5 types of training that can improve your badminton skills

Badminton is a sport that’s been played by people of all ages. Its fastball speed, high swing frequency and short interval time requires players to be well-trained in various aspects. In order to perfect your game, you need to train on different fronts to strengthen and improve efficiency.

Training your core

Maintaining a strong core is quite important for Badminton. Not only does a strong core improve movement efficiency, but it also increases power and minimises the risk of injury under pressure.

When you are lunging to take a shot, having your core engaged will ensure your trunk and upper body don’t collapse. It allows you to stay upright, giving you better control over your body and your racket. Even when you are a bit off-balance, your core strength can help you stabilise.

When taking a shot, using your core will create more force, which will result in a more powerful shot. Also, when your core is weak, your lower back will have to work harder to support your spine, making it prone to injury. Even when it comes to generating power, if your core is weak, your body has to make use of other muscles to do that. That’s why training your core is so important.

Amping up your agility

Agility, which refers to rapid whole-body movement with a change of velocity or direction, is crucial in badminton. It is the person’s ability to move easily and quickly. Players have just a few seconds to anticipate and respond to their opponent’s shots which requires an incredible amount of agility.

Agility training benefits your body in many ways – improved balance and mobility, better endurance, and increased upper and lower body strength. There are several exercises which are used to increase agility in badminton training. By working on these different exercises in different combinations, you can improve your agility greatly. Just remember, consistency is key.

Working on your flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to move all your joints through their full range of motion. Badminton is a sport that requires a lot of flexibility because it involves lunging, reaching, diving, turning, etc., to take shots.

One of the most important benefits of increased flexibility is a reduced risk of injury. Stiffer muscles are more prone to injury under pressure. Another benefit is that flexible muscles are more relaxed at rest, which allows better circulation of blood through the muscles. Flexibility also impacts all other aspects of fitness in some way or another.

The key to improving flexibility is stretching. No surprises there! You need to ensure that you consistently warm up before playing and cool down after. You could benefit from both static and dynamic stretching. Static stretches are the traditional stretches which involve holding the stretch in place for 20-30 seconds. Dynamic stretches are active stretches in which the body is taken through a series of movements.

Being flexible implies developing enough flexibility to handle the demands of the sport. So, you need to make sure you work on both your upper body and lower body flexibility consistently.

Having fun with circuit training

Circuit training can be a lot of fun and intense at the same time. The best thing about it is that a lot of badminton-elements can be included in it. It is an excellent way to improve muscle strength, endurance, and aerobic fitness.

It is essential to warm up your joints and muscles before circuit training. Also, targeting specific areas/muscles for each circuit is important. While some circuits focus on strengthening body muscles, others reinforce your agility, strength or explosivity. So, switching between types of circuits will help you improve different areas of your game.

Taking up aerobic training

Badminton requires players to compete with sudden acceleration, abrupt halts, constant directional changes, and a series of high intensity rallies. This requires an incredibly well-developed aerobic endurance. Studies show that the aerobic energy system contributes over half the energy supply when it comes to those who play competitively. That is why players must focus on aerobic training, which aims at cardiovascular fitness.

Aerobic activity refers to any exercise that increases the heart rate significantly for prolonged periods of time. It is said that a varied approach is key to successfully building endurance. Four different types of aerobic training are generally recommended – duration, long interval, medium interval, and short interval.

So, don’t just sign up for badminton classes, focus on training yourself in these ways as well. And with consistent training and practice, you will be able to improve your badminton skills significantly.