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10

SCHOLASTIC. COACH

BADMINTON—A CO-RECREATIONAL SPORT

The stroke that produces the overhead drop and
high clear is essentially the same as the smash

By Carl Jackson and Lester Swan

This is the third and concluding installment
of a series of three articles by Carl H. Jackson
and Lester A, Swan of the Northern Evening
High School (for adults) in Detroit, Mich. The
authors have already covered grip and rac-
quet position, holding the bird, the service,
bird flights and the return, and the fundamen-
tal strokes. They conclude with the overhead
and net strokes.

r NXHE flights most commonly
produced from the overhead
stroke are the drop, the

smash, and the high clear. As we

indicated in the sections on bird
flights, the well-placed smash is the
severest weapon on offense. While
we are concerned here specifically
with the smash, the stroke used to
produce either the overhead drop or
high clear is essentially the same.
The only difference in the case of the
overhead drop is that the force of
the stroke is checked just before the
bird-racquet contact and is so
gauged as to direct the bird just
over and close to the net. The skillful
player will usually introduce decep-
tion into the overhead drop by faking

a smash. The overhead high clear

differs in that the bird is hit upward.

Aside from the stroke itself, the
important fundamentals to consider
in the overhead stroke are the stance
and the point of bird-racquet con-
tact. A comparison of the early se-
quences of the forehand stroke with
those of the overhead stroke indicate
that the stroking stance for the over-
head is the same as the on-guard
stance—the left foot forward and
pointing in line with the on-coming
flight.

Since the smash and drop are
rapidly descending flights, the bird
must be hit downward. The bird-
racquet contact point, therefore,
should not be directly overhead but
a little out in front. Furthermore,
this point is such that the full reach
of the arm and racquet are used. The
full reach is essential for the power
requisite in the smash stroke. To
judge the contact point properly, the
player must maneuver into position
and carefully time the stroke. The
common faults are in not getting far
enough back of the bird or in letting
it fall too low (improper timing).

It will be noted that the progres-
sive action pictures of the overhead
stroke begin with the player already
in stroking position. The bird at this
moment is high overhead and falling
a little out in front of the body-line.
The player is leaning back, with
most of the weight on the rear foot

nd RES agen ye

during the backswing. This allows
for additional backswing and hence
power in the stroke. It may be well
to point out here that the power is
applied with the upward movement
of the racquet and not on the down-
ward movement, a common error
with beginners. Note in No. 4 that
the racquet is allowed to drop per-
pendicularly behind the body.

The force with which the bird is
hit is indicated by the outstretched
arm, by the fact that the rear foot is
raised off the floor and by the lunge
forward with the completion of the
stroke (No. 7). But again, as in the
forehand and backhand strokes, most
of the power results directly from
the flicking movement or wrist-snap.
The wrist-lead necessary for the
sudden withdrawal of the wrist is
shown in Nos. 5 and 6. Eos

The net strokes

Net play is a relatively easy de-
partment of badminton and yet it
provides much of the fun and thrills
of the game. Two types of net strokes
are illustrated in progressive action
pictures—the lift stroke, where the
bird is stroked down low; and a care-
fully gauged, high forehand (or
backhand) stroke, where the bird is
stroked near and directed along the
net-tape (cross-net) toward the side
alley.

Of course the cross-net as well as
the short hairpin type of flight may
be produced with the lift stroke, but
where the player wishes to make a
quick cross-net placement and the
time element does not force him to
stroke low, he should strive to meet
the bird as close to the net tape as
possible. A short flight, directly over
the net, may of course be produced
from near the net tape also. Varia-
tions between the short and cross-
net flights for either of these strokes
provide interesting opportunities for
deceptive tactics, as for example,
faking a cross-net flight from near
the net tape and ‘“‘dropping” the bird
directly over the net. This and other
obvious variations of deceptive play
are relatively easy in net play.

It has been assumed thus far that
the nearness of the on-coming bird
to the net-tape, or the receiver’s po-
sition, rule out the possibility of a
rush to the net followed by a quick
smash. However, the alert player
will be watchful for an opportunity

to rush and smash the bird that

Biel AA SA iret aie Aa chek Ns ea

 

Above: The Cross-Net

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