How to become a Professional Badminton Player in India
They say that the road to success is paved with hard work. That’s especially true when it comes to badminton. With the sport gaining immense popularity in India over the years, many young enthusiasts have been inspired to pursue a career as a professional badminton player. However, learning badminton requires unwavering dedication, immense hard work, and a strategic approach.
If you’re an aspiring player, this one’s for you. Here’s how you can become a professional badminton player in India.
Start Early
Like many other sports, starting early is crucial in badminton. Most professional players begin learning badminton in their childhood or early teens. Developing solid fundamental skills such as footwork, grip, strokes, and tactics at an early age is crucial to becoming a badminton star. Starting early ensures you have the time needed to perfect your learning and practice your fundamentals. Joining a badminton sports academy or badminton coaching class with experienced coaches is a great way to start.
Rigorous Training
Physical capabilities play a key role when it comes to badminton. Aside tactical and psychological capabilities, you need to have excellent physical prowess too. That’s why you need to commit to an efficient and rigorous training regimen. You need to exercise regularly and hone your physical capabilities. Practice sessions at badminton coaching classes focused on improving various aspects of the game such as agility, endurance, strength, and technique, are also essential. Professional players often follow a schedule that includes both morning and evening training sessions. So, make sure you’re ready to train hard.
The Right Coach
Someone once said, ‘a good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.’ Having a good coach who helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas that need improvement, ensures that you truly grow every day. That’s why you need to make sure that the badminton sports academy you choose can guide you towards success.
A lot of good coaches have an incredible track record in producing successful players. Under their tutelage, you’re sure to perfect your skills, refine your strategy, and grow uninhibitedly.
Stay Fit
Badminton requires players need to be agile, quick, and endure. So, the fitness training sessions often include cardio workouts, strength training, and flexibility exercises. When a player trains consistently, these exercises help maintain peak performance on the court.
Nutrition also plays a key role in badminton fitness. Proper nutrition helps enhance physical prowess and aids in recovery when required. So, while learning badminton, make sure your diet is well-balanced and healthy.
Toughen Up Mentally
Badminton, like any sport, is both physically and mentally challenging. So, as you hone your physical skills, you need to toughen up mentally too. Developing mental strength is key to overcoming setbacks, staying focused during matches, and handling stress. To improve mental toughness, players tend to opt for techniques such as visualization, mindfulness, and positive self-talk. Enhancing mental resilience and performance under pressure takes time too. So, make sure you practice every day.
Keep Practicing
There’s no such thing as ‘too much practice.’ Even with a coach who ensures you have all that you need to become better, you need to practice long and hard. That is the only way you can perfect your skills and gain more experience.
Aside practicing, make sure you also spend time working on strategy. This includes going over footage to learn new moves and key tactics that professional players employ to ensure victory.
Persevere
This is perhaps the most important thing to remember about becoming a professional player – perseverance. That’s one of the first things you’re taught when you start learning badminton. Becoming a professional badminton player is a long and challenging journey. It commands unwavering dedication and immeasurable perseverance. The path to success is most definitely not a straight line, so being committed to the goal is what will ultimately determine your success.
With the right combination of training and determination, you too can become a professional badminton player in India. You just need to start learning badminton early, find the right badminton sports academy, and keep practicing while staying fit. Like all other sports, when it comes to badminton, the journey is as important as the destination. So, keep moving forward and you’ll see yourself grow in every way.
