0:02
>> the player once known for his slow rally
0:04
play, has finally shown what he's truly
0:07
capable of at the 2025 World Tour
0:11
>> Another great shot.
0:12
>> Despite facing up against two of his
0:14
hardest opponents in Chian Chen and
0:15
Lysa, Kodai has come out on top in
0:18
straight games, moving him forward to
0:20
top two in his group.
0:23
>> He did this by changing his play to be
0:24
faster to put relentless pressure on his
0:26
opponents. Chian Chen and Lieish were
0:28
both not ready for this.
0:32
In this video, we'll take a look at how
0:34
Kodaroka played against Lishifon in the
0:36
2025 World Tour finals group stage
0:49
>> This video is sponsored by NordVPN.
0:54
What's immediately noticeable about
0:56
Kodera Opa's new play style is just how
0:58
much faster he plays.
1:01
We're no longer seeing high lifts and
1:02
clears followed by a leisurely walk back
1:04
to the middle. Instead, Kodai's game is
1:06
now loaded with drives followed by quick
1:08
smashes and slices on the short lifts.
1:12
What we want to highlight about Kodai's
1:13
attacking style is he often creates
1:16
rallies that feel scrambly.
1:20
And we mean this in a good way. Despite
1:22
frequently playing pushes that Lieuong
1:24
and Choen Chen could easily cut off,
1:26
Kodai maintains his fast speed and takes
1:29
the following return early as well.
1:32
This often led both Chenchen and Lisha
1:35
to reactively play flat lifts or loose
1:37
blocks that Kodai learned to kill.
1:43
Part of the reason Kodai was able to
1:45
play this way is because he is very good
1:48
at changing his shot.
1:50
If Lee Shaong knew a drive was always
1:52
coming, it would be easy for him to
1:58
But that wasn't the case.
2:00
As long as Kodai was early to the
2:02
shuttle, he had a seemingly infinite
2:04
number of shots up his sleeve.
2:06
Here's just a couple of different shots
2:08
he pulled out at the front court.
2:22
The same can be said about his backhard,
2:23
too. Historically, one of Kodai's
2:26
problems was that he doesn't have as
2:28
much raw power and angle production as
2:30
other stronger, taller players on the
2:34
That's why it was tough for Kodai to try
2:36
to play slow. Slow high clears and lifts
2:42
were always hard for Kodai to straight
2:44
up kill. So, his opponents would often
2:46
be happy to play defense. and
2:49
counterattack when Kodai goes for a slow
2:51
followup and a slow lift
2:54
against Chotian Chen and Lysa Fong in
2:56
the World Tour finals. Kodai's strength
2:59
and steepness of his attack did get
3:00
better, but it's still not that great
3:03
compared to other pros.
3:05
But what he does have is a ton of change
3:07
in his shots. He has a lot of slices and
3:10
half smashes with a multitude of
3:12
different placements.
3:15
When you combine this with good speed
3:16
and follow up on court, it makes it very
3:19
difficult for his opponents to simply
3:20
lift high and play defense.
3:24
Lee Shiff had to watch for so many
3:26
different shots, and that puts a toll on
3:28
his mental and physical capabilities.
3:31
The less smoothly you're able to move on
3:33
court, the more you'll stiffen up.
3:37
This will make you expend more energy
3:39
and ultimately lead to more mistakes as
3:48
And that leads to another key point.
3:51
>> Playing at the speed Kodai is playing at
3:52
is extremely tiring. I mean, it's pretty
3:55
obvious given how much Kodai tried to
4:00
>> But because of Kodai's change in shots,
4:02
it's actually more tiring for his
4:05
Kodai is sprinting on court, but he's
4:08
already mentally prepared himself for
4:10
sprinting on court. His opponents, on
4:13
the other hand, don't know what's coming
4:14
out from Kodai and end up following
4:19
The difference in feeling is like if you
4:21
decided to go on a run at a pace set by
4:23
yourself versus following a guy who
4:26
constantly speeds up and slows down
4:29
The former is much easier and less
4:31
tiring, even if you go on a faster pace
4:32
on average. And the same is true in bad.
4:36
Playing like Kodai in the 2025 World
4:38
Tour Finals group stage can be a good
4:41
way to win when you're fast and have a
4:43
lot of change in your shots.
4:45
What do you guys think about Kodai's new
4:49
Love it, hate it? Let us know in the
4:51
comments below. And if you guys aren't
4:54
able to watch the 2025 World Tour finals
4:56
on YouTube, just want to remind you that
4:58
this video is sponsored by NordVPN. Use
5:01
the link on screen or in the comments
5:02
below to support the channel. As always,
5:05
if you like this video, make sure to hit
5:07
the like and subscribe button so you
5:09
don't miss out on our future content.
5:14
Another great call in that shot.
5:17
>> Well, he came on really
