramp your movement. The toes of your right foot should be pointing a little to the right. At the same time twist your body to the right so that you are now almost facing sideways to the net. See illustration (1) above.

2. While doing the above step, you will at the same time raise your arms above your shoulders with the left one leading in front (acting as a balancer) and the right arm behind, where your racquet is. The racquet should be held with the forehand grip (see previous posting on grips). See illustration (1) above.

3. Hit the birdie by bringing your right hand with the racquet to the front in a swinging motion (more on this). At the same time that you do this you will also turn/twist your body to the left and in the process shift your weight to the left foot. This will also make the toes of your right foot face to the front.

The swing or stroke is done by (a) swiftly dropping the head of your racquet behind your back so that you are holding the handle with the tip pointing upward [See illustration (2) above] (b) then immediately raise the racquet head by snapping your forearm up, locking your elbow, and twisting your wrist toward the direction of the birdie until the string bed of your racquet hits it in mid-air [see illustration (3) and (4) above] (c) continue the natural movement of your swing downward after hitting the birdie until your racquet head ends to either the left or right side of your body (follow-through) [see illustration (5) above]. These steps are all done in one swift motion and should not be done one at a time. The whole stroke is only broken down in steps for instructional purpose.

Also, you will do this stroke (all three steps) simultaneously with the twisting forward or turning to the left of your body. In other words, the turning or twisting of the body to the left, shifting of your weight to the left foot and the stroke are all done at the same time.

A little note about the above illustration: you will see that as the figure is about to strike the birdie the right foot is brought forward. This could also be done and can add forward thrust to your shot. Also you will notice that the birdie is hit directly above the head. This shows a situation where the birdie went pass the ideal hitting zone (to be discussed in the following paragraphs).

In executing this move, bear the following points in mind:

1) Your ideal hitting zone (where your racquet hits the birdie) should be above and infront of you, more or less about an arm's length away. They call this hitting at 11 o'clock.

2) Hit the birdie head on and at the highest point possible (meaning, at the highest point your racquet can make contact). The raising of the arms above shoulder level, discussed above, in preparation for the shot helps tremendously in achieving this. It helps you avoid hitting the shuttle late.

One of the most common mistakes for beginners - even among old timers with bad habits - is hitting the shuttle low. The importance of hitting high is to give you more shot options and steeper trajectory when smashing. It also allows you to send the birdie deep into the other end of the court.

3) Your swing should be just above your shoulder, not above your head (unless doing an overhead shot) nor away from your shoulder. If your swing is away from your shoulder because the birdie is way to the right by failing to position yourself properly, it will have lesser power and could hurt your shoulder.

4) Remember to always have a relaxed grip, tightening it only when your racquet hits the birdie.

5) Timing is important. You won't be able to hit the birdie if you swing early or late. Most of the time beginners swing too early and kapow! the birdie lands on their heads.

6) Most of the time, especially in doubles, you won't be able to do the whole steps outlined here, such as the twisting of the body to the right and back to the left, leaving you only with the swing. This happens because of the fast pace of the game or you are late in positining yourself. So good footwork becomes important to get you into position early so that you will be able to do the whole range of motion for that winning shot.

Now, if all these sound too abstract or complex to you and have difficulty imagining and understanding the moves because I am a lousy writer, I suggest you click on the following link and see a video of how the forehand clear is executed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHHPaVYcfII.

SHUTTLER NOTES - RP badminton team to be trained by an Indonesian

The Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) has reportedly hired an Indonesia national to train the Philippine national badminton team. Indra Setiawan, who has been around the country training players in private badminton clubs, has been tapped to prepare our national team for the coming South East Asian Games (SEAG).

While Indonesia is home to some of the world's top badminton players, among them 2004 Olympic gold medalist in the men's singles event Taufik Hidayat, I doubt the wisdom of this move. Unlike in basketball, where we also get foreign coaches for the PBA, it doesn't seem right to hire a foreign national whose country is one of the countries to beat when it comes to badminton. We don't know the extent of this Indra Setiawan's nationalism, but I would suppose he wouldn't want his country to be overtaken by us - although this may be a farfetched dream for now - in the field of badminton. He might not train our players to the highest level given the possible competition.

Besides, we got our own crop of good coaches in badminton like Errol Chan, never mind his ego, and Butch Oreta, who have devoted their lives in the development of the sport. I'm sure there are still others. What we need is support from the government or even the private sector to develop our players into top shuttlers. Instead of spending so much on foreign coaches (I heard this Setiawan guy will get around P100,000.00 monthly salary) why not do the same for our worthy kababayans?

By the way, I've read a thread on the badminton central forum that Setiawan did not even become a national player in Indonesia. The info may be wrong, but my opinion remains the same.

A WORD ABOUT GRIPS

(pictures borrowed from samyjk2009.wordpress.com)


Before even attempting to hit the birdie it is important that you learn how to handle your racquet. This proper handling is called a grip. For me this is a misnomer because you don't really grip the racquet, for to grip means to hold on to something tight. You should hold your racquet in a relaxed but firm manner; a tight grip (sounds redundant huh?) prevents you from allowing the racquet to play in your hands that gives it extra movement to help you in delivering a powerful shot or flexibility in experimenting with different and deceptive shots. A relaxed grip allows your racquet greater range that makes for a great stroke or shot.


But don't get me wrong, for while it is essential to have a relaxed grip you must tighten it at the point of impact with the birdie to impart more power to your shot and to prevent your racquet face from turning in the wrong direction. Renowned former Philippine badminton team coach Butch Oreta analogizes the importance of suddenly tightening your grip in a vise-like manner at the very moment of impact to a moving car that suddenly stops; the sudden braking imparts a strong forward force.


Okay let's go to the grips now. There are basically two types of grips that every badminton player should learn: (1) forehand grip (2) backhand grip. The forehand grip, shown on the second picture above, is to be used for all forehand strokes - meaning those that you make at or about the right side of your body while facing the net. The backhand grip, shown on the first picture above, is to be used for all backhand strokes - meaning those that you make at or about the left side of your body while facing the net and at the right side of your body with your back facing the net.


As seen on the picture, in the forehand grip your hand is like shaking the hand of someone forming a "V" between your thumb and forefinger. Try to spread your forefinger away from the other fingers and curl it around the racquet handle to provide extra support as seen on angle 2 in the forehand grip picture. Do not, as a lot of beginners do, extend your forefinger as if pointing.


In the backhand grip the extended thumb is resting on the flat side of the racquet's handle. As you might have noticed already after holding a racquet, its handle has two wide flat sides (opposite each other) and two narrow flat sides (also opposite each other) with bevels (slanted sides) connecting all four sides. When in a forehand grip one wide flat side rests against your palm while your fingers are wrapped on one of the narrow flat sides and on the other wide flat side. When in a backhand grip, your extended thumb rests on one of the wide flat sides (angles 2 and 3 of the backhand grip picture) while the inside of your fingers are wrapped around the other wide flat side and one of the narrow flat sides (angle 1 of the backhand grip picture).


It is important to learn how to switch from the forehand to the backhand grip. You'll need this in the course of the game as when the birdie suddenly moves to the left side of your body while in a forehand grip or vice versa. To do the switch from forehand to backhand, while in a forehand grip twist the racquet handle clockwise (for right handers) or counter-clockwise (for lefties) with your gripping hand so that it turns and your thumb rests on one of the wide flat sides of the handle. You will appreciate here the importance of not having a tight grip, because it will be hard or will require extra time to do the turning of the racquet handle. Remember even a millisecond delay may prove vital in the middle of a game. Do the opposite twist to go back to the forehand grip.


Practice doing this switching so that it becomes second nature to you. You could do it while watching TV or better yet, try hitting the birdie against a wall (walling) alternately from the right side and from the left side of your body, remembering to switch grip as you move from hitting with a forehand grip from the right side to hitting from the left side or vice versa.


As a final tip, you might want to find a neutral grip, meaning the grip that you are most comfortable with while waiting for the birdie to cross your court or while on a ready stance. It should be the grip from which you can easily switch to the necessary grip to deliver an effective shot or defend against an oncoming attacking shot. It may be a forehand, backhand or a variation of either, but the most important thing is it should prepare you to deliver the best shot.

SHUTTLER NOTES - Philippine Open coming this June

After being shelved last year to avoid low turnout of participants as a result of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, the official badminton body Philippine Badminton Association (PBA), headed by former first lady Amelita "Ming" Ramos, has announced that it will push through with the Philippine Open badminton tournament this coming June.

The Philippine Open is an international tournament being hosted by the Philippines, which started in 2006. In 2007, top players from the country and around the world participated in this much anticipated event, wherein 2008 Olympic silver medalist Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia bested one of China's top players Chen Hong in men's singles.

BEGINNING BADMINTON

So now you have decided you like badminton. The question is what's next? Whether you are playing badminton just for the sweat of it or to become a serious player, here are a few things that might prove helpful:


Your Getup


Your clothes should allow freedom of movement. Short pants and short-sleeved shirts are recommended for both men and women, although women can wear skirts similar to those being worn by tennis players. It does not hurt to invest in clima cool, dri-fit shirts being carried by popular sporting apparel company since these help make you dry and cool, especially in our hot tropical climate - that is, if you have the money to shell. But whatever is your preference the most important thing is your comfort, although wearing something simple and respectable at the same time isn't a bad idea.


Shoes are important. Since badminton is an indoor game and so as not to mess your club's court floor, you should wear shoes which have non-marking rubber soles, preferably gum sole shoes. There are shoes especially made for badminton, like those made by Yonex, Mizuno, Asics, or even by Adidas, Nike and Wilson. Squash and indoor volleybal shoes have much the same features as badminton shoes as in fact a lot of sellers advertise them for both badminton and these other sports. Correct shoes are important because they protect you from injury, such as sprain ankles, arch and heel pains. Make sure the shoes you're buying have good ankle, arch and heel support.

The Equipment

Your basic equipment are a racquet and shuttlecocks or birdies. The type of racquet you buy depends on your skill level, but since this is about beginning badminton it is obviously intended for beginners. Please, for your own good, do not buy racquets sold in pairs packaged with birdies that are usually found in department or grocery stores. These racquets are the two-piece types (the racquet frame is not one whole continuous piece from the shaft to the head) and are heavy, which will hurt your wrist and arms. Buy your racquet (one-piece type) from sporting goods store where you will find a huge selection from cheap to expensive ones. Cheaper ones may be heavier than the expensive types, but certainly not as heavy as the two-piece types.


If you are so minded, you might also want to consider the string tension which is measured in terms of pounds. As a rule, a lower tension is recommended for beginners with undeveloped or weak wrists (badminton uses a lot of wrist). A lower tension string adds power to your swing because of the so-called "trampoline effect"; the soft strung racquet gives more bounce to the birdie upon contact. For seasoned players, however, since they have already developed strong wrists they don't need a lower stringed racquet to aid them in delivering powerful shots, which explains why they usually have high tension strung racquets. But if you have powerful wrists, such as tennis players who are used to considerably heavier racquets, a high strung racquet might just work fine for you. The benefit of such racquet is the control it imparts. If the tension of your racquet string is low or loose, the additional bounce it imparts on the birdie makes it harder to control especially when doing net shots.


Training


Even if you only want to have a recreation and exercise, it is helpful to learn some of the basics of badminton. Only when you can do the basic moves that you get to enjoy the game more and get some sweat running down your body. The people you see in court who seem content on just hitting the birdie back and forth may soon get worn down by the exercise because it eventually becomes monotonous. If you're getting into the sport, might as well do it right even if you've no intention of becoming a pro. I promise you you will enjoy your game more!


At least you should learn the correct grips, forehand and backhand swings, and a little footwork. Of course, you can't play a game without knowing the rules.


Physical Conditioning

Badminton requries stamina, speed, flexibility, agility and strength. Stamina gives you endurance to last a game; speed to get to the birdie; flexibility to reach tight spots; agility to make sudden changes in direction or movement; and strength to impart power to your shots. You don't have to be in olympic condition to play badminton, though, especially if you only want to become a recreational player. But at least make an effort to develop these attributes if you want an enjoyable game.


Before playing any game or even just playing hit birdie back-and-forth, it is important to stretch and warm up. Be sure to stretch your legs, arms and torso to avoid injuries. The same thing is true of warm up; warm up your body to get your circulation going and limber up so that your tissues become ready for the battering they'll get. After the game it is also important to cool down gradually. Don't just sit down after a game. Allow a few minutes to settle your body by doing brisk walking around the court. You don't want to overwhelm your heart by suddenly stopping bodily movements after an intense game.


Stretch also to avoid muscle pains later on, although as a beginner you will surely experience muscle pains the following day because you will have woken up many of your before unused, sleeping tissues, especially if you're a potato couch or have been living a sedentary lifestyle. Equally important is that you consult your doctor if you are physically fit for undertaking strenuous physical activities before deciding everything else.

Hydration

Do not forget to keep yourself hydrated before, during and after your game. This is especially important during summers or high temperatures. Your body needs fluids and getting dehydrated may prove serious, even fatal. Be sure to drink water or high electrolyte fluids, such as power drinks. These types of drinks are highly recommended as they provide better supply of electrolytes in your body that you lose fast during games. Be careful not to drink too much water after a tiring game as you may suffer from water intoxication or hyponatremia. You may have heard of an American cyclist who died drinking too much water during a race. Drink water in moderation.


Well, I guess that pretty much covers your start. I wish you a fun and healthy game; happy smashing!!!

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

If you are asking why I made this blog, the title of this premiere post pretty much answers it: for the love of the game. I've been a badminton fanatic - baddict (badminton + addict) is more like it - for a long time now, and I figured it won't hurt if I put in my two cents worth on badminton, not to mention the fact that I get to occupy myself with a worthwhile advocacy for something I like to do.

Badminton's growth in the Philippines has been phenomenal. It's rare to see a town or city where there's no badminton court; they have literally sprouted like mushrooms everywhere in the country. Sad to say though this emerging popularity and newfound enthusiasm in the sport have yet to translate into world or even regional standing among our top players. Like in other sports we are into, there is that lack of funding and support from both the public and private sectors that will propel and sustain the efforts of those who excel in the sports into success in major pro tournaments. This will somewhat be a small voice speaking to those who will see the importance of badminton as an emerging national sport where, despite our physical limitations, could get a shot at being among the best, if not in the world at least in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Finally, this blog hopes to network with different players, both here and abroad, for the exchange of information, techniques, and other important developments in badminton to make us more informed, better players. Now if you have nothing else to do after reading this blog, don't waste your time; gear up and see you in court!