My Top 3 Lessons from Watching Kento Momota @ 2019 Badminton World Championships

The 2019 badminton world championships was an absolute blast, and I'm honored to have seen it happen live in Basel Switzerland. I not only had fun, but also learned a few things from watching the world's best fight for the title of World Champion. Enjoy!
(Please let me know if there was something that didn't make sense or could have been explained better, I'd be happy to make a followup video)
Let's connect on Facebook :)
/ badmintonwithjeffrey
Sign up for my email list to get access to video updates, video scripts, and special announcements!
mailchi.mp/222969534e3a/badmi...
Mark's recording of Kento Momota vs Anders Antonsen
• KENTO MOMOTA - ANDERS ...
[ / lakeyinspired ] Background Track

[@ramanathanvaradharajan7793]

Hi Jeffrey, great video! Watching a professional match is indeed the best thing to do for any aspiring badminton player. I have been watching a lot of tournaments lately. Came across your channel and found your content amazing. Keep up your good work!

[@Dreams-wq3nn]

Hey Jeffrey thanks for the very informative video! I didn’t notice how different the viewing experience is until you compared them. Like others, I would love and really appreciate if you could upload the full match video. I can’t be happy with BWF angles after seeing yours! Thanks again,

[@robertrenk7074]

Just started watching badminton videos about 4 months ago. Now addicted. Definitely want to see a match live. Ice hockey is another sport you must see live. Tv doesn’t do it justice.

[@Impulsage]

Nice video, I found myself rewinding countless times. Especially looking at the footwork, I think it's so interesting seeing the players switching up their footwork depending on tons of factors like clearing/lifting it or playing net shots or how much time they have to move to the shuttle. There's just sooo much to learn from, especially the footwork transitions. Also yeah, let's just watch the umpire :D

[@jasonchristian1118]

i bet there is a lot sweat, blood, tears and ice pack behind those nice footwork 😅

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

😂😂😂

[@sendoh7x]

Yeah..the dreaded training drills

[@pmrajap.m4144]

Very amazing analysis friend. It's very helpful.

[@ismailraji9000]

another good content, thanks jeff

[@krishna_o15]

As always great analysis.

[@sairamtejaakkiraju5894]

Great analysis mate, i saw u following other badminton channels in youtube , nice attitude bro, i can see you are keen to learn....keep it up ...and keep doing videos for us...just know some people like me are waiting for your videos and analysis

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Aww thanks for your support Sairamteja!

[@greatwhite_Pirate]

Whoa man!! thank you for this!! I really mean that!! Thanxx a lot!! Especially, that momota rushing towards the shuttle, i've never imagined that they rush too!! In youtube videos these movements look like they never happened!! And yes its hell of a difference!!

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Glad you enjoyed the video!! Make sure to try to see him play live if you get the chance :)

[@greatwhite_Pirate]

@@BadmintonwithJeffrey Believe me i will never miss that chance if i get any in future!! Watching live is a whole new experience!! I hope you will cover some more matches as from this perspective its a delight to watch!! And thank you very much for this good work!! God bless you!! Love from india 🇮🇳

[@josuecamargo]

Amazing analysis Jeffrey!! Everything was very helpful :) I did my best to do the mental analysis aspect of it haha xD

[@zahidahsan1575]

Excellent video. Subbed!!

[@vincesoliven4071]

Definitely agree watching professional / extremely high level badminton in person (or any sport for that matter) is a different experience. I had the privilege of watching the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships and it's what got me hooked on the sport.

[@mangeshthawre416]

Very useful explaination 👍👍

[@Dancebirds]

Outstanding interpretation of international badminton

[@class66]

Great tops.. Gonna try them tomorrow!

[@toffazzalpatwary]

Nice insights!

[@mukundrajagopal2555]

Your observations are pretty good

[@friedricebdsm]

watched it immediately after school :)

[@blacktigersbadmintonchannel]

Nice observations! I also had a great time watching the matches live in Basel and you really do get a better feel for everything compared to watching badminton online. The speed of the game is so fast, that rhythm and timing are key. Reaching the shuttle early (even before it arrives) "holds" the opponent, because he has to cover a number of shots and can't start his split step yet. To move as explosively as possible in the right direction, he has to wait until right after you conctact the shuttle (which is normally the moment when you lunge in the front court). That's why delayed shots - where you just hit shortly after you land - work so well as a deception against players with great rhythm.

[@NguyenDuy-yr1zw]

Nice video bro :3

[@joonaskuusisto2767]

Your observations are very mature, especially the ones about viewing experience! When starting out badminton I had a tendency to lose rallies just because opponent hit a flat lift to corner or made an attacking clear. I thought that maybe it was ALL about my stroke quality and incompetency at hitting a defensive clear from deep forehand corner. After viewing some matches from lower angle it hit me: just move faster. The professional players are deceivingly quick and that brings them the comfort to retrieve drops or anything with little to no anticipation in positioning.

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

That’s a great observation Joonas! Yeah, the pros are move freaking fast!

[@stepicek]

Hi Jeffrey, nice video :) when i saw that movement so i said to myself i need to improve my footwork, but i have problem with deceptive shot, i dont know how to train to stay still and be able to reach the shuttle fast, do you have any tips for training? my trainer cant play deceptive shots like my opponents

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Thanks for your kind words! :) what you can do to practice this is is to take things a little slower. Play at a slower pace and don’t be too eager to move to the shot as fast as you can. Hopefully that helps a bit! It’s definitely a slow process to unwind this habit. And also, even the pros still get faked here and there, so the goal isn’t to be perfect :)

[@mudumihu02]

Good job.. love from India.

[@anantaastikbajpaie2269]

Please give me the link of the video , which u used in the initial phase of the video,kento vs Anders .🙏

[@Starcom-pf1eg]

Heyo Jeffrey ! I'm the French Asian you met at the hotel reception one morning on our way to the finals :). It is funny that your video found its way on my feed.. :p. Good video ! Although have you noticed Anders' right leg looks injured ?

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Hey!! I think after certain points he had a tiny limp but nothing major. It doesn’t seem like a major injury if there was one. What were your thoughts on the finals? :)

[@draggressive1273]

Please upload full match of momota

[@miguelv2985]

Very good observations especially the pause before hitting. I guess that's why i have a lot of mishits coz I try to hit the shuttle as soon as I reach the position. lol

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

yeah! Even when they’re late to the shot, they still find enough time to pause a little bit

[@codylejang1721]

Can you upload the full matches? Btw excellent video!

[@elzaiba3489]

Cody Lejang you can check out the full matches on the badminton world federation KZbin channel. They’ll be in full HD too! I usually watch a game a day on my TV.

[@bharatgohil5801]

Please make video on kento momota's footwork

[@oakland2425]

Jeffrey, what do you think is the most ideal angle to view badminton matches on TV/KZbin if BWF want to adopt it?

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Hey! That’s a really good question, and even I don’t really have an answer for it. But I remember the London olympics and and 2011 world championships had really good camera angles. I know they experimented with different kinds, I remember once upon a time they had a top down angle, where you just see their head and two legs 😂 I want to say, the ideal angle would be from an angle and lower, but also having it look professional. There’s not an easy answer for sure, every angle has its own trade off

[@edogaktop]

You should add that most of these tips are only applicable to single games. While "pause and hit", and playing clears are staple in single games, they are not that useful in double games (playing clears is actually hurting your game). Most of people in my club only exclusively play double yet they play the game as if they were playing single. And their idols are usually Lin Dan or Taufik - go figure. EDIT: great video as always!

[@sendoh7x]

Pause n hit is applicable for both single and doubles. the point is to disrupt your opponent pace. Clears also is a part of the game. Why you said it is hurting your game? Of course you don't just doing it blindly.

[@edogaktop]

@@sendoh7x you took my comment out of the context. Playing clears is of course part of the any games, but it is much more difficult to catch anyone off guard in doubles. If you have the choice of smashing the ball in doubles vs playing clears, the default should be to smash with all of your strength, even if it leaves you vulnerable simply because your partner will be able to cover you. This is assuming all are equal in skills - I don't know what level you are playing at but if your partner is at least half-competent, he/she should know to cover you when you are going for that off-balance around the head smash. This is different with singles games where an off-balance smash may very well lead to a counter attack. Which is why in double games most professionals will choose smash with all their might, while in single we would have to choose the timing very carefully. Pause and hit could be beneficial too, but unlike single games where you want to do it one every two/three shots, in doubles, pause and hit is much more situational because the area the opponents need to cover is much smaller. If I can come early enough to the shuttle to do "pause and hit", might as well I hit early so I can setup my partner earlier (I usually prefer playing front). Of course there are exceptions e.g. when my opponent is the type of front player who is to "read" and I am sure I will lose in a straight duel in front of the net, I will mix-in some "pause and push" to my net game to keep him honest/guessing. Another exception is when I play against over-eager beginners (mostly friends), and pause and hit almost all my shots to show off. Against good players, "pause and clear" is just giving up precious time for your opponents to reposition themselves. On the other hand, "pause and push" too often against a good front player (who can read and react to patterns well) is asking to be smashed in the face.

[@sendoh7x]

@@edogaktop Good reply. Bottom line is..everything is situational. Enjoy the game!

[@ashishkriplani1250]

edogaktop lin dan and taufik are really good players but now there are new tactics which effect their game if they play now. IMO

[@martincerven]

Playing pause-and-hit is very effective in doubles too. Watch Yuta watanabe when he plays drives, he pauses and he either plays soft "net drop" or strong drive. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4a9ZmaOg8SBgq8&frags=pl%2Cwn

[@Jvksiew]

Momota's shot is consistent it's scary! Not many players can grind down Lin Dan and LCW with consistency, chen long came to mind, but I think Momota is better now. Not to mention his footwork is best now (but not best in history, LCW and LD still hold that title)

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

I'd love to compare Momota to Lin Dan at some point. My gut tells me LD is better but Momota is seriously talented.

[@Jvksiew]

@@BadmintonwithJeffrey Agree. LD is GOAT, I reckon it might takes some time before anyone can surpass his accomplishments. God, can't wait for Tokyo 2020 !

[@SirChocula]

How did you get tickets? I would love to watch a super 300 or 500, even 100 (lol) but I don't know the process on doing so. Maybe you could make a vid and teach us? xD

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

I just bought them online on their website haha!

[@elzaiba3489]

Yep! Go to the website of the relevant badminton federation in that country. I’d recommend the following steps: 1.) check the world federation’s timetable to see what tournaments are playing, in what countries and when. 2.) once you’ve decided on the country / tournament, go to the national federation webpage. E.g I’d go to Badminton England to attend the Birmingham, UK tournament that just released tickets 3.) Once you’re on, just select tickets which usually cover which days you’ll attend and which class of seats you’d be in. Usually the first days are cheaper whilst also having many more matches, but you’ll likely see the most engaging matches of you book a finals day. Hope this helps!!

[@SirChocula]

@@elzaiba3489 def does, thanks fam!

[@SirChocula]

@@BadmintonwithJeffrey good to know, I'll give it a try :)

[@elzaiba3489]

SirChocula ❤️

[@lazybonezlee433]

was the ticket expensive?

[@SoldiersStory]

Bro please please make six corners footwork video with proper movements

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Great suggestion, definitely something I want to do :) how I do 6 corners, and then also a drill to help

[@lasmirandadennsivillia5048]

Does anybody know when there will be videos about the matches? ..

[@SuperSasaboy]

Bwfbadminton youtube channel

[@lasmirandadennsivillia5048]

@@SuperSasaboy what are you talking xD

[@angdaien]

dude i think i played singles with you the other day at synergy! thought you looked familiar haha

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Haha were you the guy in red that destroyed me? 😂 we should spar again sometime! I also have recordings from that day if you want to watch :)

[@angdaien]

@@BadmintonwithJeffrey not destroy la haha sure send them my way! thanks!

[@melissaishere4935]

If only I were able to actually see and watch a game between professional players, that would be awesome.

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

I’d highly recommend it :)

[@khirulaminur]

Why can't u? No pro tournament where u live in?

[@elzaiba3489]

Great that you did a video on my crush, Momota. 😅 From what I understood, Anders had a pretty drawn own semi final match the day before which tired him out. By the tine he reached Momota in the final he was already a little fatigued. It didn’t take too long to show because as an attacking player he spent all his energy in the first few rallies.

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Yeah! I talked to a guy in my hotel who saw Anders walk out after his SF match, and he was kinda limping :(

[@elzaiba3489]

Badminton with Jeffrey yeh it’s a big shame. Until I started playing badminton I didn’t appreciate that best of 3 really is tiring in a professional matchup! I wonder whether tournaments should be longer to accommodate? Tennis grand slams, like Wimbledon, last 2 weeks. I think most badminton tournaments are as quick as 4 days?

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

@@elzaiba3489 I didn't know Tennis tournaments lasted that long! They must get a lost of rest then huh! I wonder if that's why Federer is still at the top, even though he's Lin Dan's age...

[@elzaiba3489]

Badminton with Jeffrey perhaps that’s part of it. I think another part is that tennis seems to me more like an endurance sport.p with far fewer explosive shots and movements being taken than in badminton. In tennis you’re usually sticking to the by-line, and travelling side to side. Badminton (singles at least) you’re rushing from corner to centre and the to another corner. It’s the direction change followed by your attempt to hit the perfect smash that’s most tiring.

[@TheRealThirdME]

@@BadmintonwithJeffrey I'm not saying it is all there is to it, but he has commented that he has been dealing with some cramps.. He is getting special training to combat it, but he mentioned after the finals that was really really tired, already before the match started :)

[@chutkulachampaks9925]

The Biggest problem has been pointed out in this video, with proof. Badminton is not a very popular sport in most of the world. When people see the sport for the first time on T.V it looks slow and not interesting. But it is actually the fastest racket sport, and the shuttle moves at upto 500kmph

[@oakland2425]

I notice the shots and smashes aren't that fast on this angle. I don't know if it's the angle or because it's 60 FPS.

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

Hmm I think it is partially because of the angle. Another thing is that in singles, you rarely see 100% power smashes

[@badmintoncoachingpakistan7964]

COach both of players not picking to shuttle from net early & from hight of net.player should come to net fastly as he going back fastly..early picking to shuttle from net is actually badminton..net fasting picking is v v important..

[@kaushikraj8828]

Reach early pause hit Footwork Clears are important

[@reynaldowrn5204]

wdym by pause?

[@ExtrusionXDesigns]

literally what pause means

[@axelsenviktor8736]

China open lin dan vs momota

[@nimo7511]

誰か日本語字幕を付けてください

[@BadmintonwithJeffrey]

申し訳ありませんが、私は日本語を知りません :( ただし、日本語の字幕が自動的に生成される場合があります！

[@axelsenviktor8736]

Axelsen beat momota in china open

[@arifrahmat304]

Realy? Axelsen already beaten by kanta tsuneyama, last time he win is long time ago, in junior or early senior level i forgot

[@user-ux4qp2ec2c]

英語の勉強にはいいと思うけどそりゃそうだろって薄いことしか言ってなくて草