Lee Chong Wei is a reputation that can ceaselessly resonate within the badminton world. The affect he had on the game has been phenomenal. In my view, there aren’t many gamers, even within the fashionable period, that may examine to Lee Chong Wei as a participant.
I not too long ago went by way of a section of watching previous 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 way in which he performed that’s simply mesmerising. And since I’m in Malaysia, I assumed I’d try 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 tip 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 effectively for. There are few gamers each in his era and the present era that would defend in addition to LCW. There may be 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 enjoying extra passively and never taking as a lot initiative as his defence and endurance have been so sturdy. He saved rallies going by constantly reaching photographs 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 shortly and few gamers might out-last him in rallies he would drive them to play.
He additionally didn’t possess the net skills 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 courtroom, sporting 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 whole participant he would turn into. He was usually criticised for being too passive and counting on his defence reasonably than taking the sport to the opponent. Whereas this strategy gave the impression to be dominating different opponents – two different legends in their very own proper have 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 remaining was a wake-up name that he merely wasn’t adequate to beat Lin Dan. Certain he had overwhelmed Lin Dan previously however Lin Dan had at all times maintained a optimistic head-to-head. His defensive recreation 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 recreation.
One huge change was his improvement in his net game. He began to look extra for the initiative in rallies by enjoying internet photographs to arrange his attacking play. As well as, he started to dominate the web extra, not backing away from a problem within the entrance courtroom. Due to this fact, he was capable of obtain extra attacking alternatives he began to reap the benefits of. From this level on, that is the Lee Chong Wei we finally got here to know.
His motion grew to become rather more explosive in his attacking play, and he grew to become rather more aggressive coming ahead. His skill to achieve the shuttle so early gave him the very best contact level potential, leading to countless shot decisions. Consequently, his recreation grew to become rather 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 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 among the best defences in world badminton, his attacking recreation to matched.
As well as, his shot high quality was excellent, as was his shot selection. LCW was very disciplined in his recreation, very hardly ever deviating from what was fairly a fundamental strategy. As I discussed earlier, he was a textbook. Now’s textbook boring? It may be. Some gamers play a boring textbook recreation. 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 turn into famend for.
Footwork
The footwork of LCW is well-known to be soi easy and stylish. He was definitely one of many quickest gamers in world badminton. He made traversing the courtroom look really easy, even in comparison with different skilled gamers.
At first look, it’s onerous to inform why it’s totally different and I’m sitting right here watching a number of movies of him enjoying and it’s nonetheless fairly onerous to say why he’s so easy regardless that it’s the identical fundamental motion patterns as the opposite gamers.
I feel a part of it comes right down to pure attributes. LCW is just not notably tall and has a really small body. He’s additionally fairly mild at 68kg when competing in line with Google. So being a little shorter offers him a decrease centre of gravity and a extra compact motion sample. Being fairly slight additionally implies that he might develop a greater strength-to-weight ratio.
He didn’t have lots of muscle mass (to not say that he wasn’t sturdy)! As a part of his coaching, I’m positive there was a heavy concentrate on strengthening the decrease physique to permit him to maneuver as quick as potential throughout the courtroom. So mixed along with his pure attributes he had a excessive degree of energy to move fairly a light-weight load. Not solely that, however these traits additionally observe by way of for his agility and vertical jump as effectively. It additionally helped him get better faster, notably from jumps as he didn’t have as a lot weight to soak up the preliminary affect on touchdown.
Particularly, 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. Once you watch him, he’s very relaxed when shifting across the courtroom except he’s actually pushed. However more often than not he isn’t. There may be little or no wasted motion, all the pieces is finished exactly and effectively. He is aware of he can cowl each inch of that courtroom it doesn’t matter what comes.
Bodily Health
In case you wished to create a badminton athlete with peak bodily health, you’d most likely find yourself with LCW. I’ve at all times argued that if there’s somebody of a comparative degree you simply can’t beat, no less than be fitter than them. In fact, the margins are so small on the high 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 direction of the tip 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, 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 courtroom 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 might simply pull weaker opponents out of place and had the identical opponents reacting to him reasonably 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 along with his good footwork that allowed him to cowl the courtroom so effortlessly, each in defence, offence and in impartial conditions. Within the rear courtroom particularly, he was capable of play nearly all photographs on the highest contact level, creating among the strongest smashes in males’s singles. A lot of which have been extra highly effective than males’s doubles gamers.
Singles by nature is a slower recreation however he was capable of put strain on the opponent to play at a excessive tempo or they’d crumble.
Rivalry
I didn’t wish to examine Lin Dan to LCW. Nevertheless, 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 in my view. A lot in order that Lee was nearly preventing himself on courtroom as a lot as his opponent. In 2016, when he lastly beat Lin Dan within the Rio Olympics, you could possibly see that he reacted like he nearly gained the match itself.
Of their head-to-head document, 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 recreation to compete with the Chinese language famous person. That starvation to defeat his rival, resulted in among the most electrifying matches in world badminton even at the moment.
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 entire profession, he needed to compete with these high gamers – World Champions and Olympic Champions. Chen Lengthy particularly, after Lin Dan was maybe his greatest risk. Contemplating his defence was higher than LCW (yep it was Chen Lengthy!), this was by no means a straightforward recreation for Chong Wei.
Consistency
Being rank #1. for 200 consecutive Weeks and 349 weeks in complete is not any straightforward feat. Such was the dominance and consistency of LCW within the period of the Tremendous Collection. Very hardly ever did he not make it into the later levels 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 document. In complete, he’s amassed 46 titles. To place that in perspective, the following on the listing is Lee Yong Dae, enjoying in two totally different disciplines. So to be that dominant in Males’s singles throughout his profession is unbelievable. {Most professional} gamers gained’t even win one Tremendous Collection or World Tour Match as it’s now recognized.
Weak point
It could maybe be unfair to name out the only a few weaknesses that LCW had. In spite of everything 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 have been utterly overshadowed by his sheer bodily and technical capabilities on the courtroom.
LCW by no means appear pressured actually in lots of matches of his profession. Being world #1 for thus lengthy and profitable so many tournaments should enhance your ego/mentality. To the purpose, I’m positive the sensation of his opponents was that they have been enjoying the popularity reasonably than the participant. Nevertheless, when it got here to huge match finals, the Olympics, World Championships he was as a rule, going through his nemesis Lin Dan.
In his youthful days, LCW was extra passive and reserved on courtroom. In distinction to Lin Dan, who was usually dubbed boastful in his youthful years. However at that degree, the “conceitedness” nearly protects you and offers you extra perception and confidence. LCW was not that sort of particular person – or no less than didn’t seem like.
After some years, each gamers have been technically nearly as good as one another. However Lin Dan managed to take care of an edge. I imagine that distinction was their mentality – even when the hole wasn’t as broad as beforehand.
It wasn’t that LCW didn’t need it as a lot, it’s that there’s lots of strain 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 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 lots of strain on him.
Mix that with the strain of an Olympic remaining and we are able to see the difficulties one may be experiencing as they get nearer to set level or match level.
I feel again particularly to the World Championships in 2011, which was probably one of the best 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 recreation factors. However he was capable of reign it in to finally win the set. Likewise, in the previous couple of factors of the match he performed photographs which he wouldn’t often miss or his shot selection was generally a little bit off which was most likely performed beneath strain.
However as I say this weak spot was hardly ever there besides in huge match finals. And through the years it grew to become much less and fewer. It’s straightforward to guage from the surface however I’m positive most of us would crumble lots faster beneath the sheer strain LCW was going through from his house nation and arenas.
Tactical Potential
Lee Chong Wei was an awesome textbook participant. Just about perfecting the sport to the purpose of somebody any younger participant ought to emulate when it comes to technical skill and perspective to coaching.
Looking the few badminton boards on-line – some netizens have insisted that he wasn’t an awesome tactician. He had what gave the impression to be a easy recreation plan for just about all his opponents. The fundamental strategy was get the raise, smash and repeat. For many gamers – that is the tactic. Transfer the opponent round, get the raise and assault. So it’s unfair to single LCW out for this.
In my view, why would somebody have to deviate from an strategy that’s not solely confirmed, however saved them on the high of the world rankings for 3 years? The truth that individuals saying he’s not very tactically conscious aren’t very tactically conscious themselves.
At greater and better ranges of badminton, the weaknesses of gamers turn into much less and fewer. So when you attain the extent of competing on the highest degree, there aren’t as many weaknesses to use. To not say there aren’t weaknesses in any respect. Due to this fact the methods and ways turn into much less however extra refined. LCW perfected the strategy 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 effectively.
Nevertheless, with out watching all of LCW’s matches it’s onerous to say if this was a weak spot. In spite of everything, the above video solely highlights the rallies which exhibits what the uploader needs to point out. I’m not saying they’re unsuitable in any respect – however it might require rather 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?
Mockingly 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 submit. However mainly, 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 major pattern of his matches and different gamers as a management group, it’s onerous to say categorically that is the case for LCW particularly.
Conclusion
I’m at the moment in LCW’s house city of Bukit Mertajam – Penang. And as corny because it sounds, it feels sort of surreal to be in a spot the place somebody I cherished watching (as all of us did) grew up. I discover myself considering – Oh LCW might need been right here once I see the various meals courts and even the evening 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 title Lee Chong Wei.
Though LCW could by no means have gained an Olympic gold or a World Championship gold – usually thought of the top of the game – he captured the hearts of so many badminton followers around the globe. He grew to become a mentor and set the trail for the following 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.
