How to become a Professional Badminton Player?
Here are a few tips and suggestions that will definitely help you to start your career as a professional badminton player.
Badminton is a fun sport and a great form of exercise. To be a knockout badminton player, you have to have lightning-fast feet, strong technique, and a cunning sense of strategy. If you already know how to play badminton but want to elevate your game, you will have to find a way to maximize your strengths and exploit your opponent's weaknesses.Taking inspiration from the legendary shuttlers, these badminton afficianados stay updated with the latest news and happenings, however, they do not know the right path to follow and become a sports prodigy. They do not know the ways to become a professional badminton player.
However, if an aspirant has explicit qualities, talent, skills and on the top of everything, the dedication and determination, then every path will lead to success. The most important question is how to become a professional badminton player. Here are a few tips and suggestions that will definitely help you to start your career as a professional badminton player. The things to follow, to become a professional player in badminton are vital to know.
Know the Game
Once you've learnt how to hold racket and how to hit shuttle with it, start learning the fundamentals of badminton. By this I mean the fundamental moves of how to move on the court, how to cover the court etc. Again, a badminton coach will be required here. Don't play with shuttle while practicing your footwork. Notice that you need to work on your basic fundamentals on regular basis.
Every badminton match has three games, and the players on each side require to win 21 points over the opponent. If the players on both sides of the net are robust and powerful, then the match can last from 40 minutes to 60 minutes sometimes. Now, to play a match, the players require high intensity as the most fierce rallies can go for eight to ten seconds sometimes. The badminton players have to run a lot in the court, to save their points. They also require swift movement on the court. The footwork and the handwork should be excellent and work in synchonization as they need to jump, run and smash the opponent with some impressive shots.To play a smash, one needs to endure a massive physical strength.
Practice how to serve
Service is a very important aspect in the game of badminton. You need to practice a lot how to serve. There are four different types of service namely
- low serve
- high serve
- flick serve and
- drive serve.
Always hit the center of the shuttle
You should hit the round rubber center, or the "sweet spot" of the shuttle every single time. You can practice this technique by looking right at the center of the shuttle when you hit an overhead shot. You can also practice with your hands to try to get a feel for the shuttle.
Hit the shuttle at the top of its arc
To benefit from the speed and height generated by the shuttle, hit it at the top of its arc. This will allow you to shoot a killer overhead and to have more control over the position of the shuttle. Don't wait for the shuttle to come close to you, or it will be losing momentum and height.
Always return to the middle of the court
Don't get out of position after you hit the shuttle. Return to the middle of the back of the court. This will make it more difficult for your opponent to run you around and to hit the shuttle in a place that you can't reach. Standing in the middle of the court while moving your feet and preparing for the next shot will place you in the "position of readiness.
Hit the shuttle toward the back line
Hitting the shuttle toward the back line takes precision and strength, and it will make your opponent have to shuffle backwards and hit the shuttle with a considerable amount of strength to return your shot. If you're not sure where to hit the shuttle next, and the back line is wide open, aim it there. At the beginning, aim the shuttle a bit before the back line so you don't commit a fault if it falls out of bounds behind the back line.
Practice your footwork
Squat jump - Put both hands at your back, then bend your knees as low as you can. Then, jump as high as you can. Do this exercise in 10 reps. This exercise will make your knees and core stronger, so that in the match, you can make a perfect jumping smash.
Agility ladder - There are variety of exercise you can do with this equipment. It will not only help you to improve your footwork, it also helps you to improve your endurance as well.
Lunges - Some people hate to do this exercise, but this actually helps you to build muscle on your legs, especially your quad. I would recommend you guys to do 10 reps jump front lunges and also 10 reps side lunges. Make sure you make big lunges when you are doing it. This will help you to take the shuttle easily, especially on the front court. Do not forget to do it in right techniques as well.
Shadow footwork around the court (with or without shuttle) - Once you have mastered how to take the shuttle in every corner on the court. Get a partner or a coach to help you to point on a corner on the court, then perform the footwork towards the point that has been pointed by him/her.
Practice the short serve
Whether you're playing singles or doubles, the short serve will catch your opponent off guard. He won't be expecting it, and may not be able to run up to return the serve in time. To hit the short serve, you shouldn't just hit the shuttle really lightly, or it will fall on your side of the court. Instead, hit it at a higher contact point and drop it closer to the racket instead of in front of the racket.
Understand your opponent's game
When you're playing a new opponent, whether it's at a competition or during a friendly game at a family outing, you should assess your opponent's game even while you're warming up. You should look for a few main things: if your opponent is more of an aggressive or defensive player, if his forehand or backhand is his dominant shot, and any weaknesses, such as slow footwork or weak drop shot returns, that you can exploit.
Physical Capabilities
If a person is signing in for a sport and is willing to devote the entire life to the game, then he also needs to work on their physical knacks. He needs to be excellent in his physical, tactical and psychological frivolities. The hands and legs of players need to be as fast as their mind.
Exercise should be a must in the routine of a badminton aspirant and he should follow a proper diet to maintain his body weight and fitness. The elite badminton players require to have a marvellous athletic ability, agility, flexibility and strength.
Dexterous Skillset
The sport of badminton requires an elite shuttler to be amazingly tactical. It means that, apart from an excellent athletic body and rapid movement, the player should be a genius. The visual fitness is absolutely essential, to observe every movement of the nemesis and the shuttlecock. At the same time, it is necessary for a shuttler to read the mind of his opponent. He should know the play and understand psyche of the opponent. Accordingly, he should respond, considering all the situations. This requires one to blend the strategy with the actions of the nemesis to play the game tactically.
There are a good range of strokes which a player should learn to play. There are a number of shots and smashes such as short serve, jump smash, etc. Apart from this, the coordination of the hands, wrist and shoulder is extremely crucial for playing a good game.
The accuracy should be outstanding and since badminton is among the fastest sports in the world, only an exceptional player can survive the game and extraordinary can win the Olympics.
The Right Equipment
Badminton requires a plenty of equipments that help a player to perform well. A player should be well aware of the best racquets which are suitable for him. Also, the sports shoes are very essential for the footwork. So the right quality and material are essential for the shoes.
Get the best Coach
The role of a coach or a trainer in the badminton career of an elite shuttler is very essential. There are many elite players such as Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Srikanth Kidambi, who are trained extensively under the guidance of ex- All England Badminton Champion Pullela Gopichand. All three have unparalleled talent and skills and they have achieved innumerable crucial and major tournaments. So it is really very necessary to have an excellent coach.
The badminton enthusiasts can get admission to the badminton training academies, to learn the game better and get skilled.
Practice makes perfect
The practice of the sport is very necessary. Even if you are getting trained by the best coach in the world, you need to practice. If a player fails to practice, he or she will not be able to excel in the game. A skilled player can practice for about 8 hours a day. The game requires dedication towards it. The more hardwork and strenuous training that a player will undergo, the abundant and better outcomes one will reap.
Daily practice every single sort of shot during your warm-up like the simple drop shot, cross-court drop, body smash, simple smash, different services etc.
After practicing these 5 points very well on a regular basis, start playing regular practice matches with other good players. In a very short time, you'll be able to play a very good game if you stick to the basics.
The Right Age
There is no right time or age to follow a passion, but when it comes to the game of badminton, a person needs to embark early. The profession of being a badminton player cannot start in the twenties or thirties like other professions.
Every sport demands some time, so that the player can understand everything about it. There are plenty of protocols in a sport that are required to be followed. A person has to learn the different techniques that are required to work on the skills. An enthusiast is also obliged to learn about different shots. Everything needs time so it is extremely vital to start at an early age.
What else can you do?
If you are willing to be a professional badminton player, then you can watch the videos of the most thrilling and exciting matches. In such matches, you can see how to use the footwork, racquet, etc. You can also adopt the tactics of the players in various situations.
