Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world, which requires skills, agility, endurance, speed, and many other parameters. And when it comes to performing, your preparation for a particular tournament will directly affect the outcome of your match. In preparing for a competition or tournament, a player must keep his body and mind focused on his goals.
A normal match lasts about 40-60 minutes, and to win a tournament, you must play approximately 7-10 matches. So you must work on your fitness and skills, as the weeks and days leading up to the tournament are very crucial, and you should ensure that your body and mental health is in the peak condition they can be.
Being a player, I have also participated in different tournaments and tried my best to prepare for those. And here in this article, I will share some of my personal experiences, which will significantly help you prepare for a tournament.
So let’s dive in:
10 Easy Steps to Prepare for a Badminton Tournament
Let’s begin with:
1. Watch your diet and stay hydrated
A player must always go for a healthy diet, which directly affects his performance. You can also consult a dietitian to intake the proper amount of protein your body requires according to your body weight.
You need to maintain a proper nutrition intake before and during a match. It is what most players tend to ignore and play on empty stomachs. A player needs to eat something at least 1 hour before their match.
Also, a player must carry some light snacks, fruits, or drinks, which will improve his thinking ability. Rather than this, you must intake fluids, which are very important for maintaining hydration and should be consumed before, during and after athletic events to prevent dehydration.
Overall, watch what you eat and try to avoid junk and oily food.
2. Slow down the intensity of training
A player should reduce the intensity of his training a few weeks before the tournament. Well, the reason is that proper recovery time is critical for your body to return to its best condition.
I have seen many beginners training till the last day before the tournament, making them think it will help them perform better. But let me inform you that this assumption is wrong, as your body requires proper rest to play your best.
3. Try not to learn new skills
If you want to learn new skills, shots or footwork, remember the week before a tournament is not a good time. Instead, focus on what you already do well because trying something new will only confuse you, and you can create more mistakes and faults during the match.
4. Relax as much as you can and keep it simple
A week before your match, try to keep your training and workout sessions as simple as possible and take some rest because your muscles suffer damage in micro-tears in every intense workout and match.
When you take rest days, you give your body time to repair these tears and patch any injured muscles. Also, resting helps you improve your future performance and prevent injuries.
Rather than this, try to keep your game simple; when you enter the court, don’t overdo yourself, as this would cost you the match.
Also, keep your mind focused on your game and do not panic or stress yourself during a match and play extensive unneeded smashes. Keep yourself motivated and focused, and concentrate on just one point.
5. Book accommodation close to the venue and try to be punctual
Generally, it’s the responsibility of the tournament organizers to take care of all your requirements. But if you are on your own, you must keep it in your mind and book accommodation close to the venue.
It will also help you reach the arena in time, as sometimes the tournament’s timing can be unpredictable. So you will get enough time to understand the court situation and time to visualize your game plan.
6. Listen to your coach
When the match becomes too intense and a player loses points, he becomes nervous and confused. It can happen with any badminton player; even though I faced such problems during the tournaments, in such a situation, all you need to do is remain calm and listen to your coach beside you in such situations. He will guide you in every case, and as a player, you should always listen to him and follow all his instructions.
Also, you should maintain a comfortable equation with your coach and tell him how you feel about your game. It will help you to assess your mistakes and accordingly change your game.
7. Try to stay away from bad habits
Not only badminton players but every player playing any sport should avoid bad habits like smoking, drinking, and not getting enough sleep, as all these habits harm your ability to exercise and be physically fit.
Also, these habits can lead you to suffer from severe diseases like cancer, lung damage, and liver damage, and can even cause heart attacks.
8. Strengthen your analytical mindset
You receive the draws well before the tournament. So you must know who you are playing against. Analyze your opponent’s strengths and drawbacks, so you can discuss the game plans with your coach and implement them in your match.
Also, watch the matches of the elite players, which will help you to improve your visualization power and let you know about their strengths and weakness, which can be a plus point for you.
9. Do not judge yourself
When you enter a tournament, you might meet some good and experienced players, which is normal.
And being a coach, I recommend you never to feel demotivated and compare yourself with them. Never judge yourself; keep calm and talk to your coach if you ever feel low. Always try to learn from your mistakes and apply all the skills you learned during your training session.
10. Take your time
You might have seen many professional players taking a short break for a few seconds during the match. It helps them to recover and refocus quickly in the game.
Likewise, you must also take your time, don’t just rush and pass the shuttle back to your opponent. Take a break, walk around, and breathe to pace yourself.
Click on the video below if you want to get more tips on how to prepare for a badminton tournament by a professional player:
Overall
If you’re preparing for a tournament, these steps can help you focus, be disciplined, and achieve your goal.
Overall, you should eat a proper diet, stay hydrated, work out regularly, work on your skills, avoid bad habits, and never compare yourself with others.
Rather than this, keep watching and analyzing matches during your free time and try to relax your body as much as possible.