Featured Image: Antony Stanley
The players with the fastest smash in badminton are often doubles players. After all, this is their bread and butter. The sheer power they generate is awesome, combining it with steep angles, which is not easy to do!
Now I only started watching professional badminton in 2008 as I was a little late to the game! So I will only be focusing on players from this point in time and onwards as these are the one’s I am most familiar with.
Please note, that this is only my opinion, if you disagree, feel free to leave a comment about your top rear court players!
Fastest Smashers In Badminton Doubles
Fu Haifeng
How could I start this list with anyone else? Fu Haifeng is a legend for the power of his smash. Along with his partner Cai Yun, he had an impressive career including winning an Olympic Gold Medal in London 2012 and Rio 2016 as well as Four World Championship titles.
Fu used his thunderous smash to really pressurise opponents and was able to really set his partners up in the front court with his sheer power. But what was most impressive is that his smashes were almost consistently full power. He may not have had many variations on his attacking play, but what he did have in his arsenal proved very effective.
It would have been great to see his smash recorded on the new measurements. At the time he held the world record for the fastest smash in international competition at 332km/h (206mph). During matches, he was consistently hitting incredible speeds throughout the match. Now we have new measuring techniques which cause inconsistencies in comparison but I don’t think the new record of 426kph by Mads Pieler Kolding would not be standing if Fu Haifeng was recorded the same way back then.
Jung Jae Sung
Following close behind we have the late Jung Jae Sung. An amazing player to watch and the power of his smashes were phenomenal. Standing at a shorter than average 5ft 6 inches, it was amazing how fast he could move around the court, how high he could jump and how powerful he was. An out and out rearcourt player, the fastest speed I can recall from watching his matches was 285kph (177 mph). This was obviously under the older measurement techniques.
What made him different from a simple power player was his deception. His drop shots were some of the most deceptive I’ve ever seen from a mens doubles player. Even as a spectator I had to wait for the replay to see his racket action. A real legend of badminon – rest in peace.
Tan Boon Heong
Most famous for his pairing with Koo Kien Keat, Tan Boon Heong was well known for his smashing abilities. Of course, he holds the world record for the fastest smash in badminton but this was in a controlled setting for promotional purposes for Yonex. However, there is no doubting the speed he could generate with his racket. While it’s difficult to judge, I personally don’t think he was as powerful as his two peers mentioned above, but he was more adept in the frontcourt than either of them. A very talented player, he and his partner took the world by storm when they first hit the circuit, winning the 2006 Asian Games, defeating Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng as well as Marcus Kido and Hendra Setiawan.
Xu Chen
I think a lot of people forget about Xu Chen – but he had a monster smash. Second, behind Fu Haifeng’s power in the Chinese Badminton team at the time, he’s most prominent for his partnership with Ma Jin in the mixed doubles. I recall him hitting smashes at 290 Kph using the old method, possibly higher on occasion!
Like Fu Haifeng, his smash was his speciality and he used the speed he could generate to dominate opponents. While he was often thought of as a perhaps tactically weaker mixed doubles player, relying too much on his power, he had no problem winning titles and Olympic medals!
Praveen Jordan
I remember being at the All England in 2016 and watching this man in the final and being completely in awe of his power. If you haven’t watched this match, it was Praveen Jordan playing at his best!
His smashes are like literal thunder and he uses them to great effect. Firstly, he puts immense pressure on the opponents through the power he can generate but also has another trick up his sleeve. Because of his power, his opponents often stand a little further back. THEN he hits them with a delicate drop. This is incredible to watch because it seems to come out of nowhere! This is a great skill to have to compliment a powerful smash as it often catches opponents off guard!
Goh V Shem
There are very few players that look so graceful in the air as Goh V Shem. Mohammed Ali’s famous quote, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” I think is very apt here. He seems to get this abnormally long hang time, as if he’s floating before hurtling the shuttlecock towards the opponents.
Due to the elevation in his jump, he’s able to generate impressive angles as well, making it difficult for the opponents to counterattack. As videos online have commented, what seems to be a unique contributing factor to his power is how open his shoulders are before he strikes the shuttle. This provides him with more “room” to generate power and really turn into the shuttle.
Honorary Mentions
Mohammed Ahsan: One of the most veracious rear court players, Mohammed Ashan is 100% committed to every rally. He looks to pressurise opponents at every turn and uses his power effectively to win points outright or to set up his partner in the frontcourt effectively. He wasn’t the most consistent hard-hitting player, but when he wanted to finish a rally, he could really thump it!
Ko Sung Hyun: Playing with Lee Yong Dae, Yoo Yeon-seung and Shin Baek-cheol, he has been successful with each partner partly due to his awesome tenacity and physicality from the rear court. His smashes have proven to be very potent, setting up his partners well with his power. In addition, he has an excellent stick smash, which looks so effortless and brings the shuttle down so sharply it’s almost vertical!
Do you agree with my list? If not let me know in the comments and let me know who you think has the best smash in badminton!
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Hong Wei and Chai Biao were heavier smashers than Haifeng in 2013-2017 era imo
You’re probably right! He wasn’t as powerful after London 2012 but still a force to be reckoned with!