Introduction
In this assignment I will describe the skills, techniques and tactics required in two different
individual sports. Before I can do this, I will define what each of these aspects of individual
sport are. A skill is an athlete's ability to choose and perform the right techniques at the
right time, successfully, regularly and with a minimum of effort – these are used to achieve
athletic objectives and have to be learnt. Techniques are the basic movements of any sport
or event and in sport several techniques are combined in order to form a pattern of
movement. A tactic is an action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specific result and
is how skills and techniques are used to achieve the best performance against a specific
opponent. From this I will next explain these skills, techniques and tactics that are required
in two different individual sports in more detail. The two sports that I have chosen to do this
for are badminton and boxing.
Badminton
Skills
Techniques
Badminton Serve - Serving is arguably the most important aspect of the game, as it is the
one-shot that has to be in every single rally.
Technique: The lob – Lobbing is a stroke executed at your baseline, with the aim of hitting
the shuttle cock as far to the back of opponent’s court as possible without hitting it out. A
successful lob shot should be over the opponent's reach at mid court, hence pushing them
to the back of the baseline. This technique is used when a player needs to buy more time so
that they can return to base before the next return. This shot is also used so that your
opponent is put under through both catching them off guard, and leaving them with little
time to prepare and recover from the shot – leaving them completely exposed.
Skill: The skill is being able to read the overall play and the opponent so that if this shot is
used, it is done so to your advantage and does not place you in a vulnerable position in a
return shot. The skill is being able to choose to use this shot rather than another shot in the
correct situation; when the opponent is close to the net; but at the same time, doing so
correctly so that the shot is not intercepted. Therefore, being able to make the choice to use
this technique appropriately by considering the play and the opponent is something that
must be learnt through experience, as if not done correctly can have many disadvantages to
the player using it.
Technique: The drop shot – The drop shot is best used when the shuttle cock is heading
towards you in the first half of your court. In order to perform this stroke, the player must
, hit the shuttlecock downwards towards the opponent's fore-court, with the aim of it going
just over the net. The main objective of the drop shot is to force your opponent out of their
position or to variate the pace of the game. The drop shot is also used as it enables players
to move their opponent to the front court. Using this shot has advantages for the player as
it will either win a point or create space in the mid and back court to exploit.
Skill: The skill is being able to once again read the play and the opponent so that this shot
can be used to the players complete advantage, rather than using it at the wrong time and
by doing so leaving yourself exposed to the other player. In order to successfully use this
technique, a player must also learn the skill of disguising the shot – for example, making the
opponent think a clear or smash is going to be hit – which will enable the player to catch
their opponent out and make them stretch when playing their reply, hoping to force an
unbalanced weak reply. However, if not used in the right situation this shot can cost a player
a rally if their opponent is not able to cross the net. Therefore, a player must learn the skill
of being able to make the choice between using this shot over another so that they can gain
most advantage and benefit from the situation.
Technique: The smash shot – The smash shot is hit with power and speed downward into
the opponent's court. The smash is probably the most attacking shot in badminton and if
executed well it is probably the most difficult shot to return just because of the pace and
direction put on the shuttle. The smash shot is used in badminton as there is no real defence
against a well-executed smash so it is a shot that enables a player to take control of any
game in that particular point. Due to this, it is one of the most commonly used shots in
badminton.
Skill: The skill is in using this technique only when an opportunity arises. This shot requires a
lot of energy from the player using it so should only be used when the player can gain an
advantage from doing so. A situation in which using this shot would be extremely beneficial
would be when you receive a weak clear from your opponent to your mid court area. The
skill is being able to not choose this shot over other shots unless the situation requires it as
using it unnecessarily can tire a player out. Once again, this skill will be learnt through
experience of both play and different opponents.
Tactics
Badminton is a very tactical and strategic game. Basically, you need to keep returning the
shuttle for longer than the opponent whilst trying to outwit them, and move them around
the court using a variety of shots, with disguise if possible. Being a quick thinker is important
to make decisions about what shot to play, in the limited time players have to return the
shuttle effectively.
One of the main tactics used in singles play is movement pressure. In singles, the aim is to
apply maximum movement pressure to your opponent. This tactic basically means that you
