Three Ways To Help Improve Your Skill With A Badminton Racket
If you're just taking up badminton, you've no doubt discovered how athletic you really need to be to play a serious game. While it's always possible to just have a friendly back-and-forth with a family member, tossing the shuttlecock across a net at slow speeds, it's usually much more fun to have a real game where you try to hit, run, and turn as you'd have to on a professional court.
Badminton is known as the fastest racket game around -- literally, as the fastest shuttlecock speed on record is over 200 miles per hour, much faster than the fastest tennis ball speed -- and being able to play well means working on your fitness in addition to practicing the game itself. Here are three things you can do to improve your game.
Stretches and Using Hand Weights for Arm Strength
You've got to put some power into those hits, and increasing your arm strength and flexibility is key. Those rackets look skinny and light, but they become precision instruments when used with strength. Work on your arm muscles like your biceps, as well as your shoulder muscles, by lifting hand weights or going to a gym to use strength-training machines. Remember your triceps and pectoral muscles, too; a rowing machine is always a good option for a combination of cardio work and arm strength training. Stretch your arms and shoulders, too.
Arm Speed
Your strength and flexibility will help you more if you can use them quickly. Wall drills, where you just try to hit a shuttlecock against a sturdy wall or a wall-like target, can help you increase the speed with which you can reach and return the shuttlecock. Be aware that the shuttlecock can cause damage if your hits are powerful -- while light, the tip of a shuttlecock is definitely solid enough to dent flimsy materials when hit with enough force. If you aren't near a wall that can withstand that force, take the racket and try shadow volleys, swinging the racket as quickly as you can.
Stamina
Because of the speed of the game, you have to run back and forth across a court side constantly. This is not like tennis where you can often take time to see where your opponent is going to hit the ball back to you. The movement on a badminton court is also very jerky and stop-and-go. Interval running is a good choice that allows you to work on changing your speed while strengthening your lungs and ability to keep playing for longer amounts of time.
If you want more tips on improving your game and using the racket more easily, talk to sports stores and badminton suppliers. They may also have connections to teams and clubs in your area where you could go to get additional training. Click here for more information on badminton rec sets.
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