Badminton

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 15

Badminton

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WAIRARAPA VISIT Value of -a Sense of Anticipation EXPERIENCE JELLS

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. ■ * i Next week-end * Hawke's Bhy B team will vlsit the Wairaxapa. In this departure the Hawke's Bay Badminton Federation is showing » commendable inter'est ; tn * the pro- . gress of the lesseh lights of tho • game, and it is to , b e ' hoped tbat . all those 'selec^-'wili"' he able to '.make the trip. On our standard* • Wairarapa badminton - is very . strong, and if our . representativea lose their match they will. at any rate have a chance to learn. Although mbst New Zealand champions at Badminton and other games achieve their ambitions through constant practice in one oi the four main cities, the present triple badminton champion, Pat Hawkesworth, livea in the "Wairarapa. Prior to .last year's eh'ampionsh'ips, J. F. Devlin saw a. poi tential champion in Hawkesworth^ whose main strength liee in a devastating overhead and a wonderful sense of anticipation. To the boxer or racket player * sense of anticipations is a tremendous asset. Very often at means the difference between an ordinary good player; and a champion. The development of such a sense has been the subject of niany discussionsfl and it is often said that some are born with it and some are not. In the first place anticipation - is mainly a matter of intelligence. In any game the beginner with an inten ligenco quotient of. say 110- per cent. will anticipate the next iShot moro quickly than would another ^ beginner with a lower antelligence rating of 95 per cent. While the* quieker intelli'1 gence has an initial advantage, the fur«t ther development' of the sense of anticipation depends almost entlrely on thei factors.of keennesa and .experience. When the badminton beginner who rosJy wants to improve finds the cnuUle liit eontinually out of his reach, ho. begins to move before the opponent 's stroke is actually made. Often ha rnoves too soon and in the wrong direc— tion; at this stage he is guessing. Only by experience can be progress from this stage to the really useful type of anticipation which Involves clOse observation of the opponent, the swing of his racquet, and his pet gambits. The player who does not notice 'such things xa always a fraction of a second late in moving for his own stroke, and Ss a result he ua always in a htirry. "To the youthful athlete who • lik-fes ta run fast and far the value of anticipation is not so apparent, but to all such there will in time come a realisation that their speed of movem.ent ii not what it was. Therefore' it behoves. even the younger padminton players to pay attention not only to the game but to each and every opponent. Watch the dther man 's racquet as he plays his shots; try "to find out hOw he thinks; by such meana you will be able, when recessary, to save yourselves much hard work. The player who wins niOstl matches 5s the one who makes the game easiest for himself; the difference .between the two best Hawke 's Bay players of Tecent seasons, most noticeable ; in their singles contests, was that the winner rarely had to move too fast> , '