BADMINTON TIPS: THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOTWORK

Badminton is a fast game; you have little time to respond after each shot. A second’s delay often turns a winning situation into a losing one.

REACHING THE SHUTTLE EARLY

Good footwork will help you to reach the shuttlecock early. This is desirable in all situations.

You should play your shots from the highest point you can. Don’t allow the shuttlecock to drop! Playing the shuttlecock from the highest point gives you options to hit downwards. You don’t necessarily have to use those options every time, but the mere threat of downwards shots gives your opponents a lot more to worry about.

At the front of the court, taking the shuttlecock early has an especially dramatic effect. If you reach it early, you can often play a net kill and end the rally at once; but if you delay even a second, then you will lose the option to play a net kill, as the shuttlecock drops below net height. You can still play a net shot, but that’s not as good as a kill.

At the back of the court, you want to hit the shuttlecock overhead at full relaxed reach. Reach upwards! Allowing the shuttlecock to drop here is fatal! You will be forced to play a weak shot; when the shuttlecock is below net height, most players struggle to play a good-length clear, and obviously a smash is impossible.

It’s also much better to get behind the shuttlecock at the back of the court. This gives you a more threatening smash, and makes all your overhead shots easier. If you are slow to move backwards, then you may be forced to hit the shuttlecock from behind your body. It’s still possible to play smashes, clears, and drops; but it’s much more difficult, and your smashes will be less powerful.

HITTING FROM A BALANCED POSITION

Good footwork helps you remain balanced while you hit the shuttlecock. Staying balanced affords you the best control of your shot, because you do not need to correct for body movement.

If you are unbalanced, then it’s much harder to control your hitting action. You have to compensate for your body motion; the greater your body motion, the harder it is to compensate.

Think about it like this: if you were playing golf, would you rather play in a hurricane or on a calm day? It’s possible to correct for wind, but strong winds make it much harder to control your shot. Body movement is like wind: it’s a distraction from your precise control of the shuttlecock.

QUICKER RECOVERY FOR THE NEXT SHOT

It’s not much good retrieving only one shot. You need to get ready for the next one.
Good footwork will help you recover into a position to cover the next shot. If you are slow to recover, however, then your opponent will inevitably gain an advantage. Even a slight delay can be exploited, because it can be compounded: if your opponent plays intelligently, you will find yourself even farther out of position on the next shot.

PREVENTION OF INJURIES

Poor footwork often leads to injuries. Many of these can be prevented with only a few minutes’ instruction in safe footwork.
In particular, all players should learn good lunge technique.
(www.badmintonbible.com)

NMBF "Eat-Together" with July Celebrants

NMBF July birthday celebrants Juliet Ramos, Macoi Aguda, Joy Yumul and Marconi Calindas were joined by their friends last July 14 at the Sun Palace Hotel for a mouth-watering-potluck-lunch fete.

Edwin Montoya: Badminton's "Biggest Loser"

It's easy to put on weight as we get older, especially when we have a sedentary lifestyle but it’s never too early or too late to change your lifestyle for better health - and losing weight is one vital issue to achieve a healthy life especially for overweight people. A staggering amount of money is being spent on weight loss products just to shed excess body weight. However for Northern Marianas Badminton Federation Community Project and Development chair Edwin Montoya, it’s playing Badminton that made him the “biggest loser” - that is losing weight as much as 57 lbs. -- from 215 to 158 lbs.

The 41-year-old shuttler was overweight before he even thought of any exercises or diets. Then he became member of NMBF in 2006, and from then on he’s been religiously playing the sport (badminton) and started to lose weight. He recalled at first he couldn’t even hit the ball but he was really eager to play so he could lose his unwanted inches of body fat. Years later, after playing on a daily basis, he had already lost 60 pounds and it sustained until now.

“Playing badminton regularly can lead to a big difference in your weight and your health - it’s a great and fun exercise; it makes me sweat a lot. Diets simply don’t work for me because I end up feeling deprived, starved, and often bored with the regimen. Good health includes not only healthy eating, but also healthy exercise and badminton is the only type of exercise that helps me stay in shape”, Edwin said.

Edwin’s incredible weight loss has transformed him from an overweight into a more confident and well-adjusted person and expects to be far better on the sport. His achievements include winning 1st runner-up in Mixed Doubles event with partner Cristy Villaflor in 2006 NMBF Inaugural Tournament. He now serves as a coach to young badminton enthusiasts.

“It’s such a good feeling knowing that all the hard work of the last few years has paid off. I'm healthy, happy and finally at my target weight”, Edwin proudly ended.

NMBF trains badminton to DYS Summer Youth Campers

Northern Marianas Badminton Federation volunteered to help the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs in coordination of Division of Youth Services and Division of Sports and Recreation in introducing badminton to at least 100 youngsters ages 7 to13 as its community service during the two-week Youth Summer Sports camp held from July 22 to August 1 at the Gilbert Ada gymnasium.
NMBF president Marconi Calindas, Membership Committee head Hapi Gabriel, and Community Service and Development head Edwin Montoya led the training every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 am to 11:30 am.
Other NMBF members who helped and assisted the two-week DYS Summer Clinic were Macoi Aguda, Roger Valez, Juliet Ramos, Merlie Savellano, Shirley Kim, and Patrick Fieldad.

NUTRITION AND BADMINTON

Nutrition is an important component of badminton because it is an energy sapping, fast paced, quick reflexes oriented, fast racket game where the speed of the smash is more than 200mph when the shuttle leaves the racket after the smash.

So a badminton player has to take care of his nutritional requirements on and off his badminton days to maintain a balance. For example, on an off day, you may require 2500 to 3000 calories whereas on competition day, you may require up to 5000 calories. Similarly, your requirement for water, carbohydrates, electrolytes and other nutrients vary between his off day and competition day.

On a day-to-day basis, you have to take care of your nutrition by consuming a well balanced diet comprising carbohydrate, fat, protein, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and water. A nutritionist can extend help in achieving this.

In the days preceding a competition, it is better for you to eat less carbohydrate and more fat and protein. It depletes his glycogen stores in the liver. Then, for a day or two preceding the competition you can go for increased carbohydrate, which replenishes glycogen storage to an optimal level.

It enables you to endure the event better by providing you the necessary glucose during play by the breakdown of glycogen. Also it is better to drink beverages containing glucose during rest between plays and avoid fructose-containing beverages.
It is because fructose has to be converted into glucose for the body to use it, which takes time, predisposing the individual to low blood sugars and fatigue. Fructose can also upset your stomach.

Overenthusiastic protein intake predisposes to constant thirst, dehydration, decreased desire to consume food, loose motions and added stress on kidneys besides adding to the cost of training.

Among electrolytes, sodium needs can be met just by increasing their amounts in the diet during competition days. Consuming salt tablets indiscriminately can cause vomiting sensation, vomiting and bloating of stomach due to retention of water by the salt thereby affecting the player's performance. Similarly, additional potassium requirements can also be met with diet alone by including potassium rich food like bananas regularly.

Vitamins and minerals are to be obtained by diet optimally. Badminton players require vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and minerals like iron to utilize the additional calories they need during playing. These vitamins and minerals are to be obtained by including fresh fruits, vegetables, greens, eggs etc. in their diet.

Water should be consumed in just adequate amounts before, during and after play, ideally at the amounts required to quench the player's thirst. Drinking too much water in the presumption that it can diminish thirst and improve fitness is wrong as it can lead to water intoxication. Similarly, drinking too less water thinking that it may slow the game by bloating the stomach is also a misplaced concept.
(www.badminton-information.com)

Junior Badminton winners

Junior Under 11
Champion - Ezekiel Macario and Crystalline Cristobal
Runner-up - Kanata Omori and Camille Limon

Junior Under 18
Champion- Pauline Cielo anf Christine Joyce Cristobal
Runner-up - Daniel Macario and Gilda Maria Ogarro

NMBF holds Junior Tournament

Northern Marianas Badminton Federation helad a very successful Junior Badminton Tournament towards the end of the three-week Youth Summer Clinic last July 11 at the Gilbert Ada gymnasium.
With 26 youngsters taking aprt in the under 11 and under 18 age-group events, the compettition was full of energy and excitement.
Pauline Cielo and and Christine Joyce Cristobal look a class act and will become even better players with more experience, they were the convincing winners of the under 18 doubles as they proved too much for their oppenents Gilda Maria Ogarro being paired with another promising player Daniel Macario in the finals by 23-21 and 21-12 score.
Ezekiel Macario and Christine Vicena were winners of under 11 doubles, beating Kanata Omori and Camille Limon with the score being 21-9 and 21-13.
The other teams who took part in the competition and will no doubt improve with age and experience were under 11 Rodwealth Espana and Bea Arcilla; Jylan Capuyon and Paula Gozon; Noah Perez and Marielle Mercado, while in under 18 were John Joh Capuyon and And Armalene Cabreros; Mark Noel Puno and Erika Ann Palacios; Manatsu Omori and Mikky Vargas; Louie Cielo and Jenine Savellano; Mike Vargas and Crystalline Cristobal; and Luis Camacho and Luis Camacho.
NMBF vice president and coach Edwin Montoya said, "Once again the NMBF has achieved another successful and enjoyable tournament that hopefully will attract more players of all ages and abilities to join in this rewarding event."
NMBF wished to thank the coaches, parents, and volunteers who helped run the tournament. Without their support and efforts, the event would not be a success.
The winners received a new racket each and one month free of badminton training. Certificates were also given to all the participants of Youth Summer Clinic during the awarding.
Rodwealth Espana, Mike Vargas, Mikky Vargas, Daniel Macario, Ezekiel Macario, Camille Limon, Jylan Capuyon and John capuyon are now official members of NMBF.