Analysing Performance - Badminton.

AS and A Level Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Analysing Performance

I will be analysing my performance in Badminton.

Badminton is one of the most well known games in the world. However, it is not well known at a competitive level, badminton demands many qualities from the player: speed, strength, agility, stamina, skills, accuracy, smartness, mental power and team work. To strike the shuttle at that speed requires enormous skill and power, gathering the strength of many muscles in the human body to choreograph a thundering smash. At the other end, returning the smash requires quick response and agility. A slight misjudgement will result in losing the point.

Great techniques and physical fitness alone is not enough to win a badminton game, a successful player must play smart. Using quick thinking to adapt his/her play to the opponent’s tactics and weaknesses. Using varying speed and position and deceptive plays to earn a edge over the opponent. In the court, the players are left on their own; help is not available from anyone. The player must maintain high concentration and will power; the game hasn't ended if the scoreboard doesn't say 15.

Here are some simplified laws and rules of Badminton:

Toss
The winner of the toss can elect to serve or receive in the first game, or to choose to play at a particular end of the court. The loser of the toss makes the remaining choice.

Basic Aim
You win a rally if you hit the shuttle over the net and onto the floor of the opposing side's court see court layouts opposite. You lose the rally if you hit the shuttle into the net, or over the net but outside of the opposing side's court. You also lose the rally if, for example, the shuttle touches you or your clothing, or if you hit it before it crosses the net.

Scoring
Matches comprise of the best of three games. Each game starts at 0-0 (traditionally called "love-all") if the serving side wins a rally; it scores a point, and serves again but from the alternate service court. If the receiving side wins the rally, the score remains unchanged and the service passes to the next player in turn. In singles, this is the opponent: in double it's either the partner or, if both players have just had a turn of serving, one of the opponents15 points wins a game. However, if the score reaches 14-14, the side, which first reached 14, can choose either to play to 15, or to set the game to 17 points. The final score will reflect the sum of the points won before setting plus the points gained in setting. Scoring in ladies' singles is slightly different. 11 points wins a game and there is the option to set to 13 points" at 10-10.

And Finally...
Players change ends at the end of a game and when the leading score reaches 8 (or 6 for ladies' singles) in the third game. A five-minute interval is allowed prior to any third game.

Badminton can either be played as single or doubles; here are some laws of singles:

Serving and receiving points.

The players shall serve from, and receive in, their respective right service courts when the server hasn't scored an even number of points in that game The players shall serve from, and receive in, their respective left service courts when the server has scored an odd number o f points in that game

The server and the receiver hit the shuttle alternately until a "fault" is made or the shuttle ceases to be in play.

Scoring and serving.

If the receiver makes a 'fault' or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

The server and the receiver hit the shuttle alternately until a "fault" is made or the shuttle ceases to be in play.

Scoring and serving.

If the receiver makes a 'fault' or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the receiver's court, the server scores a point. The server then serves again from the alternate service court.

If the server makes a "fault" or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the server's court, the server loses the right to continue serving and the receiver then becomes the server, with no point scored by either player.

My best serve is the low backhand because it nearly always works and my opponents told me afterwards that they were unable to return it. My weakest serve is the high forehand because I forget to bend my arm and this causes me to miss the shuttle. I improved it by practising it over and over until I got the hang of it more.

Some laws of Doubles:

At the start of a game, and each time a side gains the right to serve, the service shall be delivered from the right service court. Only the receiver shall return the serve: should the shuttle touch or be hit by the receiver's partner, it shall be a "fault" and the serving side scores a point.

Order of play and position on court.

After the service id returned, the shuttle may be hit by either player of the serving side and then by either player on the receiving side, and so on, until the shuttle ceases to be in play. After the service is returned, a player may hit the shuttle from any position on that player's side of the net.

Scoring and serving.

If the receiving side makes a "fault" or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the receiving side's court, the serving side scores a point and the server serves again. If the serving side makes a "fault" or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the serving side's court, the server loses the right to continue serving, with no point scored by either side.

Serving and receiving courts.

The player who serves at the start of any game shall serve from, or receiving, the right service court when that player's side hasn't scored an even number of points in that game, and the left service court when that player's side has scored an odd number of points in that game. The player who receives at the start of any game shall receive in, or serve from, the right service court when that player's side hasn't scored an even number of points in that game, and the left service court when that player's side has scored an odd number of points in that game. The reverse pattern shall apply to partners. In any game the right to serve passes consecutively from the initial server to the initial receiver, then to that initial receiver's partner, then to the opponent who is due to serve from the right service court, then to that player's partner and so on. No player shall serve out of turn, receive out of turn, or receive two consecutive services in the same game. Either player of the winning side may serve first in the next game, and either player of the losing side may receive.

I think my strengths in terms of shots in badminton are:

Kill

Technical aspects

~Shuttle at front at arms reach.

~Racket starts in front of the body.

~The hand must be "cooked" ready for the shot.

~It should be a strong tapping action executed with a flat racket face.

~The recovery of the racket should be a rebound on impact.

Self-evaluation

I found I did these quite well, my reason for thinking this is because my opponent couldn't return my hits. I did become better at these towards the end of the sessions because every week I would practise them.

Drop shot.

Technical aspect

~Shuttle should be high level with you or between you and the rear court.

~Racket in front of you with slightly bent wrists.

~Twist shoulders and trunk as if you are about to hit a clear.

~As you are about to execute the shot slow your racket head speed and try to drop the shuttle just over the net. ~Push action using a flat or glancing face.

~Follow through with the racket and shoulders to recover racket in front of body.

Tactical aspect

If the opposition has just returned a forehand clear which I had hit then they're at the back of the court and when playing a drop shot it's supposed to land just over the net the other players will not have enough time to receive this shot.

This shot is ATTACKING.

Self-evaluation

I have always used this shot when playing badminton because other players don't expect it, as it's not forehand I again found this shot easier than under arm play. Again there were some aspects, which I sometimes forgot to do such as follow through the racket and shoulders to recover my shot in front of my body. I found the exercise where we weren't allowed to move any further away from the net a lot of help because it made me realise that if I was standing in the right place I could fool my opponents every time which I started to do after that exercise.

Technique practise.

Smash Technical aspect

~Shoulders and body should be behind the shuttle on impact, with the shuttle up high.

~Racket should start in front of the body with partially bent wrist. ~Take up a sideways stance, twist your shoulders as you prepare to hit the shuttle.

~Use a forehand or multipurpose grip ~The action must be a whipping action with a flat racket for power.

~Follow through along the line of the shuttle..

Tactical aspects.

This shot is good at any time during the game and is often very affective, is mainly used though when the players have given space for the shuttle to land and when they are least expecting it, also often it should be used during a rally and hit it out of the blue. !

This shot is ATTACKING.

Self-evaluation!

I found this one of the hardest at first and couldn't get to grips with the straight arm and the sideways stance I kept bending my arm and the shot therefore wasn't as powerful as it should have been, but with practise it started to grow on me and I then began to improve my faults. Then once I had learnt it properly it was working and my opposition were not able to return my smash.

My general strengths are:

The serve is a strong point in my game and this helps allot as it’s the start of every game. My preparation is very good with correct positioning of the feet and grip. The low serve is my strongest point in the service, this is mainly because my shot positioning is at quite a high standard, this is due to me having good feet positioning allot of balance and my hand eye co-ordination is at a high standard this giving me good timing. The follow through is a very important part of the serve and I carry out. My serve is quite effective.
My net play is also another strong point to my game. I find my grip very natural and comfortable. My vision of the game is quite good and I always manage to prepare for the oncoming shot and I always retreat back to the centre after taking each shot this way I find it easier to return to any part of the court and give the opponent less attacking options, this making my footwork at quite a good standard. My recovery is a strong part of my game. Overall my net play is good and accurate.

I think my weaknesses are:

My fitness in general, I need to improve this if I want am going to play badminton at a higher standard, otherwise I will be stuck on same level of playing due to not having the capacity to play any harder or better.
My flexibility, I need to improve this if I am going to plays shots that need the arm to be stretched. If I don’t imprvove my flexibility then I wont be able to return shots coming away from me or above me. Flexibility will be particularly important for in badminton because I am at a height disadvantage, which means that I need to stretch further then I should have to, to hit the shuttlecock.
My agility, this

Training and Practice methods

To improve my game of Badminton I need to improve my fitness and flexibility. This should also improve speed and agility, whilst bettering my stamina.

For my fitness programme I will be training for badminton. I am interested in improving my aerobic fitness as the sport involves a lot of running but not really much long sprinting. Badminton does require sprinting but not for a long time. The method of fitness I have chosen for my programme is circuit training. I have chosen this because I believe that it will cover all the aspects of a badminton game. I can do short sprints to press – ups, these will all help my badminton game play.

The Method

For my fitness programme to be effective I will be following these principles:

Sport progression overload reversibility tedium

Here is why each of the above is important to my fitness programme:

Sport

I need to train for my own particular sport this is because the need for other sports will be different.

Progression

This is important because if I didn’t make my programme progressively more difficult I would only get a little fit and that would be it, when I progress my programme it will get harder as I go this is when I keep on getting fitter.

Overload

This is working harder than normal and our bodies’ will adapt in order to cope with this extra work and I will become fitter.

Reversibility

Reversibility is when we stop exercising and we lose our fitness, this is bad if someone is injured and can’t train as our bodies will adapted to not doing work and so you would become unfit. This only takes 3 to 4 weeks for this to happen.

Tedium

We should try to make our fitness programme as interesting as possible so as we don’t become bored of doing it.

The other principal I will use will be FITT; here is what it means:

Frequency Intensity Time Type

Frequency

We should train at least 3 times a week for around 20 minutes minimum. This gives our bodies time to recover after each session.

Intensity

We won’t improve our fitness unless we work hard enough for our bodies to adapt.

Time

This is important for me as I wish to improve my aerobic fitness, then my sessions should last for longer periods of time.

Type

The programme must develop the right fitness and skill.

My programme

As I am doing circuit training I have to choose what is going to be at each station. I will do 4 stations, as I believe this will cover the key areas of badminton. The 4 stations are as followed:

Station one:

Here I will do running of a distance of 7 metres because this is roughly the size of half a badminton court; I will run at three-quarter pace.

My programme will start quite easy with my rest periods long and the time I spend at each station low, the number of time I do each station is low too. Then I progress on to a harder week with the time I spend at each station longer. When I change the number of times I am at that station or the length of time I have to rest I only change one of these this is so I progress my fitness programme. Below is a table of my programme, it shows what I will do each week.