Lee Chong Wei is a reputation that may endlessly resonate within the badminton world. The influence he had on the game has been phenomenal. In my view, there will not be many gamers, even within the fashionable period, that may evaluate to Lee Chong Wei as a participant.
I lately went by a section of watching previous Lee Chong Wei matches. One thing I haven’t accomplished 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 way in which he performed that’s simply mesmerising. And since I’m in Malaysia, I assumed I’d attempt to do an evaluation of what made him the participant he was.
Play Fashion
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 fashion of play whereas sustaining that strong defence he was initially identified so nicely 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 feel 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 taking part in extra passively and never taking as a lot initiative as his defence and endurance had been so robust. He saved rallies going by constantly 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 important distances shortly and few gamers might out-last him in rallies he would power them to play.
He additionally didn’t possess the net skills he later grew to become identified for. He was in a position to play on the web with the talent you’d count on of a world-class participant. However he most popular 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 player again then contemplating the wins he was racking up. However he definitely wasn’t the entire participant he would grow to be. He was typically criticised for being too passive and counting on his defence fairly than taking the sport to the opponent. Whereas this method gave the impression 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 most likely conjecture on my half – I imagine the 2008 Olympic closing was a wake-up name that he merely wasn’t ok to beat Lin Dan. Certain he had overwhelmed Lin Dan previously however Lin Dan had all the time maintained a constructive head-to-head. His defensive sport wasn’t sufficient to cope with Lin’s attacking skill. It was such a dominating efficiency by his opponent that Lee knew one thing needed to change. He developed a extra attacking sport.
One huge change was his improvement in his net game. He began to look extra for the initiative in rallies by taking part in web pictures to arrange his attacking play. As well as, he started to dominate the online extra, not backing away from a problem within the entrance court docket. Due to this fact, he was in a position to 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 skill to achieve the shuttle so early gave him the best contact level potential, leading to countless shot decisions. 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 in a position to transfer so shortly, it’s that he might preserve it for just about the entire match which most gamers couldn’t sustain with. So now, not solely did he have probably the greatest defences in world badminton, his attacking sport to matched.
As well as, his shot high quality was excellent, as was his shot selection. LCW was very disciplined in his sport, very not often deviating from what was fairly a fundamental method. As I discussed earlier, he was a textbook. Now could be textbook boring? It may be. Some gamers play a boring textbook sport. Nevertheless it’s like LCW perfected it to the purpose that it was clinically spectacular.
And what’s extra, as soon as he advanced this efficient, effective and economical game, 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 grow to be famend for.
Footwork
The footwork of LCW is well-known to be soi easy 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 laborious to inform why it’s totally different and I’m sitting right here watching a couple of movies of him taking part in and it’s nonetheless fairly laborious to say why he’s so easy though it’s the identical fundamental motion patterns as the opposite gamers.
I feel a part of it comes all the way down to pure attributes. LCW will not be notably tall and has a really small body. He’s additionally fairly mild at 68kg when competing in keeping with Google. So being a little shorter provides him a decrease centre of gravity and a extra compact motion sample. Being fairly slight additionally signifies that he might develop a greater strength-to-weight ratio.
He didn’t have numerous muscle mass (to not say that he wasn’t robust)! As a part of his coaching, I’m positive there was a heavy give attention to strengthening the decrease physique to permit him to maneuver as quick as potential 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 observe by for his agility and vertical jump as nicely. It additionally helped him get well faster, notably from jumps as he didn’t have as a lot weight to soak up the preliminary influence on touchdown.
Specifically, his split step was very explosive permitting him to maneuver in any path extraordinarily shortly. I feel it lies in his skill to get off the mark shortly that units him aside. If you watch him, he’s very relaxed when transferring across the court docket except he’s actually pushed. However more often than not he isn’t. There’s little or no wasted motion, the whole lot is completed exactly and effectively. He is aware of he can cowl each inch of that court docket it doesn’t matter what comes.
Bodily Health
If you happen to needed to create a badminton athlete with peak bodily health, you’d most likely find yourself with LCW. I’ve all the time argued that if there’s somebody of a comparative degree you simply can’t beat, at the least be fitter than them. In fact, the margins are so small on the prime degree however LCW proved that it is a legitimate tactic. The actual fact he was beating youthful gamers into his 30s (gamers like Prime Momota (which seems like a shiny Pokemon) and Viktor Axelsen – simply confirmed how match LCW saved himself even in the direction of the top of his profession. To not point out whereas sustaining the identical degree/fashion of play. We’re not speaking simply his endurance right here, however his stamina, strength, and flexibility – he was maybe essentially 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 in a position to get to the shuttle early, he was in a position to dictate the rallies towards all however the strongest opponents. He might simply pull weaker opponents out of place and had the identical opponents reacting to him fairly than difficult him for the initiative as a result of it was troublesome 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 in a position to play nearly all pictures on the highest contact level, creating a few of the strongest smashes in males’s singles. Lots of which had been extra highly effective than males’s doubles gamers.
Singles by nature is a slower sport however he was in a position to put stress on the opponent to play at a excessive tempo or they’d crumble.
Rivalry
I didn’t need to evaluate Lin Dan to LCW. Nonetheless, Lee Chong Wei himself has admitted that the rivalry between both players is what drove him to ever greater heights. Lin Dan created a psychological block in Lee Chong Wei for my part. 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 event itself.
Of their head-to-head file, LCW has by no means led Lin Dan. However as talked about above I feel the 2008 Olympics cemented how a lot better Lin Dan was at the moment. Nevertheless it 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 few of the most electrifying matches in world badminton even right now.
Nevertheless it 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 largest menace. Contemplating his defence was higher than LCW (yep it was Chen Lengthy!), this was by no means a straightforward sport for Chong Wei.
Consistency
Being rank no 1. for 200 consecutive Weeks and 349 weeks in whole isn’t any simple 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 levels of any event. 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 file. In whole, he’s amassed 46 titles. To place that in perspective, the subsequent on the record is Lee Yong Dae, taking part in in two totally 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 Match as it’s now identified.
Weak spot
It might maybe be unfair to name out the only a few weaknesses that LCW had. In any case he has achieved 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 no 1 for therefore lengthy and successful so many tournaments should enhance your ego/mentality. To the purpose, I’m positive the sensation of his opponents was that they had been taking part in the fame fairly than the participant. Nonetheless, when it got here to huge event finals, the Olympics, World Championships he was as a rule, 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 smug in his youthful years. However at that degree, the “vanity” nearly protects you and provides you extra perception and confidence. LCW was not that form of particular person – or at the least didn’t look like.
After some years, each gamers had been technically pretty much as good as one another. However Lin Dan managed to keep up an edge. I imagine that distinction was their mentality – even when the hole wasn’t as extensive as beforehand.
It wasn’t that LCW didn’t need it as a lot, it’s that there’s numerous 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 identified nationwide representing Malaysia persistently as the highest degree in any sport. There’s already an enormous expectation. And instances he’s didn’t carry out previously is met with fairly scathing assessments by netizens and the media. So no marvel there’s numerous stress on him.
Mix that with the stress of an Olympic closing and we will see the difficulties one is perhaps experiencing as they get nearer to set level or match level.
I feel again particularly to the World Championships in 2011, which was presumably 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 in a position to reign it in to ultimately win the set. Likewise, in the previous couple of factors of the match he performed pictures which he wouldn’t normally miss or his shot selection was typically somewhat off which was most likely accomplished underneath stress.
However as I say this weak spot was not often there besides in huge event finals. And through the years it grew to become much less and fewer. It’s simple to guage from the skin however I’m positive most of us would crumble quite a bit faster underneath the sheer stress LCW was dealing with from his house 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 by way of technical skill and perspective to coaching.
Looking the few badminton boards on-line – some netizens have insisted that he wasn’t an ideal tactician. He had what seemed to be a easy sport plan for just about all his opponents. The essential 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.
In my view, 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 greater and better ranges of badminton, the weaknesses of gamers grow 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. Due to this fact the methods and ways grow 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. Trying on-line and watching some highlights of the matches again now it does look apparent that Lin Dan had been utilizing this tactic nicely.
Nonetheless, with out watching all of LCW’s matches it’s laborious to say if this was a weak spot. In any case, the above video solely highlights the rallies which exhibits what the uploader needs to point out. I’m not saying they’re mistaken in any respect – however it will 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 almost all gamers are weaker on this space in singles?
Sarcastically because it sounds – the forehand rear nook is a greater facet to play to than the backhand rear nook. I’ll clarify in a separate submit. However mainly, the forehand facet is much less harmful, even when the participant is early to the shuttle, since you can’t use your physique to play the shot the identical because the backhand facet. So with out analysing a major pattern of his matches and different gamers as a management group, it’s laborious to say categorically that is the case for LCW particularly.
Conclusion
I’m at present in LCW’s house city of Bukit Mertajam – Penang. And as corny because it sounds, it feels form of surreal to be in a spot the place somebody I beloved watching (as all of us did) grew up. I discover myself considering – Oh LCW may need been right here once 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 pleasure 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 might by no means have received an Olympic gold or a World Championship gold – typically thought of the head of the game – he captured the hearts of so many badminton followers all over the world. 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 person can deny – he grew to become a legend.
