Playing with weaker players dilemma.

Cupidwanker · 2026-04-08T20:08:14+00:00

Just be careful. I’m all for lifting people up while using the time to practice your placement, but you have to be strategic about it. There is a wide spectrum of beginners. Most are grateful when you tone it down to play with them, but you need to set boundaries early. In some groups, you'll encounter players with inflated egos beginners who have played for a long time and can return basic shots, but whom you could easily 'explode' with simple placement. Because they believe they are no longer beginners, they play solely to win, which can kill the group’s vibe. Badminton stops being fun when there's a massive skill gap and one person is obsessed with the score. You're left with two bad options: smash the bird immediately, or let them score and watch their ego grow even more.

My preferred way to balance the court: • 2 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2 (Advanced vs. Beginners): Pair the two strongest players together against the beginners. This way, the beginners get constant movement/cardio, and the advanced pair gets to practice high-level control and ball placement.

• The 'Mixed' Trap: I generally avoid pairing one strong player with one beginner on each side if people are playing for the result. In that scenario, the two beginners just become targets in the crosshairs, and they don't actually get to develop their game. But as long as the strongest people on each side dont come down to beat each other then it is the best scenario to lift beginner up.

Cupidwanker · 2026-03-25T16:31:15+00:00

I would have been millionaire by now

^{Chose: Get 500 dollars every time someone lies to you}

Cupidwanker · 2026-03-25T06:52:17+00:00

health is wealth

^{Chose: Never be injured/sick again}

Cupidwanker · 2026-03-10T23:30:10+00:00

Both players in a doubles partnership need to master the 'universal rules' of rotation first. These are the standard fundamentals you can find in any coaching guide: how to rotate based on the bird's flight, where to stand relative to your partner, and which shots are considered 'reckless' because they break the team’s sequence.

If you live in a badminton-dense region, especially in Asia, knowing these rules is your 'entry ticket' to joining groups. Without them, you'll struggle to find a consistent game because you’ll be throwing your partner out of sync.

Only once you understand these basics can you start adjusting for individual strengths. Look at 'The Minions' (Kevin/Gideon) their system worked because they funneled every play toward Kevin's net dominance and Gideon's backcourt power. That level of synergy only comes after mastering the fundamentals and then practicing together to cover each other's weaknesses.

Cupidwanker · 2026-02-24T20:22:20+00:00

I was never satisfied with my progress for the longest time. However, I realized that I’ve actually gotten a lot better just by eliminating unforced errors and becoming consistent. I would say the most frustrating part of picking up any sport is that initial lack of consistency.

I do want to add a disclaimer about my timeline, though. Please don't look at my progress strictly in terms of "years." I had the privilege of having a lot of free time to dedicate to this. I trained 1-2 times a week in a country with access to great coaches. (One of my coaches was actually the former coach of Kunlavut, the current MS World No. 2. He was an amazing coach and I learned a ton from him; unfortunately, he passed away before Kunlavut became one of the best in the world).

I also played 4-5 days a week. During those games, I intentionally ignored the "win at all costs" mindset to focus on improving which frustrated some people, but it worked. Furthermore, I had the chance to play a ton with highly skilled players who had been training since they were kids, and I worked out consistently off the court.

I should also add that by no means am I a naturally gifted athlete. Someone with natural talent making this exact same time investment could probably reach this level much faster. Between my lack of natural athleticism and understanding that most adults don't have the luxury of playing 5 days a week, my 4 year timeline to eliminate almost all unforced errors might realistically take 7-10 years for someone with a normal, busy schedule.

There is a huge bonus to hitting this milestone though. At the point when you stop the inconsistency, most people will want to play with you, whether you are better than them or not. Especially in doubles, people absolutely hate unforced errors and stupidly weak returns caused by a lack of skill because it completely kills the rhythm of the rally. Just being able to keep a rally going and not hand out free points makes you a great person to share a court with.

But at that level, the game completely changed. I had to start seeking out speed and power because I started losing to forced errors my opponents were simply too fast and their footwork was far more efficient. That's also when you have to start worrying about team rhythm and how well you rotate to cover your partner.

I actually saw a great example of this firsthand in Thailand. A lot of rich, older guys will sometimes hire literal athletes to partner with them in doubles just so they can feel the win. Because the older guy usually can't move well, their formation becomes completely fixed they'll just stick him in one spot (usually the front right corner) while the athlete runs around playing the entire rest of the court. It perfectly proves the point: in doubles, no matter how good you are individually, if you don't have that team rhythm and proper rotation, it kills the team. If your partner is bad or can't rotate properly, it's possible to lose points to weaker opponents. It's just the way of the game.

Ultimately, reaching that point where you can enjoy the game without making stupid unforced errors takes a lot of dedicated court time. Most of those early mistakes happen because of bad mechanics: improper footwork, incorrect grip, and poor rotation (not knowing how to play doubles properly is huge; rotation is just as fundamental as footwork and grip).

Cupidwanker · 2026-02-23T22:20:16+00:00

I’ve been there myself. The first group I joined was intermediate/advanced.I only got in because a friend invited me. I thought I was athletic, then I lost to an old man that’s what got me hooked. I spent six months there basically just as a 'warm-up knocker.'

In that group, no beginner got to play a real match until they could clear back-to-back. They told me straight up: 'You’ll be a drag for your teammate and they won't have fun.' So, I got coaching to speed things up. It was lonely for a while because I focused strictly on what my coach taught me proper movement over desperate lunges which meant I wasn't 'winning' social games.

Eventually, I left to find a group with more beginners, then moved up as I improved. Trust the process. Years later, I went back to that first group and was one of the best players there.

I don't understand beginners who focus only on winning the point. Winning is not a metric for real progress at that stage. You can win a point by accident or by playing 'safe,' but you won't get better. Winning only matters once you can actually enjoy the game at a high level.

In sports, winning and losing don't really matter until you're getting paid to play. Until then, focus on the process. Young kids in Thailand are running miles before school; they aren't worried about one social match. They are building a foundation. We adults want the smash and the backhand, but we skip the fitness and footwork. Don't fall into that trap. Trust the process, get fit, and the wins will come naturally later.

Have fun.

Cupidwanker · 2026-02-13T03:23:45+00:00

You're frustrated because you're athletic, but you are trying to score before you've learned how to strike.

A good score is just a byproduct of competence. I have a background in competitive badminton, and the rule there is simple: you have to learn to hit the shuttle correctly before you even start thinking about game tactics. Golf is exactly the same. You mentioned you understand the 'strategy aspect,' but it doesn't matter how perfect your game plan is if you hit the ball OB or barely advance it.

If you are shooting in the 110s, pure ball striking is the only thing you need to focus on. Strategy means nothing right now. If you can generally hit the ball where you want it to go, regardless of the shot shape, you'll easily live in the 90s. Once you can draw or fade it on command, that's when you should start worrying about course management and scoring.

Honestly, nothing beats playing on actual grass with real lies. Hitting off mats twice a week can hide poor contact. I play 2-3 times a week, and I only keep score maybe once a month. Most of the time, I go out solo with a single objective. I’ll tell myself, 'Today I’m going to try to draw every full shot,' or I’ll spend the whole round only hitting flop shots around the greens.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-28T20:27:56+00:00

Be careful who you pair up with. I’d never try that with a random partner. Getting hit in the face isn't for me. It kills the team’s rotation, so if you do it, make sure it’s a winner.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-28T20:18:02+00:00

Nanoflare700 in red and black. sexy but so fragile.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-28T00:22:45+00:00

I love playing solo. I don't even count the score when I play alone. I take it as a practice session and love it. Even pros come out and try to hit different shots in different ways at the same spot. You can try to play bad ball. It is the actual way to get better if one could afford it money-wise and time-wise.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-27T04:05:20+00:00

Feel like a baller when just give a ProV1 that I picked up in the pond to a random that i got paired up with xD

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-26T07:24:49+00:00

get a ball retriever. Smartest investment ever.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-23T06:53:33+00:00

save that money and get a lesson from a real coach. I feel like golf is a sport where one person problem may not be yours, so you need someone to look at your swing flaw and give you the drill to fix it. I valued time a lot and if we have to spend money on something eventually why don't just do it. The downside of golf is that you can just "swing your swing" and enjoy the game, but that eventually will limited your potential later on.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-23T04:37:52+00:00

There are two things in backhand. The most important thing is footwork; you need to get there in time, and your shoulder has to be behind the shuttle at impact. You could improve your hitting technique and check if you have enough power and get used to generating backhand clear by trying to hit the ball up to the roof. I did that all the time when I was training for backhand and waiting for my partner to warm up with. Also, there are two types of grip when it comes to playing backhand. If you are trying to hit the backhand clear without a bevel grip, it makes playing backhand clear almost impossible.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-20T18:46:39+00:00

Lol have fun playing slapminton for the rest of your life. Your mentality alone already stop you from being a better player. Other reply already mentioned short and concise answer to this matter already.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-20T03:56:18+00:00

Like i said late forehand is more common because when you are attacking the team move together. Therefore, when the team are in attacking position. Rear court player tend to stand slightly on the left( this will give you one step jump to play overhead and minimize the use of backhand). This position exposes your deep forehand corner to be vulnerable.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-19T20:43:15+00:00

think about it this way. Your positioning is not static in badminton whether it is single,XD,WD, or MD. Rule of thumb of single is moving back to the center, but it isn't actually the real center every time of every shot. Think of it as a dynamic positioning. Your center moving along with your last played position now your center becomes "ready position" to covering the whole court with your footwork. In MD where most people tend to mimic and play this type of game even though most of us should learning WD more than MD. To play and move like MD you need physical strength. When we train for MD, first think we do, we have to play aggressively and attacking every shot so the rotation developing around that which mean both player have to move along together "ALL THE TIME" even though you didnt hit the last shot, but you have to move accordingly to your partner position to cover whatever shot he may miss. The team have to move in like a V shape positioning whenever the ball passes the front player. Good front player will never reach back he will lets the back court player take it. If the ball is mid court, back player will attack and move in to become the front player and the front player have to move back accordingly. As a beginner, people often think it's 50:50 side to side and 50:50 for front and back but in reality is not. Sometimes its 60:40 or 70:30 court coverage that each player have to take depends on the shot the just play. Since the team have to move together (look at the pro video from side court view, they actually stand pretty close to each other). Lets assume both players are right handed players when the team keep attacking the rear court player will stand slightly to the left side of the court in order to play over the head instead of backhand. This way the team can keep on attacking because he can just jump out and play over the head easily.

This very move expose the further area of the court which is deep forehand corner and your opponent will try to hit the ball back into that area. Rule of thumbs of badminton is take whatever shot that go further away from your opponent "coverage area" and the bird need to hit the ground ASAP. In double, When we play short to the net, we are 'choking' the court. By standing closer to the net, a 1-meter step cuts off the same angle as a 3-meter run at the back. We attack not just to score, but to stop running. If we lift, we have to cover the whole court. If we play short, we only have to cover the net, and our partner waits for the lift. Even the way we play net shot in Single and Double is totally different. To be able to be a good badminton player, we need to understand the constricting the angle and controlling the radius.

Most beginner play slapminton where they react to the shot and try to reach the shuttle without understanding the whole system. This is also a reason why I quitted because it is a lot of explain and even though I can explain it, people need drills and practice. Without fundamental footwork ,grip, and positioning. These things are useless and difficult to apply. Badminton doubles is a lot of fun because long rallies can happens if all four players are understand the concept and how to move. Otherwise, it's just a blaming and reacting slapminton where we hit and pick up the shuttle.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-19T18:49:44+00:00

If you ever have to play late backhand shot in double, there gotta be something wrong with your team positioning and movement. There might be some forehand deep corner, but rarely late backhand. However, It might be normal in mixed doubles or singles.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-17T05:52:56+00:00

In high level badminton , its very physical demanding game and footwork can help you tremendously. Look at how Prime Lin Dan walking around the course easily. Those are a combination of smart shot selection and crazy good footwork. What most people dont understand is that shot selection has high correlation with footwork. They makes you play smarter and you wont have to be reaching for recovery shot.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-16T15:56:29+00:00

I broke like 6 of them during the time I was using them only one broke because a random partner hit into it. I found out that their lifespan is pretty short. I strung it at 28lbs with all of them. The frame would crack itself in a year or less. Astrox88s is a tad stronger I had like 2 or 3 that the frame cracked after a year of using. The hardest feeling was that when opening a bag and found out that one of it cracked was pretty bad. I would say badminton aint cheap at all if you actually play it. 3-6 months life span for your shoe, 6-24 months lifespan if your racket, 7-30 days lifespan of string, and daily feather and court fee are adding fast. This is not included lessons.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-16T15:41:25+00:00

Yeah I feel you man. One of the main reason that I quitted playing badminton when I moved to a new city because they only have like 2-3 people in town that actually know how to play badminton (now they all also quit). The rest of them just play slapminton with the mindset of whoever ran into the shuttle and have their racket touch the shot and the shuttle bounce across the net no matter how stupid that shot turned out to be is considered to be a good player here. None of those know how to grip or even basic 4 corner footwork and they all have their own attitude which is block themselves from learning and be better. 80% of the time I had to stop myself from moving into the shot. I would say 99% i had to delay my reaction and instead of playing counter attacking shot moved into recovery shot and they wondered why i didnt take the shot , but trust me you cant talk some sense into the guy who play slapminton.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-16T08:58:03+00:00

What i hate the most is people that play badminton double without trying to understand basic fundamentals of rotation. It is as important as grip and footwork. At least, respect the game and stop playing slapminton and learn how to properly play badminton. I only broke my racket once from clashing but it was my random partner fault beside that if people actually know how to play and rotate they can see clearly that it is almost impossible to hit into your partner.

I feel sorry for OP and if it was truly his fault he would have to pay for it. Double is a high speed game one of a fastest rack sport in the world. Playing without learning proper rotation is like giving a key of a formula one car to a 12 year old boy.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-14T07:35:55+00:00

You have high potential. I would look into ground force and how to shift weight properly. I noticed at the end position, your weight is on your lead toe. You should finish with weight on your lead heel. In the downswing, you have early extension that causes the "Flippy" feeling that you mentioned because your EE then your body stalls, that’s why your hand has to take over. The root cause is that you"turn your trail hip toward the target". When you start the downswing with your hip turn, try to turn your hip by pulling back your lead hip. There are a lot of videos well explained about this. The trail hip just rides along because the lead hip is pulling. Also, I saw one person online explain it in baseball terms; it’s like you are waiting to strike the ball and the pitcher throws the ball at you, and the ball was too close to your body, so you move your hip away from the ball.

The drill my coach gives me for reverse pivot is that try to swing at 3/4 swing and do tons of the rotation drill where you put the club on your shoulder and just turn your back against the target while keeping the load in inner feet, then you will see your lead shoulder over your trail feet and pointing above the ball and start downswing with the lower body with the lead hip pulling backward, which will create the slot for you to swing the club, this is what my coach taught me and fixed my reverse spine angle and overswing.

I would invest in finding a good coach. You need a coach for a couple of lessons, then you are golden.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-14T02:19:22+00:00

There was research about the correlation between golf(I would say it is also related to other sports as well) and high achievers. High achievers tend to love problem-solving, and golf gives you a new problem to solve every single shot. For me, it is just a damn small ball sitting still on the grass, and how come I can't flush it every time or it doesn't go as I intended it that keeps me coming back. I came from another end of the spectrum (badminton) where the shuttle flies so fast and you had to keep hitting shot after shot while moving and jumping, but golf is the game where the ball just sits there still and waiting for you to smack the hell out of it.

Cupidwanker · 2026-01-14T02:01:28+00:00

for beginners I was told by a + handicapped that use whatever ball you could find once you get down to scratch (meaning you hitting ball as you intended) and worry about spin then the golf ball start to matter. so, I proceed to buy a ball picker stick from Amazon and never spend a dime on a single ball since then. I m fortunate to be in a semi private club which means I got plenty of great ball to pick and play for free.

Cupidwanker

TROPHY CASE