Badminton Fitness – Endurance In Badminton

Endurance in badminton is the ability to continue a rally for long periods of time without tiring. It is an important part of any sport. When training for endurance we are training our heart and lungs to provide oxygen to the body more efficiently.

Just to keep the science very brief – oxygen is necessary to convert glucose to ATP (basically fuel for the muscle). The reason we breathe heavier during exercise is due to the increased demand for oxygen as the rate at which glucose needs to be converted is much higher. Creating energy through the use of oxygen is also known as the aerobic system.

Aerobic System Vs Anaerobic System

Both the above systems describe how the body creates energy within our cells. Both are equally important for badminton and are not mutually exclusive within the sport. Both systems maximise performance and work together, not independently of one another. Training one of these aspects will have some benefits for the other.

Further information on both systems can be found in the two links below:

1. Aerobic
2. Anaerobic

Endurance In Badminton

Endurance in badminton equates to playing long rallies without fatiguing quickly. Although there are lots of explosive movements, there are also periods of relatively lower intensity, particularly in singles and perhaps in some instances in doubles – notably ladies’ doubles.

Most professional players are at the peak of their endurance ability.

Advantages Of Good Endurance

In terms of badminton, there are several reasons why it is beneficial to have a good level of endurance:

• Continue The Rally: The most important aspect of good endurance is being able to continue the rally. If you cannot reach the shuttle early you will not be able to play any decent shot and the opponents will punish weak replies.
• Wear Down Your Opponent: If your endurance is superior to your opponents, you will be able to capitalise on this by drawing out the rallies and making your opponent work harder. This will have a physical impact on them lasting the duration of the match.
• Better Able To Play At A Faster Pace When Required. Having a good cardiovascular system means that your body isn’t tapping into its anaerobic system as much. Therefore it is ready for when you need to inject pace into the rally.
• Stronger Mentality. When you fatigue, errors start to creep into your game. Having strong endurance means you’ll be able to think more clearly in rallies, better stick to your strategy and tactics, and play winners with more precision.
• Ability To Recover Faster. After a particularly hard rally, your body will be better able to bring your heart rate down faster. This means you will be better prepared for the next rally than someone who’s heart rate is relatively high.

Off-Court Exercises To Improve Endurance

There are several general exercises you can do to improve your general level of endurance. Endurance training does not always require a gym or any fancy equipment. It can only require a good pair of running shoes. You have to ensure to train consistently and at a tempo that challenges you.

Running

The most basic of cardio exercises. Running is the universal go-to exercise for those trying to improve their endurance. It is certainly the most convenient and can be done almost anywhere. If you are new to running, the Couch to 5K program is very popular. The app is available on both Android and iPhone.

If you don’t want to pay for an app there’s lots of information on the internet to help you meet your goals. Here is a great starting point for beginners.

 

Skipping (Jump Rope)

Wait, you mean that thing that 6-year-old girls do in the playground? Yes! Skipping is an amazing exercise to increase your cardiovascular capabilities. That’s why it’s so popular among boxers looking to increase their endurance. Try skipping for 1 minute at a high tempo. It’s much harder than it sounds. Obviously, you will need a jump rope (not the thick ropes you see in schools) which are reasonable prices.

Swimming

Badminton is pretty stressful on your joints. Swimming allows you to exercise in an environment where there is no impact on your joints at all.  This is perfect for those looking to improve their endurance without putting additional stress on their body.  It also engages all the muscles in your body to work in unison, which in turn means your heart and lungs will be working hard to provide the energy required around the whole body.

Burpees

Widely used to assess the fitness of military personnel around the world, this simple exercise is not easy, but really makes you breathe. It can be done in your own home without any equipment which makes it incredibly convenient. The video below demonstrates how to do a proper burpee (push-up element optional). Aim for 5 sets of 5. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you’re new to this, try it and see!

Badminton-Specific Exercises For Endurance

While the above exercises will certainly help improve your ability on the court, there are also court-specific exercises. These exercises replicate movement on the badminton court and are therefore very useful for specific badminton endurance training. These exercises should not be done with the intention of how fast you can perform the drill. Rather the focus is on continuous movement at a moderate to relatively high speed for your ability. You should not be moving at 100% speed but perhaps 60-70% of that. This ensures you keep the energy produced mainly from the aerobic system.

Shadowing the Court 

This involves moving to 8 areas of the court starting from a base position in the middle of the court and moving to each one in unison. You can do this with a racket to also shadow your shots but the focus should be on your footwork and endurance.

You can also do this with a friend, who stands in front of you at the net and points to which area of the court you should move. This keeps you on your toes so that it simulates the uncertainty of a match situation.

The below diagram shows the 8 positions to move to from the base position. Sometimes the immediate front and back positions are not included in this exercise. However, I like to include it as a variation and because it’s an area of the court the shuttle is likely to be played.

Shuttle Runs

This is similar to the above. You place a couple of shuttles at the first corner you will move to. Then you move to that corner, pick up one shuttle, return to your base and move it to the second corner. You return to the first corner for the second shuttle and repeat the process. This is usually done for six areas of the court, the four corners, and two sides.

There is an emphasis on footwork here. You should be placing the shuttle by your racket foot as this should naturally be the foot ending the movement to each corner. This includes the rear corners for the purposes of this drill.

As you become more proficient, you can begin to add more shuttles or try to do it at a faster pace to challenge yourself further.

Feeding 

Have a friend feed you the shuttle to different areas of the court. The focus is on your ability to move consistently around the court but also helps to train your shot consistency. There are several ways you can do this:

Have the Feeder stand in one place and use one shuttle

1. The Feeder stands in one area of the court and plays the shuttle to any area of the player’s side of the court.
2. The player must return the shuttle to the Feeder. This shot will depend on where the feeder is on the court.
3. Once the rally begins, keep it going as long as possible.

Example of practising for endurance:

• There will be 5 rallies.
• The player must return the shuttle to the feeder at least 10 times within the rally for it to count. If not you start again until you hit the shuttle successfully 10 times or more. Each time you do this, it will count as one rally.
• This does not mean once you reach 10 you stop. It’s a motivational number to ensure that you complete the rally. You do not stop the rally at 10, you keep going until rally ends with an error by the player.
• After five successful rallies, the feeder moves to another area of the court and the above process is repeated. The four corners are a good choice of areas for the feeder to feed from. Once you’ve completed all four corners, you’ve completed the drill.

Any of the numbers above can be changed to cater to the abilities of the player.

Have the Feeder stand in one place and use a number of shuttles

1. A Feeder has a number of shuttles.
2. The Feeder plays the shuttle into the player’s side of the court.
3. The player returns the shuttle. Not directly to the Feeder.
4. Once the player has recovered from the shot, the Feeder will play the next shuttle.

So in this scenario, the Feeder can dictate the pace as they are always in control of the shuttle. However, the Feeder should not push the player too hard, the focus here is to keep the rally going to build endurance. Pace can be increased moderately as the player gets better and more comfortable with the exercise.

Example of practising for endurance:

• Feeder plays 10 shuttles – This will count as one set.
• The Player must hit all the shuttles over the net and in the court for it to count as 1 set. If they hit the net or hit the shuttle out of the court, they will have to start again.
• The target is 5 sets

Again, these numbers can be adjusted to the ability of the player and also the number of shuttles available to you! If you play often with feathers, keep the ones which you consider no longer match-worthy. They can be used for these drills.

Conditioned Games

When playing, you can set your own criteria for the game. This criterion is focused on increasing endurance. For example, you cannot smash or kill at the net. By doing this you’re forced to play a game in which nobody can hit winning shots, so the rallies will be longer.

Two Vs One

If you’re feeling confident, 2 V 1 is a great way of really burning those lungs. Because there are two players on the other side, you have less time to recover for the next shot. This forces you to move faster. You can also apply conditions as above to make the game easier or harder, depending on your current fitness level. Or if you are as good as Lee Chong Wei – 3 V 1!

Endurance In Badminton – The Final Word

There seems to be a consensus worldwide that cardio is boring. I can’t deny that it can be. However, it’s a fundamental part of any sport and is important to take seriously if you are serious about improving as a player. Use that as your motivation. It’s frustrating to know you’ve only lost to someone because they’re fitter than you. But it also means they are more committed.

You have to push yourself every time you do any of the above exercises, whether that’s running a little further or doing one more shuttle run. Gradual progression is key. Doing too much too fast could result in injuries which as badminton players we all want to avoid!

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