How Good Are Professional Badminton Players & How Can You Beat Them? - CK Yew vs Howard Shu (USA No.1)
- CKYew
- Jul 1
- 4 min read
I had the opportunity to test my skills against a professional badminton player in Copenhagen at KBK (Copenhagen Badminton Club). I played against Howard Shu, who is the USA's No. 1 men's singles player and a 2x Olympian.
Howard was kind enough to spend some time showing me the ropes, and we had some valuable discussions about the differences between the amateur and professional game. I’ll be sharing my experience and insights, as well as Howard's advice for players looking to improve and reach the professional level.
What It's Like Playing Against a Professional
Right off the bat, it became clear that playing against a professional was a whole different ball game. Howard’s shots were very fast and precise, and I don't think I had ever moved that fast around the court! He anticipated my shots really well and seemed to effortlessly move around the court whilst making sure I was always under pressure.
Howard mentioned how in the first set, he wasn’t playing overly risky shots but instead focused on keeping the shuttle in and waiting for me to make the mistakes. It was important to keep his shots sharp and controlled too, enabling him to stay consistent throughout the match.
Key Insights On Playing At A Professional Level
After our games, I had the chance to sit down with Howard and pick his brain about playing at a professional level, and here's what I learned!
Quality Over Power
One of the big takeaways was how important the quality of each shot is. At the amateur level, it's easy to want to smash everything, but having good quality and a variety of shots was a lot more important. This includes controlling the speed and angle of the shot, which Howard did very well to force me into difficult positions.
Reading The Game
Another major difference between amateur and professional players is the ability to read the game. Howard was able to anticipate where my shots were going even before I hit them. This gave him a huge advantage, as he was already in a position to return the shuttle and put me under more pressure.
Have A Strategy For How To Win Points
Similarly, having a strategy or game plan for how you want to win points is crucial. For example, this can be a series of shots you want to play within a rally. Also, learning what shots your opponents are likely to play in different situations and taking advantage of that to anticipate their shots.
Howard compared it to a game of chess, where the top players will always be multiple moves ahead of you. Essentially, you always need to be adjusting and planning for the next move!
Build Points, Don't Just Play Shots
Building upon the first three points, it all came down to this main point of being able to build the rally rather than just playing shots without thinking why you're playing them.
Howard pointed out that it's super important to gain an advantage right from the beginning of the rally, which makes it difficult for the opponent to get back into the rally. His ability to control the shuttle and dictate the pace made it incredibly difficult for me to recover!
This included having a good tight serve that the opponent can't get on top of, moving the opponent around the 4 corners of the court, and always taking the shuttle as early as possible. As you look to get the advantage, you limit the options of what your opponent can play and set up opportunities for you to finish off the rally!
It's definitely a lot easier said than done, but this was the main takeaway and I could definitely feel Howard doing this to me, especially putting pressure in my round-the-head corner. The quality and angle of his lifts made it very uncomfortable for me to play good shots and it was a good learning lesson for me!
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Advice For Aspiring Professionals
For those who are looking to progress into the professional ranks, Howard had some valuable advice for that too!
Physicality Is Key
The level of physicality in professional badminton is immense. Howard explained that without being able to match the speed and strength of top players, it’s almost impossible to compete at the highest level. The pace of the game is incredibly fast, and players need to be in really good physical condition to keep up. So for younger players especially, it's essential to focus on this!
Get Used To Faster Rallies
The rallies are also so much faster at the higher levels and the pros move around the court so smoothly that it looks so easy too! But don't be fooled, because the rallies are super fast! Try to play against players who are better than you as much as possible so you can get used to these faster paces.
Focus On Quality of Shots
Howard emphasised that the top players don't just rely on power, they focus on the angle, speed, and control of each shot. At the professional level, the margin for error is tiny, and every shot has to be executed with quality! Again, it's about being able to build the advantage during the rally and putting your opponent under pressure.
Final Thoughts
Playing against a pro like Howard was an eye-opening experience. Not only did I get the chance to witness firsthand how a professional approaches the game, but I also learned valuable lessons that can be applied to my own game. The biggest takeaway for me was that it’s really about consistency, reading the game, and building an advantage from the very first shot of the rally.
I just want to say a huge thank you to Howard for giving up his time to play with me and for sharing his many insights. I highly recommend checking out his YouTube channel too here to learn more about his life and all things badminton!
If you would like to watch me play against Howard, you can check out the full video below, and I'll see you in the next one!