How I become a Professional Badminton Player! Step by step

 Here are a few tips and suggestions that will definitely help you to start your career as a Professional badminton player.

Badminton is an extremely popular sport which has a lot of connoisseurs hailing from different continents, who love the game and the elite shuttlers. The professional badminton players also keep slaying on the court with their sheer and outright accomplishments. The love for this sport is magical, and so many young badminton fanatics are longing to establish themselves as a Professional Badminton player. Taking inspiration from the legendary shuttlers, these badminton afficianados stay updated with the latest news and happenings, however, they do not know the right path to follow and become a sports prodigy. They do not know the ways to become a professional badminton player.

Know the Game 

Once you've learnt how to hold racket and how to hit shuttle with it, start learning the fundamentals of badminton. By this I mean the fundamental moves of how to move on the court, how to cover the court etc. Again, a badminton coach will be required here. Don't play with shuttle while practicing your footwork. Notice that you need to work on your basic fundamentals on regular basis.

What is the right age to start playing badminton?

There is no right time or age to follow a passion, but when it comes to the game of badminton, a person needs to embark early. The profession of being a badminton player cannot start in the twenties or thirties like other professions.

 

Every sport demands some time, so that the player can understand everything about it. There are plenty of protocols in a sport that are required to be followed. A person has to learn the different techniques that are required to work on the skills. An enthusiast is also obliged to learn about different shots. Everything needs time so it is extremely vital to start at an early age.

 

A person who is craving to become a professional badminton player has to start practising the sport, at least by the age of 10. Those who start at a very young age, get enough spell to work on their skills and techniques. A player gets enough time to decide the category in which he should play. Moreover, he will understand the concept better as in a young age, a player’s mind works efficiently to remember every important detail.

Learn Basic of badminton

How to Hold Badminton racket?

The correct way of holding a racquet is as simple as a FRIENDLY HANDSHAKE. Imagine the grip of the racquet as a hand approaching to shake your hand. Go ahead and hold the racquet as if you’re shaking someone’s hand.

Your thumb should be pressing comfortably against one of the wider surface of the racquet grip while the rest of your hand holds the racquet as if you’re shaking a person’s hand.

The way you hold your racket can affect the flexibility of your wrist.

In order to execute strong badminton strokes with high accuracy, your wrist needs to be flexible.

To achieve this, make sure you:

• Do not grip your racquet too tightly. This will make your wrist less flexible in rotating and flicking.
• Use ONLY your thumb, index, and middle finger to control the racket. Your last 2 fingers should rest comfortably on the badminton grip to balance the weight of the racquet. By doing this, it enables your wrist to be more flexible and move more freely.

Alright that’s just about the basics of holding the racquet.

How to serve perfectly!

Service is a very important aspect in the game of badminton. You need to practice a lot how to serve. There are four different types of service namely.

• low serve
• high serve
• flick serve and
• drive serve.

Footwork Practice regularly!

Badminton is like squash -- success is all in the footwork. If you're flat-footed on the court, you won't be able to return your shots. Instead, stay on your toes, move your feet up and down as you wait to return a shot, and move your feet back and forth and side to side in tiny motions to position yourself to return the shot. Don't be lazy and reach out your hand too wide to try to return the shuttle -- instead, make tiny movements with your feet until the shuttle is in perfect position. There are some exercises you can do to help you practice:

Squat jump - Put both hands at your back, then bend your knees as low as you can. Then, jump as high as you can. Do this exercise in 10 reps. This exercise will make your knees and core stronger, so that in the match, you can make a perfect jumping smash.

Agility ladder - There are variety of exercise you can do with this equipment. It will not only help you to improve your footwork, it also helps you to improve your endurance as well.

Lunges - Some people hate to do this exercise, but this actually helps you to build muscle on your legs, especially your quad. I would recommend you guys to do 10 reps jump front lunges and also 10 reps side lunges. Make sure you make big lunges when you are doing it. This will help you to take the shuttle easily, especially on the front court. Do not forget to do it in right techniques as well.

Shadow footwork around the court (with or without shuttle) - Once you have mastered how to take the shuttle in every corner on the court. Get a partner or a coach to help you to point on a corner on the court, then perform the footwork towards the point that has been pointed by him/her.

Practice the short serve

 Whether you're playing singles or doubles, the short serve will catch your opponent off guard. He won't be expecting it, and may not be able to run up to return the serve in time. To hit the short serve, you shouldn't just hit the shuttle really lightly, or it will fall on your side of the court. Instead, hit it at a higher contact point and drop it closer to the racket instead of in front of the racket.

Understand your opponent's game

 When you're playing a new opponent, whether it's at a competition or during a friendly game at a family outing, you should assess your opponent's game even while you're warming up. You should look for a few main things: if your opponent is more of an aggressive or defensive player, if his forehand or backhand is his dominant shot, and any weaknesses, such as slow footwork or weak drop shot returns, that you can exploit.

Physical Capabilities

If a person is signing in for a sport and is willing to devote the entire life to the game, then he also needs to work on their physical knacks. He needs to be excellent in his physical, tactical and psychological frivolities. The hands and legs of players need to be as fast as their mind.

Exercise should be a must in the routine of a badminton aspirant and he should follow a proper diet to maintain his body weight and fitness. The elite badminton players require to have a marvellous athletic ability, agility, flexibility and strength. 

Dexterous Skillset 

The sport of badminton requires an elite shuttler to be amazingly tactical. It means that, apart from an excellent athletic body and rapid movement, the player should be a genius. The visual fitness is absolutely essential, to observe every movement of the nemesis and the shuttlecock. At the same time, it is necessary for a shuttler to read the mind of his opponent. He should know the play and understand psyche of the opponent. Accordingly, he should respond, considering all the situations. This requires one to blend the strategy with the actions of the nemesis to play the game tactically. 

There are a good range of strokes which a player should learn to play. There are a number of shots and smashes such as short serve, jump smash, etc. Apart from this, the coordination of the hands, wrist and shoulder is extremely crucial for playing a good game. 

The accuracy should be outstanding and since badminton is among the fastest sports in the world, only an exceptional player can survive the game and extraordinary can win the Olympics. 

The Right Equipment 

Badminton requires a plenty of equipments that help a player to perform well. A player should be well aware of the best racquets which are suitable for him. Also, the sports shoes are very essential for the footwork. So the right quality and material are essential for the shoes. 

Get the best Coach

The role of a coach or a trainer in the badminton career of an elite shuttler is very essential. There are many elite players such as Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Srikanth Kidambi, who are trained extensively under the guidance of ex- All England Badminton Champion Pullela Gopichand. All three have unparalleled talent and skills and they have achieved innumerable crucial and major tournaments. So it is really very necessary to have an excellent coach. 

The badminton enthusiasts can get admission to the badminton training academies, to learn the game better and get skilled. 

Practice makes perfect 

The practice of the sport is very necessary. Even if you are getting trained by the best coach in the world, you need to practice. If a player fails to practice, he or she will not be able to excel in the game. A skilled player can practice for about 8 hours a day. The game requires dedication towards it. The more hardwork and strenuous training that a player will undergo, the abundant and better outcomes one will reap. 

Daily practice every single sort of shot during your warm-up like the simple drop shot, cross-court drop, body smash, simple smash, different services etc.

After practicing these 5 points very well on a regular basis, start playing regular practice matches with other good players. In a very short time, you'll be able to play a very good game if you stick to the basics.

Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

There is no shortcut to become good in badminton , in order to go pro you need to practice as much as you can, you’ll have to put in countless hours of playing badminton so that you can get an edge on future opponents. Make sure to use your available hobby or leisure time to supplement your scheduled practice time.

Leave your comments for help to other players

Thank you team (IBC)