Week 13- Final achievement of my recreational goal

Today is tuesday, the last day for me to observe my progress in playing badminton. My friend and i already planned that we have competition after coming back from school. We changed a suitable sportwear and ready for the competition. We were so nervous. I really hoped that i could achieve my goal successfully. The competition began at 6pm. One of my friends became the judge of the competition.



The competition started. I was so nervous that i did a few mistakes at first. My scores was lesser than my opponent. I did not give up and try to chase back the scores. The game was so exciting because our scores were so near. Finally, i won the competition with a score of 18-21. I was so happy. My effort seems to have a good result. Yippi!!!



Last but not least, i have to say that i was so thankful that i given this assignment. This goal was so meaningful to me. I have achieved my target with my own effort. I am sure that i will keep on playing badminton because it is my favourite sport.

Week 12- Common Test

This is a nervous week. The common test began on Monday. I did not have my badminton practice during weekday as i have test on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So, i planned to practice badminton today ( Saturday) in order to observe my improvement. My friend suggested that we have a trial competition so that we know our own progress. We all agreed to her suggestion.

I try my best to perform well in badminton. I use some of the techniques that i haved learnt from the famous badminton player. Finally, i won my friend in the competition. The feeling is so great. I never have this kind of feeling before. I am able to make my dream comes true. I will have a competition with my friend next tuesday. This is because next wednesday is the last submission date of the blog. Good luck to me!!!

Practices in week 10 & 11

I came back to Singapore on Monday night although i still in holiday. This is because i hoped that i could focus on my common test revision after i came back to Singapore. I could not pay attention on my studies when i was in my hometown. I adjusted my time to practice badminton although i busy with my revision. I realise that i could perform better than before after i practiced on tuesday. I could smash the shuttlecock to my friend when we practice. So, i even have more confidence in myself. I can do it !!! Go! Go! Go!











Here are the attached photos which are taken by my friends during our badminton practice. Am i look serious when i played badminton?


In week 11, i had more practices as i had free time. This is because i did not need to go to school due to the serious condition of H1N1. I have improved a lot in playing badminton. I could use some of the technique of playing badminton. Besides practice badminton, i also used some of my time to do exercise near the garden. I hoped i could improved my body strength as fast as possible.

Finally..... School Break

Finally...week 9 already. Happpy!!! I already at my hometown. I met my family and friends. I miss them so much. Although this week is the school break, but i need to do revision and prepare for my coming common test. I played badminton with my sister during free time so that i can improve my skills. I practice three times in this week.

All in all, i think i already achieved part of my goal as i can handle the basic skills well. Besides that, i won my friend when i played badminton with her. However, i need to improve my body strength so that i can do better.

Week 8...Stressful week

Week 8 lo....The time passes so fast!!! Never wait for any person. The common test is just round the corner. I am so worry and panic as i am very weak in my engineering mechanic and material technology. I used up many of my time to do revision in this week. So, i did not practice badminton on wednesday. I shifted my schedule to thursday. We practice until very late on that day. After we went home, i was damn tired. Although i am very tired, but i was quite happy because i have gained some confidence in playing badminton. I can play badminton quite smoothly because I could hit back the shuttlecock to my friend. My technique improved drastically. Haha ^.^On the other hand, i went back to my hometown this friday. So, i did not practice badminton on this weekend.

Practices in week 6 & 7

In week 6, i try to practice on the basic skills of badminton. I have done my practice on friday as i do not have time on wednesday. This is because i need to complete the lab report for the modules Material Technology. I spent one whole afternoon on wednesday to finish my report as material technology is one of my weakest modules. I feel very happy as i already can handle the basic skills of badminton. I strongly believe that i can achieve my target. On Sunday, i
try to improve my stamina as stamina is very important for a badminton player. I go to the nearby garden to do some exercises because exercise facility is provided.











In week 7, i have my badminton practice with my friends on wednesday evening. I tried my best in order to play badminton well. However, i did not perform very well because i do not have much experience. When i played with my friend which is a school badminton player, i seems like performed badly. This is because i feel very stressful. Besides that, i cant follow the pace of my friend. So, i unable to receive the shuttlecock from my friend and become the person who pick the shuttlecock. Actually, i really felt dissapointed, but i will not give up my goal. Gambateh!!!

Practices In Week 5

In week 5, i start on my regular practice at the badminton court near my house. On wednesday, my friends and i plan to do our badminton practice. This is because our class dismiss earlier on wednesday. We start our practice at 5pm. I am so nervous as i have not played badminton before. One of my friend is a badminton player of school team. Firstly, he teached us how to open a ball. I pay attention on his explanation as i wish to play badminton well. After that, we practice in a pair. Although i cant play well at first, but i will try my best to improve myself. I have to find out the reason why i cant open the ball succesfully. As the saying goes, 'practices make perfect' , so i will practice again on weekend as i have free time.

My Favourite Badminton Player

After doing some research on badminton, i was interested on it. I try to search the information of the famous badminton players in the world. After reading through all the information, i really respect them. They have gone through sweat and tear during practice in order to achieve the best performance in each competition. The badminton player i like the most is Dato Seri Lee Chong Wei. Besides that, he is the best male badminton player in the world now. He has brought great glory to his country. He tried his best to get the best result in every competitions. Moreover, he does not give up when he faces challenges. Because of these reasons, i pay attention to his news and the competitions that he participated.

Besides Dato Seri Lee Chong Wei, i also search the information of the others famous badminton players. Different players have their different techniques and strategies when they play badminton. By knowing their techniques, i believe i can play badminton well by week 13.

Basic skills and techniques of badminton game


In week 4, i start to learn about the basic skills and techniques of badminton.Below are the common types of shots used in a badminton game.

Short serve
· Used mostly in doubles games.
· The shuttle just barely clears the net and lands fairly close to the serve line on the other side of the net.
· The head of the racquet must stay below the waist and below the wrist.
· Do not “snap” or break your wrist on this type of serve.


Long serve
· Used mostly by singles players
· The shuttle is served deep into the court.
· The technique is similar to the short serve, but at the end snap the wrist and send the shuttle high and deep.
· Used to fool the opponent who is close to the net. Often used with the short serve to mix up your opponent.

Drop shot
· The shuttle just barely drops over the net.
· Contact point is high and there is no follow through.
· This shot is used when your opponent is deep in the court and you want to end the rally.
· The shuttle should land in front of the service line to be considered a good drop shot.


Smash
· Similar to the spike in volleyball in that the shuttle should go down on an angle to the ground.
· The shuttle is contacted high in the air over the hitting shoulder, follow through is also high and in a downward motion.
· The shuttle goes down quickly, usually ending the rally.
· You should try not to set up your opponent so that she can smash at you
· Considered and offensive shot as it is very difficult to return this type of shot.
· Aim for your opponents armpits or the centre of her body when hitting this type of shot.


Overhead Clear
· The shuttle is contacted high above the hitting shoulder and there is a high follow through
· The shuttle should be sent to the back of the court.
· This type of shot allows the defensive person time to get back into position and is a good shot to use if your opponent is close to the net.


Underhand Clear
· Shuttle is contacted out in front of your racquet side leg.
· Snap of the wrist sends the bird high and deep.
· Transfer your weight from back foot to your front foot to get maximum power.
· A good shot to send the bird high and deep and give you time to get back into position on the court.
· You can use your forehand or backhand on this type of shot.

Badminton 21 points

In week 3, i learn and understand the rules and scoring system of a badminton game.

Scoring System

Each game is played with 21 points, with players scoring a point whenever they win a rally (this differs from the old system, where players could only win a point on their serve). A match is the best of three games.

At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts (see court dimensions). The server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in the receiver's service court. This is similar to tennis, except that a badminton serve must be hit below shoulder height and with the racquet head below the servers wrist, the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce and in badminton, the players stand inside their service courts unlike tennis.

When the serving side loses a rally, the serve passes to their opponent(s) (unlike the old system, there is no "second serve" in doubles).

In singles, the server stands in his right service court when his score is even, and in his left service court when his score is odd.

In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player continues to serve, but he changes service courts so that he serves to each opponent in turn. If the opponents win the rally and their new score is even, the player in the right service court serves; if odd, the player in the left service court serves. The players' service courts are determined by their positions at the start of the previous rally, not by where they were standing at the end of the rally. A consequence of this system is that, each time a side regains the service, the server will be the player who did not serve last time.

Equipment needed in a badminton game

In week 2, i try to learn some information about the equipment that needed in a badminton game.

Racquets

Badminton racquets are light, with top quality racquets weighing between 79 and 91 grams including the strings.They are composed of many different materials ranging from carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid steel, which may be augmented by a variety of materials. Before the adoption of carbon fibre composite, racquets were made of light metals such as aluminium. Earlier still, racquets were made of wood. Cheap racquets are still often made of metals such as steel, but wooden racquets are no longer manufactured for the ordinary market, due to their excessive mass and cost.
There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the Laws limit the racquet size and shape. Different racquets have playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The traditional oval head shape is still available, but an isometric head shape is increasingly common in new racquets.

Strings

Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings in the range of about 0.65 to 0.73 mm thickness. Thicker strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel of thinner strings. String tension is normally in the range of 80 to 130 N (18 to 36 lbf). Recreational players generally string at lower tensions than professionals, typically between 18 and 25 lbf (110 N). Professionals string between about 25 and 36 lbf (160 N).
It is often argued that high string tensions improve control, whereas low string tensions increase power. The arguments for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning, such as claiming that a lower tension string bed is more bouncy and therefore provides more power. This is in fact incorrect, for a higher string tension can cause the shuttle to slide off the racquet and hence make it harder to hit a shot accurately. An alternative view suggests that the optimum tension for power depends on the player: the faster and more accurately a player can swing their racquet, the higher the tension for maximum power. Neither view has been subjected to a rigorous mechanical analysis, nor is there clear evidence in favour of one or the other. The most effective way for a player to find a good string tension is to experiment.

Grip

The choice of grip allows a player to increase the thickness of his racquet handle and choose a comfortable surface to hold. A player may build up the handle with one or several grips before applying the final layer.
Players may choose between a variety of grip materials. The most common choices are PU synthetic grips or towelling grips. Grip choice is a matter of personal preference. Players often find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent may be applied to the grip or hands, sweatbands may be used, the player may choose another grip material or change his grip more frequently.
There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and overgrips. Replacement grips are thicker, and are often used to increase the size of the handle. Overgrips are thinner (less than 1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many players, however, prefer to use replacement grips as the final layer. Towelling grips are always replacement grips. Replacement grips have an adhesive backing, whereas overgrips have only a small patch of adhesive at the start of the tape and must be applied under tension; overgrips are more convenient for players who change grips frequently, because they may be removed more rapidly without damaging the underlying material.

Shuttlecock

A shuttlecock (often abbreviated to shuttle and also commonly known as a bird) is a high-drag projectile, with an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping goose feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather or synthetic material.
Synthetic shuttles are often used by recreational players to reduce their costs as feathered shuttles break easily. These nylon shuttles may be constructed with either natural cork or synthetic foam base, and a plastic skirt.
Additionally, nylon shuttlecocks come in three varieties, each variety for a different range of temperatures. These three varieties are known as green (slow speed), blue (middle speed), and red (fast speed). The colours, and therefore speeds, are indicated by coloured strips fastened around the cork. In colder temperatures, a faster shuttle is used, and in hotter climates, a slower one is chosen.

Shoes

Badminton shoes are lightweight with soles of rubber or similar high-grip, non-marking materials.
Compared to running shoes, badminton shoes have little lateral support. High levels of lateral support are useful for activities where lateral motion is undesirable and unexpected. Badminton, however, requires powerful lateral movements. A highly built-up lateral support will not be able to protect the foot in badminton; instead, it will encourage catastrophic collapse at the point where the shoe's support fails, and the player's ankles are not ready for the sudden loading, which can cause sprains. For this reason, players should choose badminton shoes rather than general trainers or running shoes, because proper badminton shoes will have a very thin sole, lower a person's centre of gravity, and therefore result in fewer injuries. Players should also ensure that they learn safe and proper footwork, with the knee and foot in alignment on all lunges. This is not only a safety concern, as proper footwork is critical in order to move effectively around the court.

History of badminton

In order to understand badminton well, i search some history of badminton by using internet. The information are very useful to me. I can understand badminton better. I have confidence that i can play badminton well by week 13.

History of badminton


Badminton has been played since ancient times; an early form of the sport was played in ancient Greece. In Japan, the related game Hanetsuki was played as early as the 16th century. In the west, badminton came from a game called battledore and shuttlecock, in which two or more players keep a feathered shuttlecock in the air with small racquets.
The modern form of Badminton however can be traced to India, where British military officers stationed there in the late 19th century became interested in a similar local game which was known to them as Poona (derived from Pune, an Indian garrison town).[2][3] This game was taken back to England where the rules of badminton were set out.[2][3] Another early version of the game was recorded in the 1850s in the southern Indian city of Tanjore, called pooppanthu vilayattam (Tamil for flower-ball game) in which balls made of wool and cardboard were used in the place of the modern-day shuttlecock.[3]
Isaac Spratt, a London toy dealer, published a booklet, "Badminton Battledore - a new game" in 1860, but unfortunately no copy has survived.[4]
The new sport was definitively launched in 1873 at the Badminton House, Gloucestershire, owned by the Duke of Beaufort. During that time, the game was referred to as "The Game of Badminton," and the game's official name became Badminton.[5]
Until 1887, the sport was played in England under the rules that prevailed in India. The Bath Badminton Club standardized the rules and made the game applicable to English ideas. The basic regulations were drawn up in 1887.[5] In 1893, the Badminton Association of England published the first set of rules according to these regulations, similar to today's rules, and officially launched badminton in a house called "Dunbar" at 6 Waverley Grove, Portsmouth, England on September 13 of that year.[6] They also started the All England Open Badminton Championships, the first badminton competition in the world, in 1899.
The International Badminton Federation (IBF) (now known as Badminton World Federation) was established in 1934 with Canada, Denmark, England, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales as its founding members. India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs international badminton and develops the sport globally.[5]
While set-out in England, international badminton has traditionally been dominated by Denmark from Europe. Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia are among the nations that have consistently produced world-class players in the past few decades and dominated competitions on the international level, with China being the most dominant in recent years.[7]

Introduction of badminton


Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, and each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net.
The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a feathered projectile whose unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently from the balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed, when compared to other racquet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is affected by wind, competitive badminton is best played indoors. Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or beach game.
Since 1992, badminton has been an Olympic sport with five events: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, in which each pair is a man and a woman. At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet movements.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badminton

SMART Goal

Recreational goal


I wish to play badminton well by week 13. In order to achieve my goal by week 13, i need to do things according to the SMART checklist. Below are the explanations about my smart goal.

Specific
I hope that I will be able to play badminton well by week 13. I really wish I can be a good badminton player. Below are my plans to achieve the goal:

· Seek help from my friend - He is in the school badminton team. He is a experienced badminton player. I sure that he can help me to achieve my target. I need to understand about the rules and regulations of badminton competition. After that, I can learn to play badminton very well.

· Have a good racket and a pair of sport shoes to start my badminton practice - A good racket and suitable sport shoes is very important for a badminton player.

· Watch some DVD about the badminton competition - By watching these DVD, I can know some of the strategic and techniques that are commonly used by the famous badminton players. For example, I can watch the Olympic badminton final competition between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei. Both of them are good badminton players in the world. I really admire them. The famous badminton players spent a lot time and energy to achieve their glory.

· Do my practices twice a week - I can practice at the badminton court nearby my house during evening. If I keep on the hard work, I sure I can achieve my goal very soon. I can ask my friends to play badminton with me. With the help of my friends, I believe that I will be able to play badminton very soon.

· Do some exercise like jogging during evening - If I do not give up, I am very sure that I can improve my stamina very soon. Jogging can built up my stamina. A excellent badminton player should have good stamina.

· Maintain a healthy lifestyle - For example, I need to have a balanced diet which contains all the nutrients required in a day. A balanced diet is very important for badminton players. This is because they need to use a lot of energy when practice. All the nutrients that we required are carbohydrate, protein, fat, mineral, vitamin and water. I should eat according to the proportion stated in the food pyramid.


Measurable
How I know my progress in playing badminton? I can have a few competitions with my friend which is in badminton team. They are experienced and excellent badminton player.Through the competitions, I can know my weakness and try to improve it. If I can win the competitions, I already successfully achieved my goal.

Achievable
I believe I can play badminton well by week 13. This is because I will do my best to achieve my goal. I must be patient when I do my practice. I have to improve my stamina as soon as possible because my stamina is very weak. After that, I can play badminton well without having any problem. By having positive attitude, I can make my dream come true. Besides that, I sure I can achieve the goal with the help of my friends. They are very willing to help me.


Relevant
Why I want to learn to play badminton ? Why is this target important for me?
· Playing badminton is a good activities - We can maintain our health by playing badminton .When we play badminton , we will sweat and excrete waste product from our body . Excretion of waste product plays an important role in our daily lives. Moreover, we can control our weight by playing badminton. If one person is overweight, he will have obesity problem. Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy. Obesity is associated with many diseases, particularly heart diseases , diabetes , cancer and osteoarthritis . So, we have to maintain a healthy lifestyle and do exercise regularly.

· Relax ourselves - As the saying goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy ”, we should not just study all the time and become a book worm. On the contrary, we should know how to relax ourselves. For example , we can do some exercise and play some games when we are free .That means we should study smart and play hard. When playing games, we also can learn something that cannot be found on the books.

· Make more friends by playing badminton - This is because I will meet some friends when I play badminton in the garden. I hope I can mix with friends of different races. I wish that I can become more active by making more friends. As we know, friends play an important role in our lives. We cannot live without friends. As the saying goes “ a friend in need is a friend indeed ” , friend is the one who can help us when we face any problem and difficulty. By playing badminton, I can improve my communication skill and become a friendly person.


· Improve my relationship with my family members by playing badminton - I can play badminton with my family members during weekends in the nearby badminton court. I wish that playing badminton is a activity that can join us together. In addition, we can talk about the same topics during the family day and know each other well.


Time - referenced
I should plan my time well so that I can achieve my goal within the period. Below are my plans to achieve my target:
Week
Activities
1-3
Understand and learn all the rules and regulations about badminton competitions.
4-5
Learn the basic skills and techniques of badminton.
6-10
Starts on regular practices.
11-13
Have competitions with the friends.