Application of anatomical and physiological knowledge to improve performance Stamina- is the ability of the heart to pump blood and deliver oxygen where needed in the body. Badminton itself is an aerobic game and having an efficient cardiovascular system enables the performer to play very hard without getting as tired as a less fit opponent. Once a player is tired then mistakes will become more frequent and in long games this can dramatically affect there performance.
Flexibility- is the range of movement at the joints. This is essential for badminton and good flexibility is both a requirement for success in sport but is also related to reducing the risk of injury. It not only aids you to stretch and reach for your opponents drop shots and smashes out wide but to help your technique and general fitness which leads to better speed and reduced fatigue.
Speed- is the ability to move the body and limbs quickly and is vital in offensive and defensive play in a match. For instance a player taking the shuttle early when your opponent plays an over hit drop shot or to recover to the middle of the court “T” to gain position. Speed and agility are closely linked together as a successful player needs to move and change direction quickly. These are equally important in the game due to the nature of the movements required in a rally.
Strength- is the ability to exert a force against a resistance. This is a crucial aspect in badminton as a strong player is likely to move more quickly and powerfully and is likely to hit the shuttle harder. This also relates to power which is a combination of strength and speed i.e. a smash. Warm up All training and competitive play should be preceded by a warm up. The main reason fro this is to reduce the risk of injury and to prepare you mentally and physically. My warm up will involve: Slow jogging around the hall for approximately 5mins.The benefits of the warm up on the vascular system:
1. It reaches the optimum temperature for the enzymes to work required for energy systems and muscle contractions.
2. Decreases viscosity, improving blood flow to working muscles and decreases the pressure sustained on the heart.
3. This increases the rate of dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin in muscle tissues.
4. Enables the vascular shunt to take place via the vasoconstriction of arterioles sphincters to organs decreasing blood flow to organs and therefore increase blood flow to working muscles and vasodilatation of muscle arterioles sphincters increases blood flow delivery to working muscles.
Static stretching This is slow stretching were muscles will be lengthened and held in place for 12 seconds before slowly being released. Ballistic stretching These are quick movements that are not held in place before contraction takes place. Only a brief lengthening of the muscle group takes place. Practices for developing the backhand and forehand smash:
Practice 1- Self toss and smash The player is situated mid court and the partner tosses the shuttle up into the air with an underhand lift, placing the shuttle in front of the dominant shoulder, slightly in front of the other persons body. Swing your racket with a forehand or backhand stroking motion landing the shuttle in mid court on the opposite side. Repeat the sequence 10 times for each forehand and backhand side. Difficulty can be increased by either tossing the shuttle at different points so that the player has to adjust there body position to strike the shuttle, or placing a player on the other side of the net to create a similar match situation whereby the player has to be more accurate in the positioning of their smash.
Practice 2- Serve and smash return Both players are situated near the mid court. One partner sets up the other by hitting high, deep, friendly underhand serves. The receiving partner returns each serve with either a backhand or forehand smash at the partner’s feet. Repeat the sequence in sets of 10. Increase difficulty by making the receiver return to the middle of the court to on every smash, and also place rackets on the floor on the centre line and on either sidelines of the court for the receiver to aim for. The total number of smashes that hit the racket head can be recorded to show how accurate the smashes are.
Practice 3- diagonal smash Player A begins the rally by clearing to player B deep forehand or backhand side. Player B hits a diagonal smash. Player A steps in slightly and returns with a drop shot. Player B plays another drop shot and player A hits a crosscourt clear to players fore hand or backhand side. The rally sequence starts over again.