The art of deception
I am sure we have all played against or coached players where we were really not sure where they
were going to hit the shuttle, or marvelled at players like Lin Dan hitting winners at the YONEX All
England with their world class opponents barely moving (or even moving the wrong way!).
This is the power that a “deceptive” player has during a game. Deception is a term that is commonly
used in badminton but what exactly does it mean and how can we improve it in our players?
An example of a definition of the term deception is “Giving an appearance or impression different
from the true one”, so in a badminton context we are trying to give our opponent the impression
that we are going to hit a particular shot to a specific area of the court, then actually hit a different
one (to gain an advantage).
There are three main areas where deception plays a significant role;
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Hitting overhead shots (often from the rear court)
Hitting underarm shots (often from the front of the court)
Service.
There are other references to the term outside of these hitting techniques, but these are used in a
more descriptive context, such as a player being deceptively quick (referring to the player’s
efficiency of movement around the court etc).
Deception from the rear of the court
The aim of trying to be deceptive from the rear court is to make your opponent think the shuttle is
going to be hit in a particular way (linked to speed of the shuttle, placement on court, angle,
trajectory, timing etc). This encourages the player to start the movement process to get to the
expected area of the court, but then hit it somewhere else to gain an advantage in the rally.
There are some fundamental technical principles that all players can apply when hitting overhead to
aid their deception without them “trying” to be deceptive. The key message to give to all players
when they are developing their overhead hitting technique is to make the preparation and hitting
action similar for all strokes. Clearly there are significant differences between them, but there are
areas of commonality linked to the body position and early racket preparation that they can easily
apply to aid their "natural" deception.
So what can coaches look for to see if their players have “natural” deception overhead?
Stand opposite the player (opponents’ eye view) and observe the following components for each of
the overhead options they are capable of:
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GRIP
o
Grip changes need to be discrete - If the player has a clear grip change to play
different shots then the opponent may pick up this signal, potentially reducing
the deceptive effect.
ACTION
o The preparation and initial racket speed need to appear the same.
o This is most important when the shot is soft (eg drop shot) as the racket may
well travel more slowly, giving away the shot actually being played.
POSITIONING
o The body and racket position need to be consistent when preparing to hit all
options. It is the preparation phase that the opponent will gain the most
information about what shot you intend to play ,so players need to use it to
their advantage
STRATEGY
o It is no good being deceptive if it disadvantages the player in the rally. Players
still need to apply good tactical principles when selecting what shots to play.
o For example, once a player develops an effective cross court slice, then there
is a danger of-over playing it, potentially reducing its effectiveness.
Early preparation and an appropriate body position can enable the player to take the shuttle earlier
in the rear court which is usually advantageous. This supports the concept of deception as the player
can hit the shuttle steeper, (with slice if required) which can change the direction and angle of the
shuttle from the same hitting position/technique. (It is important in this instance that the body
position remains as it would be for a straight hit if slicing the shuttle cross-court.) This is made even
more effective if the racket speed through the shuttle is high, as slicing the shuttle significantly slows
the shuttle down.
One famous British example of overhead deception is the “stop-drop” that two-time World Silver
medallist Anthony Clark employed to great effect. As Anthony had an effective smash, defenders
would back away expecting to receive pace on the shuttle. The preparation for the shot was identical
to the smash (often preceded by a leap) but the racket head speed would be controlled at the last
minute, taking pace out of the shuttle, with the result often being the shuttle landing in front of the
defending pair.
This “manufactured” deception takes a lot of practice, but has to be built on a strong foundation of
“natural” deception.
Deception in the fore court
Whereas deception in overhead hitting is more about taking the shuttle early and disrupting the
rhythm of the game, deception around the front of the court is often created by taking the shuttle
late and having more exaggerated movements to try to deceive the opponent and trigger an
inappropriate movement.
The general principles for creating “natural” deception are consistent with overhead hitting, with the
preparation phase being most critical in sending the appropriate signals to the player about what
you intend (or do not intend) to play.
The key message for the underarm deception is the early preparation for the hit and the ability to hit
the shuttle at the last minute, with minimal racket movement. This position shows the opponent
the netshot for a relatively prolonged period of time, meaning that they have to wait until the
shuttle is struck before they can react.
As there is more time to hold the racket in position then play a shot, the underarm hit lends itself to
players executing fake (or double-action shots ), all of which aim to signal to the opponent that the
shuttle has been hit and is travelling in the opposite direction.
These sorts of deceptive shots are a great way for young players to experiment with deception and
use their imagination to learn about how they can control the racket and maximise the signals they
are showing their opponents. As with the overhead deception principles though, this is only really
effective if built upon a solid “natural” deception foundation technique.
So what can coaches look for to see if their players have “natural” deception from the net area?
Again, stand opposite the player (opponents’ eye view) and observe the following components for
each of the overhead options they are capable of:
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GRIP
o
If the player is not holding the racket using an appropriate grip, it is unlikely
that they will be able to generate sufficient power with a short swing to
remain deceptive
ACTION
o The preparation and initial racket position need to be consistent across the
shots back to the net and those to the rear court.
o The hitting action needs to be short and controlled and in some instances held
as long as possible
o Any fake (or double action) movements need to be well timed so that they are
as close to the actual hit as possible
POSITIONING
o The body and racket position need to be consistent when preparing to hit all
options. It is the preparation phase that the opponent will gain the most
information about what shot you intend to play ,so players need to use it to
their advantage
STRATEGY
o As with the rear court deception, players still need to apply good tactical
principles when selecting what shots to play
o Players should base their strategic shot selection decisions based on the
shuttle position and the position of the opponent and try to use their
deception to their advantage
If a player is having success with their deceptive play, this can have a wider impact than simply
playing a few outright winners. The opponent’s response time to their shots may increase as they
can lose confidence in their anticipation (if they are consistently making incorrect choices). The
result of this is that the deceptive player could be in more control of the rallies and dictating the
play, which can only be an advantage.
Deception on the service
This is perhaps the most common area of the court where deception plays a part with the flick serve.
Historically, this shot has been used predominantly in the doubles events, but with the advent of the
low backhand serve (mainly in the men’s event) it is becoming more common in singles.
The basic premise behind the flick service is to make all serves look like low serves, then the racket
head speed increases at the last minute causing the shuttle to travel towards the rear court.
The flick serve has many tactical implications linked to; negating a strong return of the low serve,
initiating a counter attacking style when receiving a smash from the flick serve, moving the lady
player towards the rear court in mixed, so remains a valid part of the game.
The key technical principles of the flick serve are again consistent with the other areas of the court,
with grip, hitting action and racket/body position needing to be exactly the same for the low serve as
for the flick serve, so the opponent cannot predict what serve is going to come.
How can I improve these skills as a coach?
The Developing Overhead Deception module has been developed by the Education & Training team
at Badminton England and is a 3 hour practical workshop that is designed to provide coaches with a
refresher of the underpinning technical information around overhead hitting, with a particular focus
on the “natural” deception. The module also works through how we as coaches can develop and
support our players to maximise deception.
The module will support and develop a coach’s existing knowledge to:
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Understand the mechanics of the overhead hitting action, focussing on the tactical relevance
of overhead hitting deception.
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of deception to overhead hitting.
Plan and deliver player centred practice to develop deception when hitting overhead.
This module has been developed in response to requests from coaches to provide practical
workshops in specific areas of the game to supplement and develop their knowledge and practical
skills. The module forms part of the national MEDAL CPD programme developed by Badminton
England, with a range of practical modules being available across the country.
As with all the other modules, the Developing Overhead Deception module is eligible for the award
of 4 CPD points that contribute towards the new Badminton England Coach Licence.
For more information on the CPD programme or the Coach Licence, then please visit MEDAL CPD
programme or email [email protected].