SPEAR 202 Biomechanics in Physical

Education and SportsPresented by:

NORALIE B. MORALES

Badminton is a game played by either two players (singles) or four players (two pairs in

doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court with a net in the

middle line.Badminton has been internationally recognized as an athletic sport requiring fast

reactions and skilled movements.Badminton offers a wide variety of basic

strokes, and players require a high level of skill to perform all of them effectively.

With the exception of serving, there are six basic strokes in badminton: defensive clear, attacking clear, drive/flick, smash, drop and

net play.Among these strokes, the smash is the most

typical and powerful offensive badminton technique to defeat the opponent.

The smash has been described as a shot toward the opponent’s court with a downward

power and speed wherein the angle of the shuttlecock’s trajectory is very steep.

In the forehand overhead smash, it can either be performed through a smash (standing

smash) and a jump smash.

The jump smash has more vertical jump with a short aerial suspension compared to the

standing smash.In a jump smash, a jump is performed during

the second and third phase of the sequence to generate more power and a steeper angle for the shot therefore giving the opponent less

time to react.

Preparation Phase Body should

be sideways with non-

racket shoulder

towards the net in line with the

oncoming shuttle.

Legs should be spread

apart to widen the base of

support with bent knees to

lower the athlete’s center of gravity.

Preparation Phase

Having a supported center of

gravity allows all the

particles of the body to be

evenly distributed to

maximize control of technique.

Preparation Phase If an athlete

attempts the smash with a poor center of gravity then

most likely will become off

balance which can reduce the

power and accuracy of the

shot and disrupt the

overall sequence of

the skill.

Line of Gravity

Preparation Phase

Muscles involved:

QuadricepsHamstrings

Calves

Back Swing Phase

1 2

3 4

As weight is transferred to

the back (weight on

rear foot), the body is

pushed with the racket

foot into the air moving the

center of gravity into

position.

Back Swing Phase

1 2

3 4

The legs are brought at the

back to generate

more force while

suspended in the air at the highest point

possible.

Racket arm is stretched as far back as possible to

provide optimal

momentum for forward

swing.

Back Swing Phase

1 2

3 4

Newton’s 3rd Law:

“for every action there is an equal and

opposite reaction”. For the

forehand smash,

applying a downward

force before jumping can

accelerate the body forward and upwards overcoming

inertia.

Back Swing Phase

1 2

3 4

Reaching optimal height when jumping

provides a greater

trajectory angle when

making contact at the highest point

with the racket.

Back Swing Phase

1 2

3 4

The more flexible the racket arm

can pull back creates the

optimal distance for generating

greater force.

Forward Swing Phase

The further the racket arm is behind the athlete the more momentum can be generated increasing the power when making contact with the shuttle. Once the forward swing is

in motion, legs should begin to straighten out to return to the optimal line

of gravity, while also transferring the power

from the legs to the forward swing’s

momentum, increasing power.

Forward Swing Phase

Force summation – using the largest

muscles first, followed by the smallest muscles while sequentially

accelerating each body part to maximize

momentum.

Forward Swing Phase

Muscles involved:

Forward Swing Phase

Muscles involved:

Impact Phase

Straightening the elbow when

connecting with the shuttle. Flexion of the wrist

in a downward motion at the point of impact increases the power and angle

towards the opponent’s court.

Impact Phase

For optimal performance, the

shuttle should make point of contact with

the racket at the highest possible

point to provide the best possible shot

that consists of power and downward

trajectory.

Impact Phase

The angle of release of the shuttle

determines how long it will stay airborne and considers how far (horizontally) it

will move with gravity as a constant

effect.

Impact Phase

The angle of release is important as a downward angle

creates less time for the opponent to

react and difficulty to return, which is why the height of release can be considered to

maximize the success of the shot.

Follow Through Phase

Racket should follow through after making contact with the shuttle to put maximum

force in the shot.

1 2 3

Follow Through Phase

Follow through should lead the racket towards the non-racket leg by crossing

the body.

1 2 3

Follow Through Phase

For optimal performance, it is critical that once the racket has made contact with the shuttle it is then swung down and crosses the body to ensure no momentum is lost

during the hit.

1 2 3

IMPLICATIONS

The badminton forehand overhead jump smash applies a great amount of pressure

towards the opponent in attempting to return the shuttle. If its optimal

performance is executed considering the biomechanical principles, with proper training which involves muscular and

cardiovascular exercises, then the shot is almost impossible to return.