A style India can call its own

Every champion has his own unique style of play – a style that carries him to the top. It has its own quirks and is probably suited only to that one player but that doesn’t stop others from trying to emulate the champion. When Rudy Hartono first rose to prominence, it was his power that won him accolades and titles – including eight All-England trophies — during a dazzling eight-year spell from 1968 to 1976. It was a style that inspired a generation of Indonesia’s youngsters and made Hartono an idol in the eyes of many badminton followers around the world. India’s Prakash Padukone was one of the players who looked up to Hartono with stars in his eyes. And as good as Padukone was, he wasn’t Hartono. The legendary Indonesian was in Mumbai earlier this week and that was the moment, India’s own legend chose to tell the world that it took just one match against Hartono to make him realise that he had to change his style of play. [caption id=“attachment_22330” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=" Saina Nehwal has imbibed the attitude of her coach and mentor P Gopi Chand.  Noah Seelam/AFP"] [/caption] Padukone never had the power but he had the brains and he realised early that he needed something that was his and his alone. Prior to Padukone, in India, one of the first players to make a mark with his method  of play was Nandu Natekar. He was a player with a clean game and tremendous anticipation. It was rumoured that his racquet attracted the shuttle – like a magnet. He would play a stroke in such a way that he knew where the return would appear. Though he was not the fastest of movers on the court and physical fitness was not his forte, he more than made up for it with his genius – brain over brawn. The backhand stroke that is a weakness for most was one of his stronger points. Nandu’s game seemed to come naturally to him – the ideas, accuracy and deception. In a generation with the likes of strong muscled Finn Kobero, Erland Kops, hard-hitting Hammergaard Hansen, super-fit Eddie Choong, Nandu matched up because he played badminton differently. He made badminton look easy and poetic. Around the same time, there was a wizard named Suresh Goel. His stroke making ability and deception astounded one and all. He could play the toss, drop and smash all in the same action hence keeping the opponent guessing. He was known as one of the most creative stroke players of all time. And, as the trend goes, Padukone emulated these great champions. His footwork was neat and execution of strokes effortless. His shuttle control even in the most challenging conditions was admirable. His wrist was strong and allowed for some of the most deceptive strokes. He imbibed all the positives and then went a step further. He worked on his physical fitness. It was the right thing to do as he was up against much fitter opponents like Lim Swie King, Han Jian, Hartono, Morten Frost, etc. It would be difficult to win matches with his pet strokes – the half smash and dribble – alone. His natural game of maneuvering the opponent all over the court required patience and strong legs as the rallies were slightly longer since he didn’t have a lethal smash to close out points. Playing within his limitation of limited power, he relied on accuracy and deception to carve out many memorable wins, the most popular being the All-England title in 1980. Taking inspiration from Padukone’s All-England victory, stalwart P Gopi Chand went on to emulate the feat in 2001. This was a different generation and the game had evolved. Yet Gopi relied on deception and control, like his predecessors. What he did differently was to develop a more aggressive style of play. Blessed with a physique ideal for badminton, he worked on his fitness and speed so that he could use the jump smashes to deadly effect and catch the shuttle early at the net in order to play the flick shots and catch the opponent on the wrong foot. What also set Gopi apart was his never-say-die attitude and self-belief. He was one to take risks and experiment with different strategies – a thinking player he was. Taking a leaf from the success story of Gopi, Saina Nehwal has taken big strides at the world stage. The current world no. 4 has imbibed the attitude of her coach and mentor. The hard work, perseverance and belief are all intact. As far as the style of game goes, Saina plays more aggressive and mixes the aggression well with deception especially at the net. Perhaps she doesn’t have the touch play like Gopi or Padukone but I would not hold that against her. The game has changed with more emphasis being given to power and speed. Also the new scoring pattern provides less room for creativity and experimentation. Hence, her game is moulded to keep pace with the times. No wonder she can match up to the Chinese and other top players and exterminate them with precision. The Indian style of badminton has been admired and proven to be successful over the decades. It is unlike the Asian style of play which is more mechanical and dominated by speed and power. It is also different from European badminton wherein we see bigger physiques resulting in limited court movement but more strokeplay and power. Indian badminton is distinctive – it’s free expression with wristy deception and control. The onus now is on the young shuttlers to carry the mantle forward by keeping our style of play intact while building on strength and pace. The uniqueness and artistry of Indian badminton should be preserved – because it is worth it! A look at Prakash Padukone in his prime: