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Player weight changes and effects on ones game
August 21, 2014
12:51 pm
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evilchap
Devon
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Hello clever people!

I have recently lost a bit of weight, how much I dont know, mostly because I did it not to chase a figure but just to be happier, and a little quicker on the court hopefully. I would guess maybe 2 stones have been lost roughly, with maybe just 1 more spare stone still to go.

I succeeded in getting quicker and more agile while is great, I am happy with this.

It seems also however I have lost some power behind my shorts, whether this is due to less weight, or timing changes, or because somebody smashed my favoured racket and I haven’t been able to stretch to a new one I do not know – but I cant help but think it must have something to do with the amount of me behind my shots.

I am going to try and build up some muscle mass in the areas needed for overhead shots, and see how that helps – but has anybody else ever experienced this?

I did have a 700RP which I really liked, strung at 25lbs with BG80 string and got along well with it, I now have the Nanoray 800 with the same string setup which was a spare for me I got a deal on, I dont get on with it as well, but I dont think this can be the main problem.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatfully received!

Thanks

Ben

August 21, 2014
10:57 pm
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Dobbie98
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Hi Ben, my first thoughts were, what are the specifications of the two rackets ( are they the same make?)& what strings & tension did you have? Is one racket head heavy where’s the one you are you using is head light say?

Congratulations on your weight loss! : )

August 22, 2014
8:12 am
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Matthew Seeley
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evilchap said
It seems also however I have lost some power behind my shorts, whether this is due to less weight, or timing changes, or because somebody smashed my favoured racket and I haven’t been able to stretch to a new one I do not know – but I cant help but think it must have something to do with the amount of me behind my shots.

I do not believe it is anything to do with your weight. It is much more likely that the racket you are now playing with is a different specification to your facourite racket. A different racket will require slightly different timing and technique – something you may not wish to change!

What I have found, is that when I feel quicker and lighter, I jump more (and get more hang time). This absolutely ruins my smash (sometimes) because I no longer transfer my bodyweight and time my shots as effectively as I normally do when I perform a standing (or small jump) smash from a better position on court. In essence, because I feel I can move better, I am happy to smash more often than I am really in position to do so. Smashing is all about being in position! But this is just a timing thing.

I would personally feel that your racket is chiefly to blame (its what happens to anyone using a racket that they don’t like), but if you are like me you may also be slipping away from the basics of smashing – get in position properly!

Good luck!

p.s. remember that Lee Chong Wei is a stick insect with a thunderous smash. Its nothing to do with weight, but the correct use of ones strength! In particular, core strength and back strength are key!

August 22, 2014
10:48 am
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Paul Stewart
Cheshire, UK
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The difficulty with losing weight is that you do have less mass behind the shuttle. However, this is usually balanced by the additional speed to get into a better position to smash.

Weight loss is gradual and therefore it’s more likely that your racket is playing a part here. seem to favour head light rackets and maybe you now need to reconsider and re-test other specifications. Maybe you need more weight in the head and should be testing even balance or head heavy rackets. This is what I would do.

If, after all of this you still prefer a head light racket then I would invest in coaching and see if a coach can solve the problem for you.

Good luck
Paul

August 23, 2014
12:41 pm
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Roger
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Hi Ben
With the dramatic weight loss, well done, and the change of racket I would be surprised if you didn’t struggle.
It sounds as if your movement to and position on the shot is a lot sharper. Is your shot preparation keeping up with your new found speed.

I’m with Paul and Matt with your main problem being timing. Do as Paul says and go to a coach to sort you out. It should only take a couple of sessions to assess you and point you on the right track.
Remember coaches are trained to pick up on technical aspects that may not always be obvious to the player. If your basic game is sound very often all that is needed is a bit of tweaking.

The spec on the 800 is not vastly different to the 700 so you should eventually be ok with the racket.
I know that a big smash is a great asset but its thankfully only one part of a very skillful game. If you do think about changing rackets make sure that you try before you buy.

Hope this helps and good luck

Roger

August 28, 2014
12:30 pm
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evilchap
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Thank you for all of the feedback everybody.

I put a new grip on my Voltric 80 last night and had another go with that, and despite the strings moving around quite a bit suggesting a low tension to me relative to the other ones, it did bring me some power back.

My second night of the week playing starts up again in a week, hopefully there will be some coaching there and I can recover somewhat – but head light rackets I am starting to think just aren’t for me, but head heavy like the VT80 is just a little slow for me at my level, so I need to find a balance of this, my 700RP was good for this, but I am open to suggestion!

Thanks again everybody for your suggestions and help.

August 28, 2014
6:11 pm
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Paul Stewart
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You are obviously favouring more even-balance rackets. The new Nanoray 900 could fit the gap or Victor Meteor 90. Alternatively, Victor Bravesword 12N, Arcsaber 7 or 11 should be on your list.

Paul

September 22, 2014
12:28 pm
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evilchap
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Thanks again for the advice, I thought it might be helpful for others to see my results…

I spent weeks reading reviews, deciding on a racket to try then finding I couldn’t buy them any more.

Eventually I took the plunge, and purchased a Victor Meteor JJS.

Last night I used it for the first time, and wow! What a difference! My power was back, but I wasn’t suffering the feeling of playing with a hand tied behind my back like I did with the VT80, it’s much faster so I am a happy camper!

I also purchased some Victor Powerizer weight and added it to my NR800. It did help, but it’s staying in my bag as a last resort spare, as the JJS is just the job for me, and the answer to my quest for getting my power back for sure! I hit some belters last night that I have not been able to manage for some weeks.

I am quite looking forward to the season getting started and testing myself in the matches.

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