4. How to make practice harder
increasing the speed/duration/quantity will only take you so far
it’s the number of decisions that stress and challenge you to succeed
To make practice harder I often used to just increase the number of repetition and ask my players to move faster
Or, I would increase the duration and create rallies in excess of those found in the competition.
That was my only way to make it harder, tougher for them.
I didn’t understand the importance of decisions in practice and how much tougher it suddenly made the practice
(it also enhanced the game-skill development)
Once a skill can be performed at game speed, increasing the number of decisions the player has to make will provide the most effective learning for a real game.
It can, more effectively, provide stresses found in a competitive match.
It’s often what separates two equally physically and technically matched payers
Increase the amount of decision making and the practice will
- immediately become ‘harder’ and more effective
- create deeper more robust development
- allow the players to make decisions based on what they see
- develop their anticipation
- give them an opportunity to believe that they can influence the situation
- produce ‘players’ not ‘trainers’
- make it feel more like a game than a routine
I started to question if my practices were just causing players to chase shuttles
Yes, it was tough work but it was really helping them win matches?
Where were the opportunities for them to influence the rally?
In a game, neither player knows where the other player will hit the shuttle.
Therefore, how do you develop these anticipatory and reaction skills?
If you want some more reading click here and go to the post that describes the essential elements to any great Badminton Practice
Point no. 5 explains all about the importance of increasing indecision in practice to make it tougher
Yes, you can increase the speed and duration
but for deeper, long-lasting development practising with indecision is key
Jump back to the long list
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Further reading about the importance of decision making in practice
(click the image to read more)
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Listening
A look at the extended challenge point hypothesis.
How can we get the level of difficulty right to challenge a performer?
What are 3 different goals coaches should consider when designing a practice?
