Smash Secrets Ebook
Smash Secrets Ebook
Smash Secrets Ebook
Preface
Picture this. You’re playing badminton at your local club in an That’s exactly why I’ve created this ebook, I want to make sure this
intense game against your rival. The score has been neck and neck never happens to you again.
the entire time, but after a fierce battle you get to match point. You
mentally prepare yourself, proceed to serve and the rally begins. Your If you implement the tips in here and do the training drills, I
opponent hasn’t given up and fights back hard. After a grueling guarantee you’ll be able to take your smash to the next level.
exchange, you get the upper hand and you force your opponent to do However, this requires your complete focus. You can’t just skim read
a high lift. Your heart beats. You know what to do. This is your half the ebook and expect to see results. The badminton smash is an
chance! You position yourself to win the game, about to unleash your advanced and complicated shot; it can’t be explained in a few lines.
killer smash - the same smash you’ve seen Lee Chong Wei do You will need to follow all the advice in this ebook if you want to
hundreds of times. But then, something strange happens… succeed.
Instead of firing the smash that secures your victory, the shuttle And the best thing is, I’m giving this ebook away for free! Why am I
moves lazily and slowly to the opponent’s side of the court. doing this? As a badminton coach and player for multiple years, I’ve
Something is not quite right; your opponent easily defends the shot always loved helping others and seeing them improve their
and your dreams are crushed. The shot that you played was not the badminton skills. By releasing this ebook for free, I can help people
shot that you had visualised in your head! Maybe you hit the net, all over the world improve their badminton game and develop their
mistimed the shot or just straight up couldn’t smash as hard as you smash. If you found this ebook useful, all I ask for in return is that
wanted to. Either way your opponent seizes the opportunity, recovers you email me at [email protected] to say thank you.
from his weak lift and goes on to win the game. I love seeing the impact I have on my badminton players, and
helping others makes me happy.
Damn! If only I nailed that smash…
Watching the pros play badminton, the way that they smash is
Does this sound familiar? If so, don’t worry, we’ve all been there. inspiring. The crisp sound, razor accurate precision, and of course
the ferocious speed. This ebook reveals the secrets they’re using that
you don’t know about. While I can’t promise you’ll be able to beat Lin
Dan after reading this ebook, you will be smashing harder than you
ever have done. If that interests you, keep reading…
Warning! You might smash a hole into the ground after reading this
ebook.
About the Author
Jonathan Tang has been playing badminton for over 10 years. Upon
reaching the minimum age requirement of 16, he became a
Badminton England UKCC qualified badminton coach. Since then he
has helped countless badminton players develop their skills.
To see more content from Jonathan, visit his YouTube Channel here:
Swift Badminton School.
You should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in the exercise.
Jonathan Tang is not a licensed medical care provider and represents that it has no expertise in diagnosing,
examining, or treating medical conditions of any kind, or in determining the effect of any specific exercise on a
medical condition.
You should understand that when participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of
physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are
voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge
Jonathan Tang from any and all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of Jonathan Tang
negligence.
Section 1……………..………………Why Can’t I Smash Hard?
Section 2…………………………..……………...…..………………….Grip
Section 3………………..………………..………….Overhead Stroke
Section 4…………………………………………….Secret Ingredient
Section 5………………………………………………………………Squeeze
Section 6…………………………………………….………Contact Point
Section 7…………………………….………………………………………Legs
Section 8………………………….……………………Where to Smash
Section 9…………………………….……………..……………..Exercises
Section 10…………………………………………….………………….Drills
Section 11………………………….…...…………….…….What Next?
Section 1 – Why Can’t I Smash Hard?
Lee Chong Wei holds the world record for fastest badminton smash are left wondering what we’re doing wrong. This one thing is so
in competition - a whopping 417 km/h! important, I would go as far as saying that it’s impossible to smash
properly without it.
Obviously Lee Chong Wei is a badminton legend, but how is he
capable of smashing at such breathtaking speeds? Sure, he’s in great The good news is, this ebook will reveal the secret ingredient. Once
shape, but he’s definitely not the strongest person in the world. you know it, you’ll be able to instantly implement it into your game.
In fact, most badminton pros aren’t particularly muscular, but are all But before I reveal what it is, I need to go over some basic technical
capable of firing smashes that would make your head spin. details. This secret ingredient can only be used if you have the
correct foundation.
The secret? It’s all in the technique.
Technique is the number one factor that determines how hard you
can smash. In my time as a coach, I’ve met plenty of players who
have been seeking to improve the power of their smash. This makes
sense, as there’s nothing more beautiful than firing that perfect
smash to win the point. But these players often look everywhere,
except for the one thing that really matters. Yes, spending all your
time in the gym is going to be a complete waste of time if you haven’t
first looked at your technique.
The truth is, there’s one simple technique ‘trick’ that is the real
source of power. I call it the secret ingredient. Players who know it
are able to consistently play powerful smashes, while the rest of us
Before we talk about the correct forehand grip, let’s talk about some
The grip is the single most important thing to do correctly
common mistakes I see. Remember, over 80% of players are using
in badminton. It is the foundation of every shot you will ever play;
one of these two grips, so carefully check your own grip to see if this
a bad grip will haunt you for the rest of your badminton career. You
is familiar.
need a strong foundation in order to create a great building. In
badminton, the foundation is your grip. Without a grip, even the
most majestic of buildings would crumble.
This grip doesn’t look so bad, but it stops you from being able to hit While the other grip is bad because it stops you from generating
powerful overhead shots. The issue here is the player is holding the power, this one is straight up dangerous! If you use this grip when
grip from the wrong angle, the racket is facing forwards instead of hitting overhead shots, it is important that you stop immediately.
the side. This is the most common mistake beginners make, the This grip has all the limitations of the one above, but also places a lot
reason is simple. When holding the grip this way overhead, the of strain on your finger. Over time you’ll injure yourself.
racket faces forward. This is the easiest way to hit the shuttle for a
beginner so it’s something that people pick up early on. However,
this is bad technique. This might sound confusing at first (surely the
racket should point in the same direction I’m hitting?). Don’t worry;
it’ll all make sense later.
If you’ve noticed that you’ve been using the wrong grip, don’t panic!
Like I said, over 80% of badminton players are making this mistake
so you’re not alone. Luckily, the correct grip is very simple, and I’m
here to help. So how should you start gripping the racket? That’s it! This is the correct forehand grip. Simple right?
Step 1 Notice that I am holding the grip on the thin side, whereas the
Hold your right hand out in front of you and identify the “V”. This is panhandle grip is held on the flat side.
Step 2 wiggle it up and down. Similar to how you would shake hands with
Hold your racket in front of you sideways. someone. If you can do this comfortably, congratulations! You’ve
mastered the single most important skill in badminton. Also note
Play badminton using the new grip. Double check after each rally
that you have been using the correct grip.
This is the easiest training exercise in the ebook, but probably the
most important. I want you to be 110% sure that you are using the
correct grip. If you have been using the wrong grip for multiple years
it can be hard to switch even when you know the correct grip. The
incorrect grip has become “muscle memory”. This means your body
has learnt to do it this way and needs to be re-programmed.
On the positive side, once you learn the correct technique all you
Beginners pick up this overhead technique because it is ‘easiest’.
have to do is practice. The smash may be extremely complex, but
Badminton is a hard sport, and the first time you pick up a racket, it’s
with constant repetition you can get to a point where it becomes
a struggle to just hit the shuttle! Because of this, new players develop
muscle memory. Firing the perfect smash will become second nature
bad technique because they’re only concerned with hitting the
and you’ll be playing them without even having to think. This is why
shuttle, not hitting it properly. Players often keep using this
learning the correct technique is important.
technique even after they become comfortable hitting the shuttle
since no one tells them otherwise.
• Shuttle is hit by extending the elbow and using the wrist • Your right arm should be in an ‘L’ shape, roughly 90° at the
shoulder and elbow
• No forearm pronation or shoulder rotation
• Left arm is less important as it is not hitting the shuttle. But it
• Legs and torso are not used should still be up and in front of you for balance.
If you smash like this, you will never generate real power. This
is because you won’t be able to implement the secret ingredient.
This can be broken down to 3 main stages. For all of them, you
must be using the forehand grip we learned earlier.
© Jonathan Tang – Swift Badminton School
2. Reach Up
• Leading with the elbow, reach up towards the ceiling. Racket
should be behind your hand at this point.
Training Exercise
Grab your badminton racket and find a room with lots of space.
Practice the overhead technique with just a racket (no shuttle).
Start off by breaking it down into the three separate stages described
3. Smash above. Begin in the preparation phase, then pause and check that you
• Rotate the shoulder and pronate the forearm (more on this are doing everything correctly. Is your body the same as the picture?
later) fast to hit the shuttle
If not, make the necessary adjustments. Once you are matching the
• Upon contact with the shuttle, tighten the grip picture, take a moment to remember this position. Make a mental
• At the same time, step forwards with the right leg. All the note of exactly how your body is positioned. The aim is to have your
weight should now be on the front (right) leg body get to this position each time without having to think or
• Follow through across the body readjust, it needs to become natural.
Practice this multiple times until you can get into the correct
positions every time without thinking. From here you can practice
the stroke as one fluid motion like you would in the game.
We’ve talked about the grip and overhead stroke in quite a bit of
detail, but why is this so important? What’s so bad with the wrong
technique I talked about earlier? Why does it limit your power? And
why does the secret ingredient require you knowing all of this?
Here’s the secret: the power in the smash is generated almost entirely
through forearm pronation.
Look familiar?
How was it? Probably didn’t manage to throw it very far, did you?
Now try again. But this time throw it as far as you can, however you
like.
Now if you’ve been making this mistake, it’s not your fault. Almost
every badminton player I meet that didn’t get formal coaching makes
this mistake. And that’s why I’m here to help.
The middle picture should be the point of contact with the shuttle. The best way to get used to hitting the shuttle this way is repetition.
Remember, you are trying to get rid of your bad habits and replace
It can be quite hard to get the timing right (which is why beginners them with good ones. The drills described later on in this ebook will
try to avoid it), but it is really important to learn. If you don’t, help you do this.
you’ll be stuck with low power smashes forever. Changing technique
can be difficult and stressful. Now we’ve unveiled the secret ingredient, let’s talk about some other
things you need to do to take your smash to the next level.
In my time as a coach, I have corrected many players who make this
mistake. At first, they find it frustrating to switch. Even though they
know their technique is ‘bad’, they’ve been playing like that for many
years and have become used to playing like that. So while they
struggle with power, their overall badminton game is quite good.
Then when they switch technique, all of a sudden, they can barely hit
the shuttle!
The exact moment your racket comes into contact with the shuttle,
your muscles need to instantly tense up. The goal is to transfer all of
the acceleration we have generated into the shuttle. By tensing your
muscles at this instance, we maximise power. You can think of this as
‘squeezing’ your grip on contact. By doing this all the necessary
muscles should tense up.
Once again, try to picture it like you are throwing an object. If you
were tense throughout the entire motion, your body would be stiff
The ideal contact point for all overhead shots is up high and slightly It’s best to train hitting the power smash in this ideal contact
in front of you. position, but in a real game you won’t always be able to. Especially in
singles, if we’re put under pressure, we might not be fast enough to
In an ideal situation, we always aim to hit the shuttle in as high as a move to the rear court early enough. In these situations, the shuttle
position as possible (taking it early). This is why it is important to will have dropped below the ideal point and we won’t have time to
reach up during the overhead stroke. Taking shots early allows us to get behind the shuttle.
generate more power, since it extends the length of our lever arm.
The longer the lever, the more momentum we can generate. Another If this happens, a smash is not usually a good idea. Since we can’t
advantage of taking a shuttle high up is the angle. A higher contact generate full power and are out of position, it makes us vulnerable to
point allows for a steeper, more aggressive smash. This is the same a counter attack. Generally, when you are forced to play an overhead
reasons you’ll see advanced players jump smash, the jump allows shot like this, a defensive clear or drop is a better tactical choice.
them to get a higher contact point.
Why should the shuttle be hit slightly in front of you? Simply put this
is just the optimal position for generating power. If the shuttle is
directly above you or even slightly behind you, it limits the range of
motion in you overhead stroke meaning you won’t be able to unleash
full power. Imagine throwing a ball but having to let go behind your
body.
You should start with most of your weight on your rear leg. As your
racket approaches the shuttle, begin transitioning your weight
forwards through your hips.
By the time you have completed the shot, you’ll find that you
naturally step through with your right foot. This completes the
Note: although we’ve only talked about the smash, this technique is
actually correct for all overhead shots. Clears and drop shots should
use the same arm and leg movements. The difference is in the speed
and angle you hit the shuttle with, but the general idea is the same.
As a result, directing your smash to the sides is generally the most Straight Smash
optimal shot. This will be the furthest away from you opponent’s
base, so he’ll have to travel further and may be off balance when
attempting to return the shot.
Since the straight smash is the quickest and most immediate threat,
the defending player must move their base. This means instead of
waiting in the middle of the court for the incoming smash, the
defender biases their base slightly to the side of the straight smash.
This puts them in a good position to defend the fastest smash.
So cross-court smashes can also be great winning shots. But they are
more risky. If your opponent is quick, remember that they can simply
play a straight block. This now puts the pressure on you, as you have
to move from one corner of the court to the other. Because of this,
cross-court shots are best played when you are in control of the rally.
Ensure that either you are in a position to recover quickly or you see
an opening in your opponent’s side of the court. Avoid playing cross-
court smashes when you are late to the shuttle or off balance, as this
will allow you opponent to counter attack.
By doing this, the defending player opens up the other side of the
court. Now there is a lot of empty space that will be difficult to
responsible for attacking any high lifts or clears that come his way,
3. Smash cross-court
while the front court player looks to play aggressive net shots or kills.
The defending pair forms a side to side formation since they expect a
smash to come their way. The player on the left defends the left half
of the court, while the player on the right defends the right side.
1. Straight Smash
The straight smash is a good option. As mentioned earlier, a straight
shot always travels the shortest distance, so a straight smash will
always be the most powerful option. But of course smashing straight
So, if you’re attacking in doubles, where should you smash? (to the sidelines) does not have the same advantage as it does in
singles. In singles your opponent is positioned in the middle of the
Let’s first consider a situation where you get a lift is to one of the court, so must reach to the sidelines to defend. This puts pressure on
corners. It can be the forehand or the backhand side, doesn’t matter. him and pulls him out of position. In doubles the defending pair only
You have three options: needs to defend half the court each, so can easily get to the sidelines.
But remember, since we are smashing from the rear corner, this However, be careful not to overuse this tactic. Your attacking strategy
means we need to angle our smash to the side. Essentially, we are should be mainly be straight smashes and smashes to the middle.
playing a slightly cross-court smash. As mentioned earlier, this will
be a slower shot than a straight down the line smash. But it makes up In all of these examples, we’ve talked about a situation where the
for it by being positioned better. attacker smashes from one of the corners. But what if the lift is to the
middle of the court?
The smash to the middle sacrifices a bit of power for better
positioning. This is a great situation for the attacker! Can you guess what the best
smash would be?
By doing this you get all of the benefits of smashing straight, while
also targeting the defending pair’s most vulnerable position, the
middle.
For this reason, you should almost always smash straight if the lift
comes in from the middle of the court. Smashes to the sideline from
this position should only be used rarely and for variation.
That being said, once you master the technique, getting bigger and
stronger can squeeze out the absolute most out of your smash. That’s
exactly what this section is for.
injure yourself. Refer to the pictures and make sure you’re following around on the internet if you are looking for inspiration. My
Push-Ups
Simple but effective. Push-ups are a great compound movement that
targets the pecs, triceps and shoulder muscles. From the starting
position, lower your chest to the ground slowly, then explosively
push yourself back up.
Plank
In the smash, your muscles should ‘tense up’ upon contact to
maximize the transfer of energy to the shuttle. One important but
overlooked aspect is the core. Your core is a collection of muscles
around the midsection that supports your body.
The plank is a great exercise that trains your core stability. This is
one of my favourites, as core stability plays a large part in overall
health, smash power, and 6 pack abs.
Grab on to a bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width.
Without swinging or using momentum, pull your chest up to the bar.
Hold for 1 second, lower yourself, and then repeat.
A common mistake is to arch or bend the lower back. Make sure you Grab your badminton racket and put on the cover. Holding the
avoid this! A straight spine is what we are looking for. handle, raise the racket up and down while squeezing the grip. You
should be able to feel the air resistance working against you. If not,
Variations
try it again in a small room and make sure all the doors and windows
Easier: Just like push-ups, you can do planks from the knees if they
are closed (to increase the air pressure).
are too difficult.
Variations
The racket can also be moved side to side, or in a figure of 8.
This workout should only take 15 minutes to complete. This means Pull-Ups: 3 sets of 3 reps
everyone should be able to fit it into their day. I would recommend
that you do the workout 3 times a week. Try to spread it out to give Plank: 3 sets of 1min plank
Advanced
Since everyone has a different fitness level, I will provide 3 different
Push-Ups: 3 sets of 12 reps
frameworks that should apply to most. There is no shame in starting
at the earlier levels, the important thing is that you make progress.
Pull-Ups: 3 sets of 5 reps
After some time at a certain level, try to attempt the next difficulty. If
you still find it too easy or hard, you can try the variations I listed
Plank: 3 sets of 1min20s plank
above.
Note for the feeders: the below drills are training exercises, not a Multi-feeding is great for beginners. If you struggle to keep a live
competition. The goal is to help your partner improve. The feeder rally going for long, you won’t get all the training benefits of these
should not be trying to “beat” the worker. Way too often I see the drills. Multi-feeding allows the worker to have a consistent stream of
feeding at an intensity that the worker cannot keep up with. You are shots coming in. Multi-feeding is better for technique
not helping your partner if you do this. If you’re feeding too training.
fast or too hard, the worker isn’t getting the practice he needs. Please,
Live rallies are more advanced. But the benefit is that it is a closer
adjust the difficulty to the ability of the worker. If he is struggling to
return shots consistently, you need to tone down the difficulty. Don’t resemblance to an actual game. Also, they usually train more than
one aspect of you game at once, for example most live rallies are also
expect your partner to dance around the court as quickly or as
Clear
Type: Multi-feed or Live Rally
It can be quite difficult to start training the smash if you’re a
beginner, as it requires a lot of co-ordination throughout the body. So
Good for Singles and Doubles
even though you have now learnt the theory, it can be hard to start
practicing it.
Difficulty: Basic
Basic Smash Multi-feed Worker – Comes into the net and blocks
The simplest smash drill. The feeder holds a tube of 8 – 12 shuttles
and lifts them to the worker. The worker smashes. Repeat until the Feeder – Lift
tube is finished.
Worker – Smash
Type: Multi-feed
Doubles Attack
This drill is similar to hit down but focusses on rear court doubles Also trains: Footwork. Doubles movement
attacking. When attacking in doubles, the players should be
positioned front to back. It is the job of the rear court players to Good for: Doubles
smash any incoming lifts.
Difficulty: Medium
This is a multi-feed drill, use 8-12 shuttles.
Repeat
Jonathan Tang
Swift Badminton School