Yonex ArcSaber Z Slash Taufik Hidayat

2004 Olympic Gold Medalist & 2005 World Champion Taufik Hidayat's ArcSaber ZSTH Limited Edition badminton racket is red signifying his fighting spirit. The black on the top and bottom of the frame demonstrates power, and the upper right and bottom left are coloured like a white flash. The Arc Saber Z Slash Taufik Hidayat is the PROFESSIONAL series of the ArcSaber line. It is stiffer to provide extra control over the regular Arc Z Slash. Designed to increase the speed of smash through technological breakthrough, the ArcSaber ZSTH racket is the latest and best improvement at the molecule level. Increase power and increase speed are the goals of Arc Saber Z Slash as Yonex smashes the Smash Barrier. YONEX did extensive research into finding the best shade of red for the main body of the racquet, using subtle gradations and checking for colour changes under different lighting conditions. The rich deep red that YONEX developed expresses the strength and pride of Taufik Hidayat. It also makes the design bold and eye catching. The logo on the racquet is an original design. It represents the fact that Taufik Hidayat’s spirit is in every detail of the racquet. YONEX has developed new designs based on each players' favourite racquet and inspired by each players' style. The three players also had hands on role advising on the designs. On the quest for the best racquet YONEX made more than 200 different designs for each model. Then they picked 30 to 40 different designs to develop into sample racquets. Finally, after exhaustive testing and retesting, YONEX created the ultimate design. Each player’s signature was engraved into their respective racquet to show that the racquet had captured the player’s spirit. The Arc Saber Z Slash is a push for Yonex to increase the speed of smash through technological breakthrough. The Arc Saber Z Slash is an upgrade from Arc Saber 10 with improvement at molecule level. Increase power and increase speed is the goal of Arc Saber Z Slash as Yonex smashes the Smash Barrier. Yonex has created a badminton racket to keep up with the ever increasing speed of the badminton game. By focusing on their flagship technologies Yonex has created the ArcSaber Z-Slash, a new model allowing players with an aggressive playing style, to smash with the fastest swing speeds possible. The Z-Slash is the first of a new generation of slim rackets that, just like professional athletes, carry no extra fat for the ultimate in performance. It is Yonex latest and greatest lean and powerful machine. The "Z-Slash" features three dimensions of technology to bring out a player’s maximum potential. In testing one of the world’s leading players achieved a smash speed of 414 km/h. Rumored as the latest ultimate weapon in the sport of badminton, the Yonex Arc Saber technology has the latest and greatest technology to help its user achieve power, speed, and control. The ArcSaber Series of rackets utilize Yonex’s exclusive Cup-Stack Carbon Nanotube technology to create a revolutionary blend of power and control. Positioned at the sides of the racket frame, this revolutionary technology absorbs and harnesses energy from the shuttle’s impact to provide the player with unparalleled feel during every shot. This energy is then transferred into a return of supreme strength and pinpoint accuracy.

	Features Level: Advance Type: Fast / Attacking / Offensive Flex: Stiff Head: Square/Isometric Weight: 85-89gm(3U-) B.Pt: 7 (Even Balance + little head heavy) =============== Head: H.M. Graphite, HT Graphite, CS Carbon Nanotube, Super HMG Shaft: H.M. Graphite, Super HMG, Ultra PEF, New Built-in T-joint Cover: Yonex ArcSaber Full Cover String: Yonex BG-65 (Custom Strung) / Upgrade Available

How to smash in badminton

Badminton Smash is the most potent of all badminton shots. There is almost no defense against a well executed smash. It can be played both on the forehand and backhand sides

The smash is a shot hit with power and speed downward to your opponent's court. The angle and the steepness of the shuttle's trajectory will make it hard for your opponent to retrieve. Contact the shuttle further in front of your body than the clear or the drop shot. The optimum hitting zone is located somewhere above the central area of your racket. You can also jump and smash the shuttle at the same time to generate more power and create a steeper angle for the shot. This will give your opponent even lesser time to react. As this is a more advance shot, master the normal badminton smash first before taking on any jumping smash. The feeling of being able to smash powerfully and kill off a point is really great. But try not to get carried away. As the badminton smash requires a lot of energy, use it only when the opportunity arises. For example, a weak clear from your opponent to your midcourt area. Do not tire yourself out unnecessarily. To learn more about the Jump Smash, please visit Essentials of Badminton Technique Video Sample: The Jump Smash Forehand Smash The forehand overhead smash is similar to the action of throwing a ball. If you can throw a ball well, you shouldn't have problem playing this stroke. You can always practice throwing with a shuttle first before stepping on to the court. Here are some pointers for playing a forehand overhead smash. - Adopt the forehand grip. - Turn your body and stand sideways to the net with your non-racket shoulder facing the net. - Shift your weight on to your rear foot. - Bend your elbow and lock your wrist preparing to swing forward. - Raise your non-racket hand and point at the shuttle to improve timing and balance. - Contact the shuttle as high as possible and in front of your body using a strong throwing action as if you are going to throw your racket high and forward through the air. - Straighten your elbow as you hit the shuttle. - Snap down your wrist at the point of impact giving the shuttle extra power and angle towards your opponent's court. - Follow through with your racket and shift your weight from your rear foot to your front foot. - Move back to your base position. Backhand Smash It is difficult to play a backhand overhead smash. Even experienced players have problem with this badminton stroke. Try to play an 'around the head' forehand smash whenever possible. However, it is important that you know how to play the backhand overhead smash. There are times when you just can't play the shuttle with your forehand. Here are some pointers for playing a backhand overhead smash. - Adopt the backhand grip. - Turn your body so that your back is facing the net. - Lead and shift your weight to your racket foot. - Lift your arm from the shoulder with the forearm parallel to the floor. - Hold the racket across your body with the racket head pointing down. - Keep the racket arm and elbow close into your body. - Hit the shuttle at a high point of contact and in front of your body. - Flick down your wrist powerfully at the shuttle. - A follow through is not needed. - Move back to your base position. Around the Head Smash This is actually a forehand overhead badminton smash played at the non-racket side of your body. Try to use it whenever play permits as a forehand stroke is always better and more powerful than a backhand. The techniques for hitting this shot are about the same as the forehand overhead stroke with only some minor adjustments. Here are some pointers for playing a forehand around the head smash. - Stand squarely to the net. - Bend your upper body sideways to your non-racket side as your arms come through. - Shift your weight to your non-racket leg. - Bend your elbow and bring the racket behind your head. - As you swing forward, your forearm will brush the top of your head before straightening. - Transfer your body weight rapidly as your non-racket leg pushes your body back to your base position. An important thing to note here is that whether you are playing a badminton smash, a drop shot or a clear, your wrist plays a key part in creating deception. The basic preparations for these badminton shots are the same, only the angle of the racket face, the speed of the racket head and the point of impact is different. Keep your opponent guessing. Practice hard on your Badminton Smash and use it wisely. Be patient and wait for the opportunity to strike.

Focus On What You Can Control

How often do you hear someone finish a match and then they begin to complain about something that caused them to lose?  Something happened during the match, or there were some conditions on the court that made it “impossible” for them to win, or say they claim.  The excuses are many, but just to list a few:

• The lighting was bad
• The ceiling was too low
• The walls are painted a colour which makes seeing the shuttle impossible
• There is wind in the hall
• The floors were slippery
• My racquet is no good
• The shuttles were too fast
• The shuttles were too slow
• My opponent was a hack, his awkward style threw me off

I’m sure you can add to that list, either from excuses you’ve heard, or from excuses you’ve come up with yourself.  There’s a funny thing about excuses though, once you deal with one another one pops up to fill it’s place.  They are never ending because the problem was not whatever excuse you were coming up with, the problem is the fact that you see the external influences around you as unbeatable obstacles.  The reality is whatever harsh conditions you might be dealing with, your opponent is likely dealing with them as well.  And even if they weren’t dealing with those circumstances, it doesn’t matter because nobody cares about your excuses.  While it might make you feel better about losing, it won’t help you to become a better badminton player.

The easy way to get past these conditions that are bothering you is to accept them as just being part of the game, and instead of worrying about them shift your focus to things that you can control.  So what do you have direct control over in your badminton game?  Let’s look at this from two perspectives, first during game play, and second during practice/training.

Game Play

During game play the first thing you have control over is the shots that you are hitting.  Pay attention to your shot selection and executing the strategy and tactics that you decided you would use.  Try not to make improvements upon your game during game play.  In other words if you are struggling to improve your cross court net shot, avoid using it too much during game play, save it for practice.  Another major thing you have control over during game play is your thought process and your self talk.  This is perhaps the most important thing you need to focus on during game play, and what makes the biggest difference between the very best players and us mere mortals.  You need to be positive during matches, and you can’t let things like fast shuttles or other issues become excuses.

However, the reality is that during game play there is not a whole lot that is within your control.  Most of the hard work has already been done well before this point while you were practicing and training your shots and your body.  Once the games begin, all you can do is stay focused on executing what you have practiced so many times before.

Practice/Training

This is the time where you have the most control over your badminton game and your ability to succeed.  During practice you can work on your shots extensively and refine them to the point that you don’t need to think about your technique when it comes time to actually play.  If you find that you make a lot of unforced errors during matches, then you should focus on drills that help you to improve your consistency.  If your opponents are killing your net shots because you don’t hit them tight enough, then practice your net shots more.  It’s really not that complicated, but it does require you to put in that effort.

Perhaps the biggest area that we neglect is our physical training.  Sure playing badminton is fun, and it’s an easier way to maintain our fitness than running or during intense training, but if you want to see better results you have to be fitter.  When you are playing a tournament or even just a match in your local club and you start feeling tired, there isn’t much you can do because it’s too late.  You should have put that effort in beforehand.  If you and I are playing each other and we have equal skills, but I’m much fitter than you, I will win most of the time.

Are you making excuses for yourself?  Well stop it!  Spend the time before your matches, before your tournaments, and focus on improving the things that you have control over.  If you find yourself making excuses the reality is that your opponent was just better on that day, pure and simple.  Now go out and kick some butt!