Lee Chong Wei is a reputation that can perpetually resonate within the badminton world. The affect he had on the game has been phenomenal. For my part, there will not be many gamers, even within the trendy period, that may evaluate to Lee Chong Wei as a participant.
I lately went by means of a part of watching outdated Lee Chong Wei matches. One thing I haven’t performed in a very long time since he retired in 2019. And I’ve to say, whether or not it’s nostalgia or admiration there’s one thing about the best way he performed that’s simply mesmerising. And since I’m in Malaysia, I believed I’d attempt to do an evaluation of what made him the participant he was.
Play Type
Lee Chong Wei turned skilled in 2000. Between then and the top of his profession (2019) we noticed him evolve from a defensive workhorse to a extra attacking model of play whereas sustaining that strong defence he was initially recognized so properly for. There are few gamers each in his era and the present era that might defend in addition to LCW. There’s one participant I believe was marginally higher than Chong Wei in defence, however I’ll allow you to speculate on who that’s…
Early Years
Lee Chong Wei began his profession enjoying extra passively and never taking as a lot initiative as his defence and endurance had been so robust. He saved rallies going by repeatedly reaching pictures that different gamers wouldn’t count on him to get near. This was his bread and butter. He didn’t assault as a lot because the participant we knew when he retired. His explosive footwork allowed him to cowl vital distances rapidly and few gamers may out-last him in rallies he would power them to play.
He additionally didn’t possess the internet expertise he later grew to become recognized for. He was capable of play on the internet with the talent you’ll count on of a world-class participant. However he most well-liked to maneuver his opponent across the again of the court docket, carrying them down and ready for his second to capitalise on his opponent’s fatigue.
One can’t say he was a weak participant again then contemplating the wins he was racking up. However he definitely wasn’t the whole participant he would turn out to be. He was typically criticised for being too passive and counting on his defence quite than taking the sport to the opponent. Whereas this method appeared to be dominating different opponents – two different legends in their very own proper had been inflicting issues for him.
Evolution
2008 was a turning level for Lee. Though in all probability conjecture on my half – I consider the 2008 Olympic last was a wake-up name that he merely wasn’t adequate to beat Lin Dan. Positive he had crushed Lin Dan up to now however Lin Dan had all the time maintained a optimistic head-to-head. His defensive sport wasn’t sufficient to cope with Lin’s attacking capacity. It was such a dominating efficiency by his opponent that Lee knew one thing needed to change. He developed a extra attacking sport.
One large change was his improvement in his internet sport. He began to look extra for the initiative in rallies by enjoying internet pictures to arrange his attacking play. As well as, he started to dominate the web extra, not backing away from a problem within the entrance court docket. Subsequently, he was capable of obtain extra attacking alternatives he began to make the most of. From this level on, that is the Lee Chong Wei we ultimately got here to know.
His motion grew to become way more explosive in his attacking play, and he grew to become way more aggressive coming ahead. His capacity to achieve the shuttle so early gave him the best contact level attainable, leading to limitless shot selections. Because of this, his sport grew to become way more fast-paced and various.
Not solely was his endurance beforehand top-notch, however his stamina was insane. It wasn’t simply that he was capable of transfer so rapidly, it’s that he may preserve it for just about the entire match which most gamers couldn’t sustain with. So now, not solely did he have among the best defences in world badminton, his attacking sport to matched.
As well as, his shot high quality was very good, as was his shot selection. LCW was very disciplined in his sport, very not often deviating from what was fairly a primary method. As I discussed earlier, he was a textbook. Now’s textbook boring? It may be. Some gamers play a boring textbook sport. But it surely’s like LCW perfected it to the purpose that it was clinically spectacular.
And what’s extra, as soon as he advanced this environment friendly, efficient and economical sport, he by no means actually modified from it once more. It’s like a online game character that distributes all his talent factors evenly. Into his 30s, LCW didn’t appear to decelerate considerably – sustaining that fast-paced dynamic badminton he has turn out to be famend for.
Footwork
The footwork of LCW is well-known to be soi clean and chic. He was definitely one of many quickest gamers in world badminton. He made traversing the court docket look really easy, even in comparison with different skilled gamers.
At first look, it’s arduous to inform why it’s completely different and I’m sitting right here watching just a few movies of him enjoying and it’s nonetheless fairly arduous to say why he’s so clean though it’s the identical primary motion patterns as the opposite gamers.
I believe a part of it comes all the way down to pure attributes. LCW shouldn’t be notably tall and has a really small body. He’s additionally fairly gentle at 68kg when competing based on Google. So being a little shorter provides him a decrease centre of gravity and a extra compact motion sample. Being fairly slight additionally implies that he may develop a greater strength-to-weight ratio.
He didn’t have a variety of muscle mass (to not say that he wasn’t robust)! As a part of his coaching, I’m certain there was a heavy concentrate on strengthening the decrease physique to permit him to maneuver as quick as attainable throughout the court docket. So mixed together with his pure attributes he had a excessive degree of power to move fairly a light-weight load. Not solely that, however these traits additionally comply with by means of for his agility and vertical soar as properly. It additionally helped him recuperate faster, notably from jumps as he didn’t have as a lot weight to soak up the preliminary affect on touchdown.
Specifically, his cut up step was very explosive permitting him to maneuver in any route extraordinarily rapidly. I believe it lies in his capacity to get off the mark rapidly that units him aside. Once you watch him, he’s very relaxed when shifting across the court docket until he’s actually pushed. However more often than not he isn’t. There’s little or no wasted motion, the whole lot is finished exactly and effectively. He is aware of he can cowl each inch of that court docket it doesn’t matter what comes.
Bodily Health
Should you wished to create a badminton athlete with peak bodily health, you’d in all probability find yourself with LCW. I’ve all the time argued that if there’s somebody of a comparative degree you simply can’t beat, not less than be fitter than them. After all, the margins are so small on the prime degree however LCW proved that this can be a legitimate tactic. The actual fact he was beating youthful gamers into his 30s (gamers like Prime Momota (which appears like a shiny Pokemon) and Viktor Axelsen – simply confirmed how match LCW saved himself even in direction of the top of his profession. To not point out whereas sustaining the identical degree/model of play. We’re not speaking simply his endurance right here, however his stamina, power, and flexibility – he was maybe probably the most well-rounded badminton participant of his era).
This bodily health contributed on to his skills on the court docket to maintain the depth of a rally for lengthy durations of time. He was capable of get to the shuttle early, he was capable of dictate the rallies in opposition to all however the strongest opponents. He may simply pull weaker opponents out of place and had the identical opponents reacting to him quite than difficult him for the initiative as a result of it was tough to maintain up. Particularly for the size of a match.
It was this health, mixed together with his excellent footwork that allowed him to cowl the court docket so effortlessly, each in defence, offence and in impartial conditions. Within the rear court docket specifically, he was capable of play nearly all pictures on the highest contact level, creating a number of the strongest smashes in males’s singles. A lot of which had been extra highly effective than males’s doubles gamers.
Singles by nature is a slower sport however he was capable of put stress on the opponent to play at a excessive tempo or they might crumble.
Rivalry
I didn’t wish to evaluate Lin Dan to LCW. Nonetheless, Lee Chong Wei himself has admitted that the rivalry between each gamers is what drove him to ever better heights. Lin Dan created a psychological block in Lee Chong Wei in my view. A lot in order that Lee was nearly combating himself on court docket as a lot as his opponent. In 2016, when he lastly beat Lin Dan within the Rio Olympics, you might see that he reacted like he nearly received the match itself.
Of their head-to-head report, LCW has by no means led Lin Dan. However as talked about above I believe the 2008 Olympics cemented how significantly better Lin Dan was at the moment. But it surely was this rivalry that introduced LCW to step up his sport to compete with the Chinese language famous person. That starvation to defeat his rival, resulted in a number of the most electrifying matches in world badminton even right this moment.
But it surely wasn’t simply Lin Dan. Lee Chong Wei was lucky to be within the era with a number of distinctive gamers, together with Taufik Hidayat and Chen Lengthy. All through his complete profession, he needed to compete with these prime gamers – World Champions and Olympic Champions. Chen Lengthy particularly, after Lin Dan was maybe his greatest menace. Contemplating his defence was higher than LCW (yep it was Chen Lengthy!), this was by no means a simple sport for Chong Wei.
Consistency
Being rank #1. for 200 consecutive Weeks and 349 weeks in complete isn’t any straightforward feat. Such was the dominance and consistency of LCW within the period of the Tremendous Collection. Very not often did he not make it into the later phases of any match. The one time he considerably dropped his rating was when he was banned for 8 months, then when he retired.
Of all Tremendous Collection winners, Lee Chong Wei stands alone because the King. Different legends don’t even come near his report. In complete, he’s amassed 46 titles. To place that in perspective, the subsequent on the listing is Lee Yong Dae, enjoying in two completely different disciplines. So to be that dominant in Males’s singles throughout his profession is unbelievable. {Most professional} gamers received’t even win one Tremendous Collection or World Tour Event as it’s now recognized.
Weak spot
It might maybe be unfair to name out the only a few weaknesses that LCW had. In any case he has completed a lot in his profession. However we also needs to take them with a pinch of salt as a result of these minute weaknesses had been fully overshadowed by his sheer bodily and technical capabilities on the court docket.
LCW by no means appear pressured actually in lots of matches of his profession. Being world #1 for therefore lengthy and profitable so many tournaments should enhance your ego/mentality. To the purpose, I’m certain the sensation of his opponents was that they had been enjoying the fame quite than the participant. Nonetheless, when it got here to large match finals, the Olympics, World Championships he was most of the time, dealing with his nemesis Lin Dan.
In his youthful days, LCW was extra passive and reserved on court docket. In distinction to Lin Dan, who was typically dubbed conceited in his youthful years. However at that degree, the “vanity” nearly protects you and offers you extra perception and confidence. LCW was not that type of particular person – or not less than didn’t look like.
After some years, each gamers had been technically nearly as good as one another. However Lin Dan managed to keep up an edge. I consider that distinction was their mentality – even when the hole wasn’t as huge as beforehand.
It wasn’t that LCW didn’t need it as a lot, it’s that there’s a variety of stress on his shoulders. Think about being the no.1 sports activities icon in a rustic the place badminton is revered. He was the one athlete recognized nationwide representing Malaysia constantly as the highest degree in any sport. There’s already an enormous expectation. And instances he’s did not carry out up to now is met with fairly scathing assessments by netizens and the media. So no marvel there’s a variety of stress on him.
Mix that with the stress of an Olympic last and we will see the difficulties one may be experiencing as they get nearer to set level or match level.
I believe again particularly to the World Championships in 2011, which was probably the most effective males’s singles match to ever have been performed. He was 20-16 up within the first set and we see glimpses of this weak spot the place he misplaced 4 sport factors. However he was capable of reign it in to ultimately win the set. Likewise, in the previous few factors of the match he performed pictures which he wouldn’t often miss or his shot selection was generally slightly off which was in all probability performed underneath stress.
However as I say this weak spot was not often there besides in large match finals. And through the years it grew to become much less and fewer. It’s straightforward to evaluate from the skin however I’m certain most of us would crumble so much faster underneath the sheer stress LCW was dealing with from his dwelling nation and arenas.
Tactical Capacity
Lee Chong Wei was an ideal textbook participant. Just about perfecting the sport to the purpose of somebody any younger participant ought to emulate when it comes to technical capacity and angle to coaching.
Looking the few badminton boards on-line – some netizens have insisted that he wasn’t an ideal tactician. He had what gave the impression to be a easy sport plan for just about all his opponents. The fundamental method was get the carry, smash and repeat. For many gamers – that is the tactic. Transfer the opponent round, get the carry and assault. So it’s unfair to single LCW out for this.
For my part, why would somebody must deviate from an method that’s not solely confirmed, however saved them on the prime of the world rankings for 3 years? The truth that individuals saying he’s not very tactically conscious will not be very tactically conscious themselves.
At larger and better ranges of badminton, the weaknesses of gamers turn out to be much less and fewer. So when you attain the extent of competing on the highest degree, there will not be as many weaknesses to take advantage of. To not say there aren’t weaknesses in any respect. Subsequently the methods and ways turn out to be much less however extra refined. LCW perfected the method wanted to dominate the game..
Forehand Nook
It wasn’t a obviously apparent weak spot. Wanting on-line and watching some highlights of the matches again now it does look apparent that Lin Dan had been utilizing this tactic properly.
Nonetheless, with out watching all of LCW’s matches it’s arduous to say if this was a weak spot. In any case, the above video solely highlights the rallies which exhibits what the uploader desires to point out. I’m not saying they’re mistaken in any respect – however it might require way more analysis to conclude that. For these chosen rallies maybe it was the case.
However was LCW weak within the rear forehand nook? Or is it a pure a part of the sport that the majority gamers are weaker on this space in singles?
Satirically because it sounds – the forehand rear nook is a greater aspect to play to than the backhand rear nook. I’ll clarify in a separate publish. However principally, the forehand aspect is much less harmful, even when the participant is early to the shuttle, since you can not use your physique to play the shot the identical because the backhand aspect. So with out analysing a big pattern of his matches and different gamers as a management group, it’s arduous to say categorically that is the case for LCW particularly.
Conclusion
I’m presently in LCW’s dwelling city of Bukit Mertajam – Penang. And as corny because it sounds, it feels type of surreal to be in a spot the place somebody I cherished watching (as all of us did) grew up. I discover myself pondering – Oh LCW may need been right here after I see the numerous meals courts and even the night time market.
It’s humorous, whether or not I’m in KL, Ipoh, Penang and even Sabah, it’s clear that the adoration and delight for his or her badminton hero has not diminished since his retirement. Even those that know nothing of the game know the identify Lee Chong Wei.
Though LCW could by no means have received an Olympic gold or a World Championship gold – typically thought-about the top of the game – he captured the hearts of so many badminton followers world wide. He grew to become a mentor and set the trail for the subsequent era of badminton gamers. He grew to become an inspiration and position mannequin for a lot of aspiring badminton athletes. And as many would agree and no one can deny – he grew to become a legend.
