[transcript]
As you have probably seen in the thumbnail, today we will dive in depth into Kodai Naraoka. Being ranked as high as number two in the world, and is currently Japan’s number one men’s singles player, it really is odd that Kodai is unable to perform to the standards that his world ranking may suggest.
And today, we want to uncover the problem with Kodai’s game.
Before we do that, we want to go over what makes Kodai good, because he didn’t get to his world ranking of number two by sheer luck.
The Japanese shuttler is currently one of the most technically gifted athletes on the BWF World Tour. Why is this? Take a look at some of these clips.
He is also extremely physically fit. He can definitely run, there is no doubt in that.
And, on top of these two qualities, lies his mentality. Kodai is quite a fighter, and is able to comeback from large deficits.
However, after watching the 2024 Paris Olympics, we couldn’t stop asking ourselves; why does it seem like Kodai cannot win?
After analyzing his games, here’s what we found.
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As many of you have probably suspected, Kodai’s biggest problem is his inability to finish the rally. However, finishing a rally is not just about having a huge smash in the back. It is about being deliberate in your shot selection and pace in the game. This leads us to the first point.
As mentioned before, Kodai has all the fitness, and the speed in the world, which is why it is extremely interesting to see that Kodai does not use this to his advantage.
Being speedy in itself is not an advantage. However, KNOWING when to use your speed and when to slow down is HUGE to break down opponent’s defense.
This is the problem with Naraoka. It often feels like he chooses a speed before the rally starts and sticks to that speed. For example, if he plays fast he only plays fast. Or if he plays slow he only plays slow. There is no change, like having fast footwork and then a slow shot. Or slow footwork and then a fast shot.
This poses an immense problem for the Japanese shuttler because it is easier for his opponents to just be ready for one pace instead of having to be ready for all the paces of the game.
It can be argued that you don’t need to change pace within the rally, especially when we look at someone like Viktor Axelsen. However, Axelsen makes it up with his shot quality, which brings us to the next point.
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Another problem that does not allow Kodai to finish rallies off is his shot quality on his attacking play.
If you guys have watched video on Shi Yu Qi, you might remember that we pointed out Shi Yu Qi’s ability to open up the court with accurate smashes. You also might remember how we talked about how Shi Yu Qi plays towards the middle to stay consistent.
Kodai plays to the middle, but almost all the time. That is why he is extremely consistent, but is never able to finish the rallies. Most rallies end with his opponents or Naraoka making a mistake.
It is good to play towards the middle on shots like blocks or lifts, to minimize mistakes out the side of the court, and to make the angle smaller of the opponent’s return. However, on attacking play, it is vital to be able to pin the lines to open up the court and create a much more difficult time for the opponent to defend.
Because the Japanese shuttler is unable to finish these rallies with accurate smashes, his opponent has nothing to be scared of.
In badminton, if you want to win, it is vital that you have a shot that your opponent is scared of. In Viktor Axelsen’s case, it would be his smash. Same thing with Lee Zii Jia.
Other pro players do not fear Kodai’s attack and therefore, stand closer to the net.
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The final thing that Kodai must implement into his game if he wishes to see even more success, is to add more combos into his game.
Almost like a video game, combos in badminton are what we like to describe a series of shots that will ultimately help you win the rally. Some examples of this are like smash net kill, or drive straight then cross net.
In Kodai’s game there is not enough of this.
A lot of times it feels like Kodai is using his speed to retrieve.
The problem with Kodai is not that he doesn’t know how to do all of these tactics that we mentioned. The real problem is that Kodai chooses not to do this.
In the 2022 HSBC World Tour Finals against Viktor Axelsen in the semis, Kodai plays brilliantly with an attacking playstyle. We hope to see Kodai regain this form from 2022, along with a little bit of his ability to rally and be patience that we see in him today.
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Do you guys prefer to watch Kodai’s current rally style, or his attacking style back in 2022? Let us know in the comments.
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