BADMINTON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23213, 10 June 1937, Page 5

BADMINTON

By Shuttle

CLUB HOURS Balmacewen —Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays. Camac—Mondays Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Dunedin. —Courts closed. Dunedin Twenty.—Courts closed. Maori Hill.—Tuesdays. Thursdays, and Saturdays. United. —Courts closed. University.—Wednesday nights. POSITION OF TEAMS The following tables show the positions of teams engaged in the A. B, and C Grade Championships: A GRADE

University has yet to play its first two matches and this accounts for both United and Dunedin each having played only one match. C GRADE

MR CHAPMAN'S NEW CLUB Recognised as the best exponent of badminton in Otago, if not in the whole of the Dominion, Mr C. H. Chapman, who has not been actively engaged in the game during the past two years, is at pi'esent fostering a new club, the headquarters of which will be in the Little Theatre Society's building. Speaking to "Shuttle" the other afternoon, Mr T. Brooks (the Dunedin Club's coach) mentioned that Mr Chapman was one of the prime movers in establishing the sport in Dunedin. Two of the strongest clubs in Otago to-day—Dunedin and Dunedin Twenty —were started by Mr Chapman. After two years of active association with the former club, Mr Chapman retired to start the Windsor Club, with. the sole idea of bringing together all the best players of the various clubs for practice. By this means he hoped to bring cbout an improvement in the general standard of play in Otago. The venture, however, due to lack of support, was not successful, and the club was disbanded the following year. It is of interest to note, however, that when the scheme was given a trial in Wellington it met with great success, and, according to Mr Brooks, singles play was improved about 60 per cent. Players in Dunedin will wish Mr Chapman every success in his new undertaking, and at the same time will realise that his return to the sport should prove of the utmost benefit. DRAW FOR A GRADE MATCHES The following is the draw for the remainder of the A Grade matches:— June 29.—Balmacewen v. Camac, at Twenty 5 and 6; Dunedin B v. Dunedin, at Dunedin; United v. Twenty, at United 1 and 2. July 6.—Balmacewen v. Twenty, at Twenty 5 and 6; Dunedin v. Camac, at Dunedin; United v. Dunedin B, at United 1 and 2. July 13.—Camac v. Twenty, at Twenty 5 and 6; Dunedin B v. Balmacewen, at Dunedin; Dlmedin v. United, at United 1 and 2. July 20.—Twenty v. Balmacewen, at Twenty 5 and 6; United v. Dunedin, at Dunedin; Camac v. Dunedin B, at United 1 and 2. July 27.—Dunedin v. Camac, at Twenty 5 and 6; Dunedin B v. Twenty, at Dunedin; United v. Balmacewen, at United 1 and 2. August 3.—United v. Camac, at United 3 and 4; Dunedin v. Twenty, at Twenty 5 and 6; Balmacewen v. Dunedin B, at Balmacewen, August 10.—Camac v. Balmacewen, at United 3 and 4; Twenty v. United, at Twenty 5 and 6; Dunedin B v. Dunedin, at Dunedin. August 17.—Twenty v. Camac, at Twenty 5 and 6; Dunedin v. Balmacewen, at Dunedin; United v. Dunedin B, at United 1 and 2. VARIATION OF SERVICE The following useful hints on the variation and method of service by J. F. Devlin, the English professional who was seen m action in Dunedin last year, should prove of the utmost value to any player desirous of improving his game:— When preparing to serve, the player should stand four or five feet behind the front service line—the distance from the centre line may be varied as circumstances demand. In Doubles the stock service is the short one which skims the net to land in one of the front corners of the receiver's court. The lower the shuttle passes over the net, the less chance for the opponent to' make a winning return. As a service variation, the shuttle may be lifted over the receiver's head to fall near the base line; if the receiver is expecting another short serve he will not be able to get under the high delivery in time to make an effective smash. An occasional fast service, directed straight at an opponent, may take him by surprise to win the point. In Singles, the stock serve is as high as possible to the base-line. If the shuttle can be made to fall perpendicularly, the opponent's racket is likely to strike the feathers as well as the base, and as a result his accuracy will decline. The short or fast serves may be used as variations.

The same action should be used, as far as possible, for all the different forms of service. If your action tells your opopnent what to expect ; you are making the game easy for him, Beginners should remember, as a principle, that the successful badminton player is the one who most often deceives the opposition. In this most deceitful of all games, the main idea at all times is to put the shuttle where your opponent is not going. THE UNION CLUBS The Mornington team met Y.M.C.A.'s A team at Mornington on Saturday night, and suffered defeat by 11 games to one, and 178 points to 98. The only set won for the home players was by the second pair of women, Misses Taylor and Duffy, who beat Misses Davis and Salmond 15 —10. The closest game of the evening was in the Mixed Doubles, and was lost by Pickard and Miss Houston to Coutts and Miss Thompson 14—18. Results of the games were (Y.M.C.A. names first):— Mixed Doubles.—Allan and Miss Ledgerwood 15, Grcnall and Miss Coxon 10; Coutts and Miss Thompson 18, Pickard and Miss Houston 14; Sopor and Miss Davis 15, Nicol and Miss Taylor 6; Riley and Miss Salmond 15, Pickard and Miss Duffy 9; Allan and Miss Thompson 35, Pickard and Miss Coxon 3; Coutts and Miss Ledgerwood 15, Grenall and Miss Houston 11; Sopor and Miss Salmond 15, Nicol and Miss Duffy 5; Riley and Miss Davis 15. Pickard and Miss Taylor 8. Men's Doubles.—Coutts and Allan 15, Pickard and Grenall 8; Sopor and Riley 15, Nicol and Pickard C. Women's Doubles.—Misses Thompson and Ledgerwood 15. Misses Coxon and Houston 3; Misses Davis and Salmond 10. Misses Taylor and Duffy 15. Mosgiel A defeated Kaikorai B by 12 games to nil and 180 points to 88 at Mosgiel on Saturday night. The home pairs definitely outclassed their rivals, in much the same manner as the hill's first team surpassed Mosgiel's second eight in an- earlier match. Paterson could not play for Mospiel owing to a slight injury to a foot, so Cousins was moved up as substitute Two close games were played in the Mixed Doubles. The home team's second pair, Miss Mitchell and Frew, beat Miss Bartlett and M'Kenzie, and Miss Jones and Parry by the same score. 15—13. Playing second in the Men's Doubles, Frew and Owens won from Parry and M'Ginn 15—11. The most even section was

the Women's Doubles. Misses Mitchell and Kingan defeated Misses Jones and Bartlett 15—9, and Misses Hinks and Moodic won from Misses Blackwood and Young 15 —14. Miss Blackwood's three games called for strenuous play on her part, and she proved herself to be a strong and active partner. Kaikorai A won by default from St. Leonards The latter club was too short of women players to field a team. Results of the Mosgiel v. Kaikorai match were as follows (Mosgicl names first):™ Mixed Doubles.-Miss Kingan and Kayo 15, Miss Bartlett and M'Kenzie 2; Miss Mitchell and Frew 15, Miss Jones and Parry 13; Miss Hicks and Owens 15, Miss Blackwood and Donaldson 3; Miss Moodie and Cousins 15 Miss Young and M'Ginn 4; Miss Kingan and Kave 15. Miss Jones and Parry 7: Miss Mitchell and Frew 15. Miss Bartlett and M'Kenzie 13; Miss Hicks and Owens 15, Miss Young and M'Ginn 5; Miss Moodic and Cousins 15, Miss Blackwood and Donaldson b. Men's Doubles.—Kaye and Cousins 15, M'Kenzie and Donaldson 2; Frew and Owens 15, Parry and M'Ginn 11. Women's Doubles.—Misses Mitchell and Kinaan 15. Misses Jones and Bartlett f); Misses Hicks and Moodie 15. Misses Blackwood and Young 14.

Ch. P. W. L. D. Ps. Dunedin A ... . 2 2 — — 4 United . 2 2 — — 4 Dunedin Twenty . . 2 J. 1 — 2 Camac . 2 1 1 — 2 Balmacewen .. . 2 — 2 — — Dunedin B ... . 2 — 2 — — B GRADE Dunedin Twenty . . 2 2 _ ~ 4 Cainac . 2 1 1 — 2 Balmacewen .. . . 2 1 1 — 2 United . 1 — 1 — — Dunedin ... . 1 — 1 — — University .. . . — — — — —

Duncdin Twenty . . 2 2 — — • ■) United . 2 1 1 — 2 Dunedin . 2 1 1 — 2 Green Island .. 2 2 — —