Achievements: Runner up in girls and mixed doubles Atwell 2004, 2005. First in girls doubles 2003. Facilities available: David Lloyd gym, pool and courts. Badminton is the sport I have chosen to train for and use my personal exercise plan to regain fitness. The new badminton season is about to begin and after a month of low intensity training and rest I need to improve my overall physical fitness and return to form. After completing a number of fitness tests I will chose two aspects of either health related fitness or skill related fitness to center my training around.
To decide which components I will improve and which will be most vital to my game I will now look at each aspect of health related fitness and its implication on my game. I will then do the same for the aspects of skill related fitness, each with a justification and example of how my game could be improved by improving this aspect of fitness. Health related fitness Muscular strength Muscular strength is the amount of force muscles are able to exert against a resistance. By improving my muscular strength in my arms I will have more power to clear the shuttle further.
In the correct position I would be able to successful clear the shuttle the entire length of the court. I will also be able to flick serve higher without the serve looking predictable (this being a useful tactic in doubles as short serves are usually expected) by improving the muscular strength in my legs I would be able to jump high and take the shuttle earlier giving my opponent less time to prepare for a return. Muscular endurance Muscular endurance is the ability of the muscles to contract and relax repeatedly over a prolonged period of time against a resistance.
By improving my muscular endurance in my legs I would be able to carry on moving about the court effectively for a longer period of time without a lapse in my game performance. It will also allow me to continue jumping to take the shuttle earlier and at a higher point this making some of my shots more effective. By improving the muscular endurance of my arms I should in theory be able to carry on playing the same shot over and over again with consistency, allowing me to have a skilled advantage over an opponent whose level of play drops as thy get fatigued towards the end of a match.
Cardio-vascular fitness Cardio-vascular fitness is the efficiency of the heart and blood vessels to transport oxygen within blood around the body. By improving my cardio-vascular fitness I would be able to continue playing at my full potential longer. This would be most useful against an equally match opponent as fair matches can continue for up to 45 minutes. This would also limit an unskilled singles opponent’s success as they could not beat me on strength alone as they would not easily be able to wear me down by running me about the court.
It would also improve my efficiency of moving about the court. Flexibility Flexibility is the range of movement about a joint. By improving my flexibility I would be able to stretch further to reach the shuttle therefore making it easier to cover the full area of the court in singles and the front of the court in doubles. Improving the flexibility in my shoulder would allow me to reach higher, which usually would result in a better shot, as once again an opponent would have less time to think about their return tactics.
Skill related fitness Speed Speed improving my speed would basically allow me to travel around the court a lot faster and therefore more effectively, this would allow shots to be returned quicker which may cause my opponent to be caught off guard weakening their return shot or forcing them to make an error, which may result in a winning point. Improving my speed will mean I can move my arms quicker therefore snap the shuttle faster this making the shuttle move faster.
This would be especially useful in a smash as it would give my opponent less time to react and get their shuttle and body in the correct position to return the shot. Agility The ability to change direction quickly. By improving my agility I would be able to change direction quicker allowing me to correct my path if my opponent plays a misleading shot. This is very useful at the net in doubles when another player looks like they are sending the shuttle one way but it actually goes the other. Co-ordination The ability to use two or more body parts together.
To play a perfect shot the shuttle must hit the correct part of the racket. This is usually the centre of the racket where the strings are most taught. Improving my co-ordination will allow me to connect my racket with the shuttle in the correct place without thinking about it. This will allow me to change the direction of the shuttle more effectively as it will take less effort with the taught strings in the centre of the racket. By improving my co-ordination I will also make less unforced errors where I miss the shuttle completely, as this is due to timing. Power
A combination of speed and strength. By improving the power in my shoulder my shots will travel faster and harder toward my opponent, this will give them less time to prepare a good return. The harder a shot is played the more difficult it is to return as it is tough to judge the amount of force needed to return it, the player will need to access how fast the original shuttle is traveling so not to make it bounce off their strings. Increasing my power will give me a strong advantage in my game situations, especially in singles where I cannot rely on the power of my partner.