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Factors impacting Performance
Mental and Physical Factors
Overview
Sub Factors Covered
Skill Repertoire
Level of Arousal
Agility
Mental and
Physical
Decision
Sub Factors
Speed
Endurance
Making
Concentration
Power
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Higher Order thinking Skills
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The Game of Badminton
What does it involve?
REMEMBER
Key Elements/phases
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The more skillful you are, the better your performance is likely to be. Being aware of the type of skill you are
working on, will determine the way you practice and develop the skill.
•
A skilled performance is about your ability to be in the correct place at the correct time and be able to select
the correct technique, making it look as effortless as possible to meet the performance demands.
•
Skills are learned as a result of effective practice and can be performed consistently, it is not a fluke or
beginners luck.
Selecting the correct options!
•
•
•
•
Select Skills that are successful in outcome
Select skills which create scoring options
Select skills that allow recovery
Select skills which force errors
Techniques
Building
Serving
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High
Low
Flick
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Clears
Drop Shots
Net Shots
Lifts
Smash
Push
Attacking
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Smash
Drop Shot
Drive
Kill
Defending
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Clears
Drop shots
Net Shots
Drives
Blocks
Lifts
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Physical Factors Impacting
Performance
Skill
Repertoire
Agility
Speed
Endurance
Power
KNOWLEDGE
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Physical Sub Factor
Skill Repertoire
“All strokes have a purpose. As a performer you must understand
what you can do with strokes you have in your repertoire”.
Skill is the body’s ability to master movement and co-ordinate the
senses, brain and muscles efficiently and swiftly.
Skill Repertoire is the range of skills that you have at your disposal during a badminton match which can be
best utilised in a variety of performance situations. Your ability to perform skills and techniques within an
activity will impact on your performance significantly. Your ability to both develop your skill level
progressively and perform a range of skills within the activity will impact on your whole performance.
How does the ability to perform a range of skills and techniques Impact Positively?
In badminton the wider your shot repertoire the more able you will be to apply the right shot at the right time in
the match. From any one point on the court you will have the potential to select a number of shots to send your
opponent a problem. This will enable you to vary the height, angle and speed of your shots to expose space in the
corners of the court and dictate and control the game. Also, the more varied your repertoire the faster your
decision-making abilities as you have retained a bank of knowledge on the sport and have this experience of
techniques and success to allow for a faster response and confident performance. Shots can be used to place the
shuttle in the corners and build strong attacks. The quality of preparation for each shot allows for economic and
graceful movements.
For example, in badminton, if you are able to perform an overhead clear to the back tramlines and accurately to the
corners, this will impact on your performance positively as you can force the opponent back to create space at the
front. You can prevent the main attacking shot the smash and can give yourself time to recover and build a strong
attack when under pressure from a strong opponent.
How does a lack of skill repertoire impact negatively on performance?
If you are limited in your shot selection your play becomes very predictable and your creativity, tactical and decision
making potential is massively reduced. Limited options prevent you from creating space on the court and lack of
timing, accuracy and technique reduces the movement required by the opposition. Ultimately many points will be
lost as you spend your time constantly defending and chasing the shuttle down. You will be limited in the way you
can change the tempo of the game and limitation in the skills will impact your concentration, motivation and ability
to cope under pressure.
For example, a badminton player who is unable to block the shuttle low over the net to the sides of the court will be
forced to lift setting their opponent up for a possible smash.
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Physical Sub Factor
Agility
“Agility is the ability to turn or adjust position quickly whilst
maintain control and is a combination of speed, flexibility and
balance”
Agility is not just about the speed with which an individual can
change direction. But it's also defined by the grace and fluidity of
movement.
Agility is required for almost every performer in every activity. The ability to explosively start, decelerate, change
direction and accelerate again quickly is particularly important in racket sports. The shuttle moves much faster than
a ball in invasion games and demands that a performer can move fluently and with control across all planes of
movement to conserve energy and combine maximum effort with efficiency.
How does agility Impact Positively on performance?
There is no doubt that improved agility impacts timing, rhythm and movement efficiency. A badminton player with
good agility can turn and adjust position to cope with tempo changes sent over the net by the opposition and can
get into position early to play a controlled return with equal “bite” which can wrong foot the opponent. Opposition
will frequently change their racket head angle to alter the direction of the shuttle at the last minute but agility will
allow you to recover and adjust. Agility allows a badminton player to respond and anticipate early which gives
more time for decision making on the court. The more agile the more economic and efficient movement is which
means that front and back court movement is seamless and that all 4 corners of the court can be covered
effectively.
For example an opponent will often suddenly flick serve, drop or smash into the body. Agility allows for adjustments
and footwork to be altered quickly to respond to these challenges and counter attack. This makes it extremely
difficult for the opponent to outmaneuver you and forces then to take more risks in terms of placement
How does lack of agility impact negatively on performance?
Lack of agility makes you an easy target on a badminton court with so much space to exploit. An inability to change
direction quickly gives lack of preparation time for shots. Players cannot get behind the shuttle in both touch and
power shots to gain balance, accuracy and placement. Technique is therefore rushed reducing the success of shots
Players are often over stretching resulting in injury as they cannot keep up with the pace of the game. Lack of
agility allows the opposition to control the game and results in a player constantly playing defensively.
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Physical Sub Factor
Agility
”This is the ability to move with speed, co-ordination and balance,
and being able to adjust position or change direction quickly whilst
maintaining control”
Agility is a very important aspect of skill related fitness that is needed for successful performance in basketball.
Agility combines speed, co-ordination and balance which is essential to turn quickly or adjust position to
outmanoeuvre opposition to cut to the basket. Quick changes of direction are often fundamental, to create space or
receive a pass. In a 1v1 situation I will often fake a shot but then drive past the opposition using agility and pace to
move in for a high percentage shot. As a forward, I frequently need my agility to collect a rebound or chase a loose
ball, to then counter attack. Having agility I can mix set, jump and layup shots in the game to add an element of
surprise. Being able to adjust position quickly means it is very difficult for opposition to man mark me to restrict my
time and space on the ball. On the occasion that opposition intercept and break up the court, I am able to turn back
quickly to pressurise opponent to defend the key.
Why is agility important in basketball?
To get away from a marker to
create space and gain time on
the ball
To fake and drive to the basket
for a high % shot.
To turn quickly and track back
and defend a fast break to
prevent an overload
To adjust position to collect a
rebound off the ring
To reach for a loose ball and
turn and counter attack
Being agile allows a forward to
mix their shots and add an
element of surprise.
To adjust position and intercept
a pass and tightly mark in a 1v1
situation.
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Positive impact of agility on basketball performance
Agility is vital in basketball as it allows a player to stay on their toes and produce sharp, fast movements when driving
to the basket or attempting to lose their opponent. Basketball demands the ability to move quickly and efficiently up
and down the court. Agility requires both speed and flexibility to enable a player to cover the court efficiently. For
example, “if my opponent is closing in on me near the basket, my agility would help me to fake a pass one way and
quickly drive past my opponent in the opposite direction. If I anticipate the movements of my opponent wrongly, then
this could result in my opponent stealing the ball off me and points being lost.” A player with good agility will be light
on their feet and constantly be close to their opponent in defence, putting them under pressure. While attacking they
will be zig-zagging past their opponent, looking for passes and creating vital space on the court. They will be tiring
their opponents out so they will have more time to make decisions and passes under pressure, if their opponent fails
to keep up with the pace. Good agility is essential in basketball as it adds variety and maintains an element of
surprise if you can catch your opponent off guard. With effective agile movements a higher standard of performance
is sustained far longer.
Negative impact of Agility on Basketball Performance
A basketball player who has poor agility will struggle in a game. Even with a high level of accuracy in shooting,
passing etc they will not be able to use them to an advantage with a lack of agility. Poor agility and the inability to
change direction quickly will result in an untidy performance. A player who lacks agility in offence will not be able to
move quickly into a space away from their opponent to receive a pass, nor will they be able to change direction
quickly after a change of possession. For example, “when my team lost the ball, I was unable to change direction
quickly to run back in to defence and support my team, this resulted in the other team having numerical superiority in
attack and scoring an easy basket”. Agility is also useful when rebounding in basketball, if a player lacks agility, they
will be unable to react to an unpredictable bounce off the backboard or the rim of the basket to collect the rebound,
this will result in the other team gaining possession or even having another chance to attack. In defence, agility is
vital for any player on the court. Without agility, a player will not be able to stay with their player for any time in the
game. Being unable to match a quick fast dodge, would result in the opposing player’s having time and space to
create an opportunity for a high percentage shot, close to the basket.
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Physical Sub Factor
Speed Endurance
”This is the ability to repeat short sharp bursts of speed over a long
period of time”
Anaerobic (speed) endurance means working without a steady supply of oxygen.
This is where you work in short, sharp bursts, e.g. to sprint to get a pass in basketball. You will have experienced a
situation where you have been required to perform a few of these movements in quick succession and you found
you could not maintain the effort. This is lactic acid building up in your muscles. As you perform these quick
movements your muscles cannot take in the required oxygen to maintain effort resulting in oxygen dept. You need a
rest before being ready to carry on with this type of activity, e.g. you cannot keep making fast breaks to support
forwards without taking a breath to let your muscles recover.
In basketball you need to move your whole body up the court in a fast break situation, to keep up with team mates
in support. Short bursts are necessary to get into space to receive a pass or drive at the basket. Off the ball, speed is
essential to get to the ball before opposition and also to lose a marking player. This is also the case when an
opponent tries to lose you. Speed is an asset; a quick change of pace when dribbling can get you past opposition and
set up a numerical superiority in offence (overload) giving you more scoring opportunities.
Many dynamic actions in basketball also require a high level of anaerobic endurance. A good level of fitness here is
essential so that you can jump to catch a ball, shoot the ball, rebound, perform jump balls or shuffle at speed in
defence.
Examples of Speed Endurance in Basketball:
Offence
On the ball
Maintain a range
of shooting options
Maintain sharp
passes
Dribble or drive
into space
Give and go (cut
into a space)
Defence
Off the ball
Sprint up the court
to receive a pass.
Cut and drive to
the basket.
Chase a loose ball
Lose opponent &
create space
Explode into the
key to receive a
pass
Prevent opponent from cutting / driving into
space
Deny space in a zone defence
Intercept passes
Tight man mark
Chase a loose ball
Maintain “basketside” position
Sprint back and defend
Prevent opponent fast break
Prevent unopposed fast breaks
Defend counter attacks
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Positive Impact of Speed Endurance in Basketball
As a basketball game lasts 40 minutes you will have to use bursts of speed throughout therefore speed endurance is
important. Good speed endurance essentially gives you the same benefits as speed with the exception of it is usually
well into or towards the end of the game. If you are up against someone of a similar speed you may struggle to get
away from them in the early stages of the game, however, if you have superior speed endurance, you will be able to
get away from them more easily as the game progresses. Some examples of actions you will be able to carry out in a
game are shown in the table below. Having a high level of speed endurance would help you to carry out these actions
efficiently, particularly towards the end of the game.
1.
Guard
Offence
Dribble the
ball up the
middle of the
court (ahead
of the
defence)
Create fast
break scoring
opportunities
Defence
Pressurise the
opponents
guard
Force opponent
to make errors
Deny space at
the top of the
key
Offence
Forward
Defence
Fill the
lanes in a
fast break
Drive to the
basket for
layups
Beat
opponent
up the
court for an
easier shot
Deny
opponent
space and
time
Prevent
opponent
driving into
the key
Sprint in for
rebounds
Centre
Offence
Defence
Get position
close to the
basket to
post up
Sprint for
rebounds
Gain space
in the key
Deny space
in the key
Gain
position for
rebounds
(box out)
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Negative Impact of Speed Endurance in Basketball
Example answer:
In the first two quarters of the game I was reasonably satisfied with my performance. In the 3rd and 4th quarters,
particularly the 4th, my lack of fitness showed in several ways.
As a forward, I was unable to sprint up the court to receive a pass for a fast break in offence or support the breaking
player by filling the lanes. This meant that the fast break was a man short and often faced a 5v5 set offence situation
instead of a 3v2 or 3v1 overload, thus decreasing our scoring rate significantly. As a forward I am responsible for
driving towards the basket, rebounding and receiving cuts into the key to create scoring opportunities. However, in
the later stages of the game, I had lost my sharpness so was unable to lose my opponent with a change of pace,
hindering my ability to cut and drive to the basket when the opportunity arose. In defence I was unable to move
quickly back to my own half to defend a fast break or attack giving my opposition numerical superiority. I was
gasping for a breath and jogging when a faster pace was essential, limiting my contribution to the game. This
recovery time was necessary to provide the working muscles, which had been starved of oxygen with a much needed
supply and my decision making and concentration was negatively affected.
Physical Sub Factor
Power
“This is strength applied at speed and is sometimes referred
to as explosive strength.”
Power is vital when rebounding, making jump shots and lay ups to gain height to overcome opposition.
Power is useful in basketball, in order to:
Jump high to grab a
rebound
Explode into the key
Jump to block in
defence
Shoot in a variety of
ways
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Positive impact of Power on basketball performance
Power is required in basketball throughout performance, no matter what position you play. When rebounding, good
leg power allows you to jump higher and catch the ball at it’s highest point giving you a better chance of securing the
rebound. In a defensive situation this gives you an excellent platform to fast break from and when attacking this gives
you another chance to score. Good rebounding = more possession! Good leg power is also vital to contest shots being
made, e.g. blocking. If you are able to jump high enough in front of your opponent, you will have the chance to block
their shot and prevent it from going towards the basket. Good leg power is also useful when shooting as it can help
you to jump higher than a potential blocker, allowing you to get more power into your release. Arm power is also
important when shooting or passing in basketball. Good arm power will allow you to shoot from greater distances
(e.g. a 3 pointer), whilst allowing you to focus more on your technique. Arm power also helps you to pass over greater
distances and also helps to make passes faster and sharper which will prevent them from being intercepted.
Positive impact of Power on basketball performance
The following is an example of a writing framework for an evaluation of the positive impact of power in
basketball.
Knowledge point 1:
As a centre in basketball, power is needed in my legs to jump high to catch a rebound.
Understanding point 1:
In offence, this allows me to jump higher than my opponent and gain possession of the ball.
Justify point 1:
This gives my team the chance to attack again which could result in winning more points for my team.
Knowledge point 2:
In basketball, having good arm power allows me to shoot accurately from a greater distance
Understanding point 2:
This allows me to score more frequently from the 3 point line.
Justify point 2:
This means that I can mix up my attacking options by being able to shoot from inside and outside the 3 point line,
keeping my defender on their toes at all times.
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Mental Factors
impacting
performance
Level of Arousal
Concentration
Decision Making
KNOWLEDGE
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“It is the person with the mental and emotional toughness who succeeds most often in long run. You’re
more than just a body. Your mind and emotions also play an important part in your performances. If
you’re just training your body, you’re training ½ of yourself”
Mental Sub Factor
Level of Arousal
“Arousal is defined as being an energised mental state of alertness and
preparedness for an activity”.
Arousal is the key factor in determining success in sport. Getting to, and
then keeping, the right level of arousal is hard to achieve and is often the
downfall of sports people. This is because both too little (Under arousal)
and too much (Over arousal) can have catastrophic effects on
performance.
Level of Arousal is impacted by
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Criticism
Recovery from injury
MistakesCrowd Pressure
Anxiety
Excitement
Dips in form
Intimidation by opponents
The key is to get “in the zone” and create a “performance Bubble” as a positive mind = 100% success
Optimum level of arousal
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The level of arousal required for different sports significantly varies along with how athletes get themselves to this
mental state. Think of Usain Bolt as he embraces the crowd and jokes about on the start line and the New Zealand
rugby team as they perform the Hakka. If you took this high level of arousal to another sport such as the gymnastics
beam or rifle shooting you can see the problems that this will cause to the performer where calm a calm mind,
relaxed muscles and steady breathing are required.
Think of the catastrophic effect of over arousal.
German diver ,London Olympics
England football team and penalties
Dropping the baton (Game over)
Optimum Arousal
Where the performer operates at his/her best. Emotional, Physical and Mental arousal are at
their peak. Sufficient adrenalin to create excitement but maintain composure. Cognitive
processes at their most productive.
Under Aroused
May be over relaxed and not hyped up enough for an event. Often caused by over
confidence. Causes lapses in concentration resulting in errors. Training can suffer when a
person is in this mental state as motivation is poor and they are not hypes up enough.
Over Aroused
Nervousness and a surge of adrenalin can negatively impact performance resulting in
unpredictable behaviour. Fear and anxiety can consume an individual resulting in a lose of
timing, balance , fluency and skill success. Over stimulated results in a performer missing
important cues/stimuli in a game which impacts information processing system and impairs
judgements and decisons. A perfomer may get angry or distarcted.
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RED ALERT
Watch the Cracks appear!!!!!
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
Errors due to nerves getting the better of you.
 Lack of drive to succeed
 Blame culture rather than reflect on self
 Dwell on the past and errors rather than the future
 Anger (Focus on mistakes)
 Impossible to goal set
Anxiety dominates play (observed in mannerisms and body language)
 Concentration deteriorates
 Fatigue (Negative thoughts)
 Psychological barriers (Roger Bannister Example)
When a catastrophe does occur and optimum level of arousal is
lost a variety of mental fitness techniques can be applied which
we will discuss later in the book. However the objective is to;
1. Re Group (Relax)
2. Rebuild arousal level
How does being able to control your level of arousal impact positively on your
performance?
In badminton being able to control your level of arousal and get it to the right level gets you prepared to do your
best. The performer can shut out distractions and make the right decisions throughout the match on shot selection
and movement. They have confidence in their performance and are less likely to choke under pressure. They can
control the match and react to the cues of the opposition to prepare early and counter attack. They use their
experience to shake off any issues in their performance to regroup very quickly. For example if a player serves twice
out of the court they quickly focus on past performances and maintain concentration and correct the issue
immediately and never dwell on the fault.
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Mental Sub Factor
Concentration
“The ability to exert deliberate mental effort in a given situation staying on
track and focussing for a period of time”.
Uses the body’s senses to pick up information.
Concentration is a vital requirement in badminton which is an activity which requires sustained
focus. However, players must be able to switch focus on and off to avoid fatigue. The level of
concentration a player possesses is dependent on their skill level and experience of the activity.
The priority is to focus on performance goals rather than the end outcome to settle nerves and keep on
task.
For example a rugby kicker focuses on picking a spot either a few feet in front of them or behind the post
to aim for in a conversion kick.
Concentration has a broad and narrow dimension. A broad dimension is where the player is ware of
everything around them but not focussing on any one part of the performance e.g taking in playing
environment and crowd. However narrow concentration to vital to direct focus on only one or two cues in
the game or during training to prevent brain overload and miss directing attention.
How does maintaining concentration impact positively on performance?
A badminton player who can maintain concentration throughout a match will develop more consistency in
their play and will respond faster to cues in the game resulting in faster decision making and motor
responses. They are able to disregard “noise” and focus on what is important such as; Where is the
opponent on the court? What is the speed and angle of the shuttle coming over the net? What is the best
response to this shot which will cause my opponent more of an issue? Where is the space to attack?
Being selective with their attention and staying in the zone enables them to cope with pressure and make
fewer careless mistakes.
Impact does a lack of concentration impact negatively on performance?
A badminton player with a lack of concentration will allow the pressure to get to them and will forget their
game plan. They will make frequent errors through not being selective with what they focus on resulting in
brain overload.

Might not be watching where the opponent is or the space to hit the shuttle (Reducing effectiveness of
shots)
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Mental Sub Factor
Decision Making
“Decision making is an action or process of choosing a preferred option or
course of action from a set of alternatives. It forms the basis of all
deliberate and voluntary behaviour”.
Quality decision making is a critical skill in sports. The quality of your decisions has a massive impact on you
results. Experience plays a significant part in the decision making process such as your skill repertoire as do many
other sub factors.
For example
Concentration
Level of Arousal
Decision making capabilities
The more developed a performer’s information processing system the better adept they are at responding to cues,
sorting information, and drawing on past experiences which results in instant decisions. Anticipation is linked to the
decision making process and players must learn to “read” a situation early to establish what things are unimportant,
less important and very important. This helps an athlete to predict what might happen next and think one step
ahead of their opponent and the game. This means they can plan ahead.
For Effective decisions we make use of
SENSES
PAST EXPERIENCE
OUR ABILITY TO “READ” WHAT NEXT
Triple Decision making process
1. Decisions on FOCUS (Attention selective)
2. Decisions about what the information means
3. Decisions about to do now
How does good decision making impact positively on performance?
Good strategic play (Decisions) is rooted in a solid skill and fitness base. Effective badminton players have good
perception, good decision making skills and the ability to produce the required shot at the precise moment it is need.
Fast decision making allows a varied stroke repertoire to be applied to manoeuvre and outmanoeuvre opponents. It
allows a player to mix power and touch shots to get the opponent on the run giving them less time to react and
think. Badminton is a problem solving game and the objective is to send difficulties over the net. Swift decisions
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results in a higher success rate, good timing, and fluidity in movements. (Right place, right time) It reduces errors in
play as players respond effectively to cues in the game to make the correct judgements and they can ignore possible
distractions. Decisions are more spontaneous without conscious thought as a player has strong belief in their ability.
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How does poor decision making impact negatively on performance?
Recall of past
experiences limited
impacting decisons
and judgments in a
"live performance"
Confusion from
brain overload.
Decsion not
instinctive, delayed
as it take longer to
process info.
Poor attention
selection (Focusing
on what is not
important)
Impact
Negative
Inability to read the
game and solve
problems
Frequent, repetitive
mistakes
Miss vital cues in
the game which
would direct
attention impacting
antiicpation.
BE ABLE TO EVAULATE THE IMPACT OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FACTORS ON PERFORMANCE. (Mental and Physical)
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