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How to Play a great smash in the game of badminton?

By: Esme
Date: 04 Jun, 2018
Image Courtesy: Badminton Photo

A badminton smash is the most potent and one of the strongest power moves of all badminton shots. There is almost no defense against a well-executed smash. It can be played both on the forehand and backhand sides.

 

The world's fastest badminton smash was 332kph (206mph), hit by Fu Haifeng of China in 2005, though even faster smash speeds of over 400kph (250mph) have been recorded unofficially during smash speed tests used for promotional purposes.

In badminton singles, the smash is not often used. It is only used when you are sure of a weak return. Read more on fundamental badminton rules here

In badminton doubles, you can smash more often as it's your partner's job to cover the strong returns!

Basically a smash is shot hit with power and speed downwards on to your opposite court. The angle and the steepness of the shuttle's trajectory will make it hard for your opponent to retrieve. The steeper the angle, lesser the reaction time for opponent to react.

The technique for smashing is very similar to serving in tennis or throwing a ball overarm.


How to Smash Effectively?

The process of smashing involves three steps.

  •         moving into position
  •              preparing for the shot and
  •             hitting the smash.

 1. The Opponent-Ready Position: Footwork

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It hit the right shot, it’s very important that you are in position in the right time. You need to take to time to center your balance before your smash

 

2. The Alert Position: Attack

To smash concentrate on relaxing muscles and use a relaxed forehand grip.

Stand sideways, the body alignment should be perpendicular to the direction you wish to smash.

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If you are positioned correctly, you should be standing so that the shuttlecock would drop down the back of your neck, were you to let it fall.

 

 3. Hitting the Smash

The key principle is to maximize the acceleration of the racket and the momentum of your bodyweight.

While you hit, your non-racket arm should be holding the shuttlecock and is pointed up in the air. While your racket arm should also be raised with your elbow bent and your wrist unlocked, so your racket is pointing upwards'.

Image Courtesy: Hub Pages


You should start the smash movement with your non-racket arm, which should start off pointing toward the shuttlecock. As it moves forward and downward, your shoulders will rotate.

As your shoulders rotate, you should simultaneously start to step forward and swing your forearm forward, so that your racket arm and racket leg are moving forward at the same time.

As your forearm swings forward, you should ‘cock’ your wrist, tilt it backward so that your racquet is pointing downward rather than upward. Your elbow should also turn so that your racket is pointing behind your back.

Image Courtesy: Hub Pages


Then as you swing your arm forward, you should rotate your forearm around and straighten your elbow so that your arm straightens out as you ‘throw’ the racket toward the shuttlecock.

 Just before impact you should flick your wrist, generating extra speed as the racket hits the shuttlecock. The shuttlecock should hit the center of the racket, with the racket flat to the shuttlecock at the point of impact. The racket should face downward so that the shuttlecock flies at a steep downward angle over the net.

The point of impact should be slightly in front of you. Keep your arm and racket outstretched so that you hit the shuttlecock as high in the air as possible without your arm being hyper-extended–there should still be a slight bend in your elbow to avoid the possibility of injury.

Image Courtesy: Hub Pages


After you hit the shuttlecock, your racket should continue downward as if it had just hit through the shuttlecock and is continuing its trajectory.

Your racket should follow through in an arc and come to rest near your non-racket leg so that your racket arm crosses your body. Once you have completed this arc, and will continue to move your racket until it stops by the other leg.

A good follow-through maintains your racket speed as you hit the shuttlecock so that you put the maximum force into the impact. You should be hitting 'through' the shuttlecock.

 


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