Richard Vaughan is a top player from Wales, who has represented the United Kingdom at both the Sydney and Athens Olympics. Formerly ranked No. 7 in the World, he has won medals at the European and Commonwealth medals in the Men’s Singles. Richard will be giving us some tips on how to become a better player.

“This is the first monthly article aimed at improving your game. Making these subtle changes will hopefully help you all become better badminton players.

After a good summer's physical training, my advice is to start your tournament preparation four to six weeks before your first competition. During the first two weeks of preparation, you should do lots of on-court routine, mixed with your off-court fitness work, for example, running and weights sessions. This will give you some transition from your off-court work, which you would have been working on throughout the summer.

Over the next two weeks, you should play conditioned and normal games, in addition to routines and multishuttle. Concentrate on what you want to improve rather than on winning in the games. Also, do some quick footwork, that is, no more than twenty to thirty seconds, and keep up the weights sessions.

The final two weeks, you want to feel as if you have hit plenty of shuttles, had plenty of match play, and at the same time, that you are well rested the week before the competition.

But what about mental preparation? The key is to set yourself goals and to have a clear idea of how you want to play tactically in your matches.

Don’t just wander through your training routine. Every shot is important, even in practice, and requires complete focus. Even when in the gym, you should be concentrating on what good it will do you on court. If you play practice matches, don’t worry if your game isn’t as polished as you’d like. Be patient. You goal should be to play well when it counts.

Once I actually start playing in a tournament, I let myself go into auto-pilot. I try to play within “the zone”. This means relaxing yourself as much as possible and letting all the practice and training speak for itself.

This six-week transition cycle can be transformed to better prepare yourself for your tournaments throughout the season, and to ensure your performance is maximized.

Any questions or suggestions for topics, please contact me at www.richardvaughan.net and I will do my best to respond.”

Good luck for the season!
Richard Vaughan