How Many Ways can You Smash in Badminton?
Doing a badminton smash is not all about swinging your entire shoulders, torso, wrist and hitting the ball as hard as you can. It's also about using the right type of smash and the appropriate time. But before i share with you what are the different types of smash, you must first understand what are the purposes of smashing.
Most people smash because
1) They want to try their luck at scoring a point
2) That's their only 'Weapon' to win the rally
3) That's the only thing can do!
Most people smash because
1) They want to try their luck at scoring a point
2) That's their only 'Weapon' to win the rally
3) That's the only thing can do!
Well those answers are partly right! But here are some of the other uses of using the smash.
- Create an opportunity for a net kill (Or a follow-up)
- Make your opponent stand further back, making the drop shot more effective
- Throw your opponent off balance
- Make your opponent fear to lift
- Surprise them with a sudden change of speed
Now bearing those objectives in mind, i’m sure you do realise the full smash doesn’t meet them all. Hence the creation of different types of smash to serve those objectives!
- Create an opportunity for a net kill (Or a follow-up)
- Make your opponent stand further back, making the drop shot more effective
- Throw your opponent off balance
- Make your opponent fear to lift
- Surprise them with a sudden change of speed
Now bearing those objectives in mind, i’m sure you do realise the full smash doesn’t meet them all. Hence the creation of different types of smash to serve those objectives!
Half Smash
The first variation of the smash is the half smash. It’s simply smashing with half ( More like ⅔ ) your strength!
And what this does is that makes it hard for your opponent to ‘get used’ to your smashing, sometimes losing control and defending the shuttle under the net or high enough for you to do the net kill.
The main point is that you don’t throw your body weight out of balance for that one smash, therefore you could recover and follow up faster.
However the downside to this move is that, your opponent has a window of opportunity to counterattack if they are ready for the half smash as it's less threatening.
And what this does is that makes it hard for your opponent to ‘get used’ to your smashing, sometimes losing control and defending the shuttle under the net or high enough for you to do the net kill.
The main point is that you don’t throw your body weight out of balance for that one smash, therefore you could recover and follow up faster.
However the downside to this move is that, your opponent has a window of opportunity to counterattack if they are ready for the half smash as it's less threatening.
Flick Smash
Next, I call it the flick smash. Involving your wrist, together with the forearm, this smash is used to catch people off guard with a sudden change of speed.
Because the range of motion is much smaller and more relaxed than a smash, it often gives the impression that you're going to do a drop shot, thus the element of surprise when you flick smash.
Now this move very commonly used by world class players when they suddenly change from a rallying game to an offensive game.
Because the range of motion is much smaller and more relaxed than a smash, it often gives the impression that you're going to do a drop shot, thus the element of surprise when you flick smash.
Now this move very commonly used by world class players when they suddenly change from a rallying game to an offensive game.
Slice Smash
This is the last smash that I'll be covering in this article.
Personally it's less seen nowadays in my hometown as compared to the past.
This involves hitting the shuttle at a certain angle causing it to create distinct different sound (Pretty hard to describe) and causes the shuttle to decelerate quicker than usual.
This shot is always aimed at the sides at a sharp angle, and if used well, the slicing sound, combined with the slowing effect and the deceptive slicing swing, will break your opponents timing and throw them off balance.
However since it has a slowing effect, at a higher level it works negative against players as a slower shuttle is much easily retrieve-able.
This concludes this lesson on Smashing! Hope this has helped you explore other ways of smashing and remember, practice makes perfect so though you may experience a dip in standards are trying out new techniques, but once you get the hang of it you'll experience a new high in your playing standard so keep smashing on!
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Personally it's less seen nowadays in my hometown as compared to the past.
This involves hitting the shuttle at a certain angle causing it to create distinct different sound (Pretty hard to describe) and causes the shuttle to decelerate quicker than usual.
This shot is always aimed at the sides at a sharp angle, and if used well, the slicing sound, combined with the slowing effect and the deceptive slicing swing, will break your opponents timing and throw them off balance.
However since it has a slowing effect, at a higher level it works negative against players as a slower shuttle is much easily retrieve-able.
This concludes this lesson on Smashing! Hope this has helped you explore other ways of smashing and remember, practice makes perfect so though you may experience a dip in standards are trying out new techniques, but once you get the hang of it you'll experience a new high in your playing standard so keep smashing on!
Return from
Badminton Smash
to
Badminton Techniques
Return from
Badminton Smash
to
Badminton Hub