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Movement Retaining Balance
January 25, 2015
12:02 pm
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Dobbie98
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When moving I seem to be losing my balance, taking extra little correctional steps which is taking up time. I have been doing fast feet exercises to improve my footwork but after a while I lose the the rhythm & balance. Plus when moving should your steps more or less be the same as your starting base. I always feel like an elephant when moving.
Look forward to reading the magic cure lol

January 25, 2015
4:13 pm
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AlexLaw
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Be interested to know this too. I think the answer would be too complicated to answer in one step though.

I heard something about moving to equilibrium, which should always be close to the center depending on your played shot and where you hit it from. It’s never directly at the center.

Also, it’s good to have a feel and make it to equilibrium point right at the latest time possible without hurting your chances for the next shot, being in position and not wasting any energy.

January 27, 2015
7:14 am
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Paul Stewart
Cheshire, UK
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Interesting question…

If you are having to take correctional steps then it makes me wonder about your travel path.

With any movement, the intention should be to get the shuttle within your hitting zone. When moving to the rear court the first few steps should align you correctly. Then, it is merely a case of keeping pace with the shuttle to ensure it stays within your hitting zone.

I’m a great believer of gathering momentum quickly over a short distance. This requires a shorter first step and elongate as you travel whilst still gaining speed. It is that simple.

When moving towards the net, there are different schools of thought regarding the type of pattern you should use. Do you chasse, crossover leading with the racket leg or crossover leading with the non racket leg? Generally I find crossover faster and use both types; non racket leg leading if moving towards my forehand and racket leg leading if moving towards my backhand. Of course, to a degree this will all depend on ow close you are to the shuttle and whether a one step approach is feasible.

Paul

January 27, 2015
10:45 am
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Matthew Seeley
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Dobbie98 said

When moving I seem to be losing my balance, taking extra little correctional steps which is taking up time. I have been doing fast feet exercises to improve my footwork but after a while I lose the the rhythm & balance. Plus when moving should your steps more or less be the same as your starting base. I always feel like an elephant when moving.
Look forward to reading the magic cure lol

Hi Dobbie,

As Paul said, the key to fast movement is to be explosive off the mark with a smaller quick movement that sets your direction but doesn’t really move you anywhere, and then to follow this with longer strides that cover the distance. Good movement is about making sure that you are ready to hit the shuttle as you move, so that you can play it as early as possible once you are close enough – poor movement is where you rush to the shuttle, not ready to hit, and hence your racket is not ready when you get there!

In my opinion, I tend to feel as you do when my ready stance and movement step is not wide enough. If my feet are too close together, it can make my body feel unbalanced and hence I struggle to move quickly. Note: the fast feet you do will help you to be quick off the mark, but if your are not bending your legs properly and adopting a low body position, then you will struggle for balance.

My suggestion: keep practising the fast feet and making sure you are quick off the mark – but do not rush. Remain in control, but move with urgency. Now, to make sure you are ready, bend your knees and set your legs further apart. I would suggest they want to be more than shoulders width apart, but bear in mind that going too wide when you are starting out will make you slow off the mark. You need to retain that feeling of “readiness” and “alertness” whilst getting down lower and having your legs wider. Now, as you see the shuttle, push explosively with your calves to align which direction you want to go in (front or back etc, making sure to turn side one if you are going to the back) and then move with large steps, maintaining that low position. You will really feel your upper leg muscles working to move you and I promise you will get to the shuttle with plenty of time to spare, ready to hit the shuttle.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Matt

February 9, 2015
10:18 pm
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Paul Stewart
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Great advice Matt.

It’s amazing how often i see players use really wide split steps which almost makes their next move impossible. The idea behind any movement is to gain advantage to work out how wide you need to split to be stable and yet explosive. From this take a half step followed by longer and then longer again, possibly with a jump.

If this is too slow then elongate your first step and try again. Soon you will find a length of movement that works for you.

Good luck

Paul

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