[Day 7] Celebration: 1 month of badminton! A 30-something dad's joy of growth and the despair of the "long serve."
Today marks exactly one month since I started playing badminton.
When I look back at myself on the first day, holding everything with a frying pan grip (Western grip) and hitting smashes with all my might that just floated in a pathetic arc, I realize that compared to that, I have grown immensely—to put it mildly—now that I hold my own racket and know the pleasure of hitting the shuttle with a crisp "pop!" on the sweet spot.
As an adult, there aren't many opportunities to feel this much personal evolution in just one month. Badminton is the best.
However, precisely because I have grown and my perspective has broadened, a formidable "new wall" has stood in my way once again.
■ New Despair: My returns to long serves are terrible
A fatal weakness of mine that was highlighted in today's practice match. It is responding to long serves (serves hit high and deep). is.
The moment the opponent hits the serve, I am leaning forward, bracing myself for a short serve. But the next instant, the shuttle released from their racket flies high over my head and deep into the back of the court.
My response at this moment is tragically divided into the following two patterns:
Pattern A: Pathetically letting it go (freezing) The moment I think, "Oh, crap, it's deep," my feet stop dead, and I just stand there watching the shuttle fall to the floor.
Pattern B: A terrible, weak return (and getting executed) I scramble backward, lose my balance, and force my racket to make contact. As a result, a soft, perfect chance ball floats right into the middle of the opponent's court, and I get smashed on with a "boom!"
Either way, I lose the point without even starting a rally. This feeling of "ending without being able to do anything" has more than enough destructive power to break a beginner's heart.
■ Today's Prescription: Abandon "hesitation" and narrow it down to one
Why am I so bad at returning long serves? After watching the play of coaches and skilled players, I reached one conclusion. The moment the shuttle comes deep, I hesitate for a split second wondering, "Should I return it with a smash? A drop shot? Or a clear (return it deep)?"
If a beginner with immature technique and footwork is hesitating over choices in mid-air, of course I'm going to freeze.
So, I decisively imposed a rule on myself: "No matter where they hit the long serve, just think about 'returning it high and straight' for now."
I've completely abandoned any desire to aim for a cross-court shot or try to be tricky and drop it short. I decided to focus all my nerves on just hitting it back high and straight to the back of the opponent's court (straight clear).
By narrowing my choices down to one, my brain freezes less, and I've become able to react just a little bit faster, thinking, "It's coming deep! Okay, straight and high!"
■ Today's Verbalization Template
① Today's theme: Eliminate the fear of long serves.
② Focus point: Discard other options and narrow it down to the single choice of "returning it high and straight."
③ Criteria for success: Don't let the long serve go by; at the very least, hit it with the center of the racket and send it high.
④ Realizations after practice: When you eliminate hesitation, your first step comes naturally. Before technique, it's important to keep your mind simple.
■ Dad's Monologue
I went home and reported to my three children, "Kids, it's my one-month anniversary of starting badminton!" They asked, "Did you buy a cake to celebrate?" but unfortunately, all I had in my hands were sweat-soaked clothes and a cooling gel sheet.
A month ago, I was struggling just to walk down the stairs due to muscle pain from the first day. Now, I'm captivated by that pleasant sound of the shuttle being hit, and I'm constantly thinking about how to hit it even better. It's a true blessing to have found something I can be passionate about as an adult.
In my second month, I'll keep running around the court, working hard to overcome the wall of the long serve!
🏸 Would you like to practice with me? (Looking for teammates!)
Currently, I practice regularly in Kunisaki City, Oita Prefecture. Dads who think, "It takes courage to start alone, but I want to get some exercise" or "I want to feel myself growing as an adult!" are very welcome!
Date and time: Every Tuesday and Friday (20:00 - 22:00)
Location: A gymnasium in Kunisaki City, Oita Prefecture
Purpose: Relieving lack of exercise, building health, setting a cool example for my kids, and enjoying some adult youth!
Why not break a sweat on your way home from work and enjoy some "adult youth" with a pleasant sense of fatigue? For those starting from scratch just like I was a month ago, I'll provide solid support (and we can be lost together) (lol).
If you are interested, please feel free to send me a message! I'm looking forward to it.