How to win at badminton – the best strategy

How To Win at Badminton – The Best Strategy

To win in badminton, players need to employ a wide variety of strokes in the right situations. These range from powerful jumping smashes to delicate tumbling net returns. The smash is a powerful overhead stroke played steeply downwards into the middle or rear of the opponents’ court; it is similar to a tennis serve, but much faster: the shuttlecock can travel at 300km/h. This is a very effective stroke, and pleases the crowds, but smashing is only one part of the game.

Often rallies finish with a smash, but setting up the smash requires subtler strokes. For example, a netshot can force the opponent to lift the shuttle, which gives an opportunity to smash. If the netshot is tight and tumbling, then the opponent’s lift will not reach the back of the court, which makes the subsequent smash much harder to return.

Deception is also important. Expert players make the preparation for many different strokes look identical, so that their opponents cannot guess which stroke will be played. For many strokes, the shuttlecock can be sliced to change its direction; this allows a player to move their racket in a different direction to the trajectory of the shuttlecock. If an opponent tries to anticipate the stroke, they will move in the wrong direction and may be unable to change their body momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock.

Singles

Players will serve high to the far back end of the court, although at the international level low serves are now frequently used as well. The singles court is narrower than the doubles court, but the same length. Since one person needs to cover the entire court, singles tactics are based on forcing the opponent to move as much as possible; this means that singles shots are normally directed to the corners of the court. The depth of the court is exploited by combining clears (high shots to the back) with drops (soft downwards shots to the front).

Smashing is less prominent in singles than in doubles because players are rarely in the ideal position to execute a smash, and smashing out of position leaves the smasher very vulnerable if the shot is returned.

At high levels of play, singles demands extraordinary fitness. It is a game of patient tactical play, unlike the all-out aggression of doubles.

Doubles

Doubles is a game of speed, aggression, and agility, where each side has two players. Both sides will try to gain and maintain the attack, hitting downwards as much as possible. Usually one player will strive to stay at the back of the court and the other at the front, which is an optimal attacking position: the back player will smash and occasionally drop the shuttlecock to the net, and the front player will try to intercept any flat returns or returns to the net.

Typical play involves hitting the shuttle in a trajectory as low and flat as possible, to avoid giving away the attack. A side that hits a high shot must prepare for a smash and retreat to a side-by-side defensive position, with each player covering half of the court. The first serve is usually a low serve to force the other side to lift the shuttle. A “flick serve”, in which the player will pretend to serve low but hit it high to catch the receiver off-guard, is sporadically used throughout the game.

Mixed Doubles

In this discipline, a man and a woman play as a doubles pair. Mixed doubles is similar to “level” doubles (where pairs are of the same gender), but important changes in tactics are usually made in order to accommodate the difference in strength between men and women.

In mixed doubles, both pairs try to maintain an attacking formation with the woman at the front and the man at the back. This is because the male players are substantially stronger, and can therefore produce more powerful smashes. As a result, mixed doubles requires greater tactical awareness and subtler positional play. Clever opponents will try to reverse the ideal position, by forcing the woman towards the back or the man towards the front. In order to protect against this danger, mixed players must be careful and systematic in their shot selection.

Big 5 sports corporation continues to grow

Big 5 Sports Corporation Continues To Grow

There are several sporting goods corporations around the country, but Big 5 sports is becoming one of the elite with further development. It began as a small sporting goods store in the western part of the U.S., but has since grown into a leading retail store. It has now grown to 327 stores in 10 different states and is continuously building.

Big 5 sports offers a full-line product in all of the traditional sports you can think of. With the ability to find athletic shoes, apparel and sporting equipment, Big 5 sports makes for a one stop shopping experience. The great thing about this sporting goods store is that it has a large enough area to provide much more than just sporting equipment. With an average store format of 11,000 square feet, there is a large selection of products and floor models.

Fitness equipment has become an essential item in sporting goods stores today, and Big 5 Sports is no different. From workout benches to dumbbells to treadmills, the variety is there for you to try out and select the perfect machine to fit your needs. The amount of models in the store to test out depends on the size of that particular store. However, you can order in multiple items and choose from a large selection on their website.

If you are an outdoor kind of person, the selection of products to choose from is large. You can find that specific fishing rod that you are looking for, the necessary bait to catch the fish, along with the appropriate outerwear. When the season changes, so does Big 5 sports to give you the gear you need. During winter you can find all of the top brands for skiing and snowboarding to make sure you are ready to hit the slopes.

Big 5 sports is not quite up to the level that other large sporting good stores are at such as Sports Authority, but the corporation is growing every year. It has consistently added 15 to 20 stores a year over the past few years with every intention to continue this progress. With the ability to find shoes, apparel and sports equipment for every sport in every season, this is truly a one stop shop to fulfill all of your needs. With time and development, Big 5 sports will soon be one of the top sporting good retail stores in the country.

Achilles tendon injury

Achilles Tendon Injury

In an adult population, ruptures of the Achilles tendon can be a common injury of the foot and ankle. While they can be seen in almost all level of competitive athletes, they have been historically linked with the “weekend warrior” athlete who may be somewhat de-conditioned but exerts themselves in brief periods of time in sporting activities. Recognition and treatment of an Achilles tendon injury is very important, as neglected or unrecognized ruptures can cause many future problems with both daily activities and sports competition.

What is the anatomy and function of the Achilles tendon?

The Achilles tendon connects the muscles of the calf and to the heelbone. The tendon is large and must be able to withstand and transmit the large forces generated by these powerful muscles to move the foot. These forces can be many times our own body weight. The tendon is particular active with pushing down (plantar flexion) of the foot, and is therefore critical to perform in all sports, especially those in which jumping is critical. Correspondingly, sports such as basketball, track and field, and volleyball place high stresses on the Achilles tendon with jumping and landing, and are likely the highest risk for tendon injury. However, ruptures have been reported with virtually every sport.

What is an Achilles tendon rupture?

An achilles tendon rupture is a disruption in the integrity of the tendon somewhere between the muscle bellies and the heel bone (calcaneus). Most commonly, tears occur at the muscle-tendon junction 2 to 4 centimeters above the insertion into bone, but they can occur as avulsions directly from the calcaneus.

Tears can result from trauma or transection injuries which extend through the skin and underlying tendon. More commonly however, athletes suffer these injuries during sporting activities. Up to one-third of the athletes who suffer a rupture complained of some injury or symptoms in the tendon in the preceding weeks, suggesting that a preceding event may place the Achillies tendon at-risk for rupture. Chronic inflammation or irritation of the tendon for repetitive activities (“Achilles tendinitis”) can also weaken the tendon and render it vulnerable to rupture as well.

What places me at higher risk for an Achilles tendon rupture as an athlete?

Virtually anyone can suffer a rupture of the Achilles tendon, but certain pre-existing factors can place an athlete at greater risk and should be considered. These include:

• De-conditioning with weakness of the calf muscles, a common problem in “weekend” athletes who have not been training.
• Injections of steroid in or around the Achilles tendon – these can weaken the tendon and increase the risk of rupture with provocative activities, and should generally be avoided.
• Pre-existing Achilles tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon) with secondary degeneration and weakening of the tendon over time.
• Certain antibiotics (fluoroquinolones – Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Ofloxacin, etc) can place tendon at higher risk of injury
• Gout
• Hyper-parathyroidism
• Diabetes

How does an Achilles tendon rupture occur in athletes?

Most of the time, athletes will suffer an Achilles tendon rupture when a significant force is placed on the leg with the knee extended and foot pulled up (dorsi-flexed). This usually happens when awkwardly landing from a jump, and stresses the tendon when it is maximally stretched. This is a common occurrence and the basketball court.

Although Achilles tendon ruptures have been classically associated with the “weekend” athlete that is over the age of 30, they are certainly not restricted to them. Professional, well-conditioned athletes have suffered from them as well. These include NFL players Vinny Testaverde and Takeo Spikes, tennis champion Boris Becker, and many all-star NBA players, including Dominique Wilkins, Elton Brand, and Christian Laettner (Pictures).

What are the symptoms of an Achilles tendon rupture in athletes?

The symptoms of an Achilles tendon rupture are generally not subtle. The athlete will usually complain about a “popping” that could be heard and felt when jumping or landing on the court or field. Up to one-third of the time, the athlete will have complained of some pain or symptoms in the Achilles in the prior weeks – it is thought that this inciting event may render it vulnerable to injury. The athlete will immediately complain of weakness with pushing off on the foot (plantar-flexion), reflected in difficulty walking and an inability to jump with the involved leg. Often there is a palpable defect at the location of rupture just above the heel bone, with loss of integrity of the “taut band” just deep to the skin. Examination of the opposite, normal side will help to detect these differences.

What are my treatment options for an Achilles rupture as an athlete?

Treatment options for an Achilles tendon rupture are quite simple: operative or nonoperative. Some prompt treatment is important, however, as an Achilles tendon rupture will seldom heal on their own. With rupture, the muscle belly and tendon retract proximally into the calf and leave a large “gap” defect that cannot heal. Furthermore, waiting for a long time before seeking medical attention (“chronic” rupture) or failing to recognize the injury can compromise treatment options – the tendon becomes stiff and scarred and sometimes cannot be repaired primarily (“end-to-end”).

Nonsurgical options offer the advantage of avoiding the complications of surgery. Typically, the foot is kept in a down position (plantar-flexed) to approximate the ruptured tendon ends as close as possible, and immobilized in a cast or rigid boot until healing occurs. The major limitation of nonoperative treatment, however, remains the risk of incomplete or no healing, and is a significant concern when there is significant tendon retraction. Correspondingly, the risk of recurrent rupture is higher with nonoperative treatment. This option is generally NOT pursued by athletes, given their desire to return to sporting and at-risk activities, and to therefore have the strongest repair possible.

Achilles tendon surgery offers the benefits of an immediate and secure “end-to-end” repair of the ruptured tendon. This allows for a predictable course of recovery and decreased risk of repeat rupture. The main risk of Achilles tendon surgery, however, relates to the surgical wound and healing. The Achilles tendon is directly beneath the skin, and the skin flaps for a repair can have a tenuous blood supply that can place healing of the both the skin and tendon at-risk. For this reason, meticulous handling of the skin and surrounding tendon sheath (“paratenon”) with a surgical repair is of critical importance.

What does Achilles tendon surgery involve?

Surgical repair is typically the treatment of choice for athletes. Surgical repair usually allows for:

• A more predictable postoperative course of healing
• Secure “end-to-end” repair of the tendon
• Earlier return to sports
• Lower risk of recurrent tendon rupture
• Earlier and more predictable return of muscle power

Both percutaneous and open repair techniques to repair the tendon have been described. The motivation for percutaneous techniques has been to avoid the surgical wound and associated risks of wound infection or dehiscence at this location just above the heel bone. The blood supply of the skin in this location is tenuous, and can be at risk for sloughing if not carefully handled during open Achilles tendon surgery. While percutaneous techniques may protect the skin, they can place the adjacent nerves and vessels at greater risk of injury. The sural nerve is particularly at risk as it lies just lateral the Achilles tendon.

Open surgery is typically perform
ed by making an incision just medial to the tendon. A medial incision avoids risk to the sural nerve and protects it from the risk of abrasion immediately on the back side of the Achilles tendon. The skin flaps are handled very gently to avoid trauma and injury to its blood supply. The enveloping sheath of the Achilles tendon (paratenon) is identified below and incised longitudinally over the tendon defect. The paratenon is also carefully handled and preserved so that it can be closed after tendon repair – this sheath nourishes the healing tendon and provides a protective layer between the tendon and overlying skin. A collection of blood (hematoma) from the trauma is typically encountered and irrigated away to visualize the ends of the ruptured tendon. The proximal end can sometimes “re-coil” deep into the calf and may need to retrieved into the wound. Any scar and adhesions of the ruptured tendon ends should be broken to allow full mobilization and “end-to-end” approximation of the tendon under minimal tension. Grasping sutures are then placed into both tendon ends and tied together to approximate the tendon to re-create its native, resting length. While various techniques and suture configuration have been described, the ultimate common goal is to resist gap formation and confer sufficient strength to the repair until interval healing of tendon occurs.

Repairs of chronic or neglected ruptures is more difficult. In certain cases, the tendon stumps can be so retracted, stiff, and scarred that they cannot be brought “end-to-end” for a primary repair. In these circumstances, augmentation with other tissue or tendon transfer from another muscle may be required and is usually associated with a less optimal result.

What is involved in postoperative rehabilitation?

A plaster splint is typically used to protect the wound for the first one to two postoperative weeks. After satisfactory wound healing is confirmed, the athlete is transitioned to a short leg cast or protective boot and protected weightbearing with crutches is allowed for the next 6 to 8 weeks. No active plantar flexion and passive stretching of the Achilles tendon repair is encouraged during this time. Roll-A-bouts can be useful during this period to improve mobility and completely protect the healing tendon from weight bearing. At approximately 6 weeks, gentle active plantar flexion and tendon stretching is initiated. Isotonic dorsiflexion and full weightbearing in the protective boot are gradually allowed as well. By 3 months, muscle strengthening and propioceptive training are initiated. These exercises can include:

• Isotonic plantar and dorsi-flexion exercises
• Isokinetics
• Balance Board and Perturbation Training
• Stairmaster or Versiclimber

Be sure to take a look at this Balance Exercise Video as well.

A Strong Lower Body with Balance Exercises.

How long will it take for me to get back to my sport?

Return to sport is highly variable, and depends upon the type and severity of injury, associated comorbidities, strength and rehabilitation, as well as treatment pursued. In general, healthy athletes who choose nonoperative treatment cannot expect a full return to sports for one year. On the other hand, an uncomplicated surgical repair in a healthy athlete often permits return to sport at 6 to 9 months.

Can I prevent an Achilles tendon rupture?

Unfortunately, it is hard to anticipate and therefore “prevent” an Achilles tendon rupture. However, there has been some evidence to support that de-conditioning, loss of propioception, and weakness of the calf musculature may increase the vulnerability to injury during exertion in sports. For this reason, staying well-conditioned and balanced with a steady training program is the most effective way to minimize the risk of an Achilles rupture. Nonetheless, even an athlete in “tip-top” condition can suffer an unfortunate, high-load injury! Daily exercises to consider include:

It is also advisable to avoid fluoroquinolone antibiotics which can predispose to risk of tendon injury with provocative activities.

For more information on “sports injuries” visit SportsMD Media Inc. SportsMD is the most trusted resource for sports health and fitness information for people engaged in sports everywhere. We have assembled the sports industry’s leading Doctors and health experts – each sharing valuable, practical advice to keep you playing injury-free.

References:

Inglis A, Scott W, Sculco T, Patterson A. Ruptures of the tendoachilles. An objective assessment of surgical and non-surgical treatment. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1976 Oct; 58(7): 990-3.

Nistor L. Conservative treatment of fresh subcutaneous rupture of the Achilles tendon. Acta Orthop Scand. 1976 Aug;47(4):459-62.

Nistor L. Surgical and non-surgical treatment of Achilles Tendon rupture. A prospective randomized study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1981 Mar;63(3):394-9.

Tips for getting your kid into boxing

Tips For Getting Your Kid Into Boxing

Like all sports, parents are concerned for their child’s safety when considering getting their kid into boxing. But, like all sports, boxing can be safe with the right equipment and learning environment. The risk is no higher than in other popular activities like gymnastics, hockey, diving or football. Ensuring your child’s safety is about being an informed and prepared parent.

The benefits of placing your child in a boxing program far outweigh the risks. They also go beyond the obvious assets of regular exercise and fitness. Boxing instills confidence, esteem, and, most importantly, self discipline. By submitting to a regular training schedule that’s structured and supervised, kids don’t just work out aggression, they learn perseverance and self-management. Training displays a clear and recognizable correlation between hard work and noticeable results. Boxing has also been shown to be particularly effective with children that are considered “at-risk” for behavior problems. By offering an outlet for aggression, providing a steady environment, and a strict schedule, these children learn the benefits of hard work and believing in themselves.

It’s true that with boxing comes the risk of injury, including brain damage, but by choosing a coach that is experienced and works out of a safe, clean environment, you are minimizing that risk significantly. A good coach will always put safety and sportsmanship first. A reputable establishment will be certified and require your child to have health insurance and the proper gear.

The proper gear includes approved, Olympic-style headgear to protect against concussions and a mouth guard to keep those teeth safe. Groin protection is required and female boxers have to wear chest protection as well. Gloves should be child-sized and have a firm, snug fit.

Boxing can be a very rewarding sport. It builds athleticism, but also sportsmanship and self worth. Though many consider boxing to be an aggressive sport, being in the ring isn’t just about pummeling your opponent or unrepentant violence. Amateur boxing is scored on formation and technically correct punches. So, the focus is on accumulating points, not on landing powerful blows.

Despite the many reservations that people can have about boxing, it endures as an effective confidence booster that encourages diligence and preparation. It’s no more dangerous than other popular sports and with the right equipment, teachers, and environment boxing can be a critical part of your child’s development. Boxing is about more than ‘shiners,’ it’s about making your child shine!