Skills acquisition in badminton: A visual based approach to training

Currently, there are a number of training programs that attempt to improve decision making and awareness in badminton. However, these programs are extremely limited, and do not provide athletes with the necessary improvements needed to optimise their in-game performance. In developing and improving decision making, the ideal strategy would be to expose the athlete to all possible situations and scenarios that they may face. This allows them to retain certain responses in their subconsciousness; leading their bodies to instantaneously select the appropriate action to take in similar situations. This paper provides an overview of the electronic training program currently being developed to improve reaction time and awareness in badminton players. Particular emphasis is placed on a player¿s ability to estimate and predict shuttle location. Using this program, we will be able to identify the player¿s awareness and attempt to improve their in-game performance and decision making. These findings will not be limited to badminton, and applicability to other sports will be discussed.