By Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion.
Last updated August 1, 2024
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8 min read
What is better – online badminton coaching vs. in-person badminton coaching?
The reality is that it depends on your specific situation. In this short video, I’ll pull back the covers on both of these methods so you can decide which is best for you.
For those who are new here, I’m Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion and one of the best players in the US, according to the Badminton World Federation.
I’ve coached people in person and online, so I’ll have the insider secrets on what’s best for you based on both of these strategies. Want to watch a video instead of reading through this blog post? Click here below:
As a quick overview of the facts:
| Aspect | Online Coaching | In-Person Coaching |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Effectiveness | Can provide excellent results with frame-by-frame analysis and holistic coaching. Generally more data-driven. | World-class trainers teach better in person, but they are often expensive and in high demand. |
| Pricing | More cost-effective as it offers the coach more freedom and reduces additional costs. | More expensive due to travel, court rental, and the trainer’s high demand. |
| How It Works | Utilizes video conferencing and messages, allowing flexibility and remote access to coaching sessions. | Requires physical presence, scheduling, and limited by location and availability. |
| Advantages | Flexible scheduling, detailed performance analysis, and holistic approach covering technique, fitness, and mindset. | Direct, hands-on coaching with immediate feedback. |
Specifically, you’ll learn:
The answers might shock you. So… let’s dive right in:
In-Person Badminton Coaching is better than online badminton coaching all things considered. Whenever you have the option of two…
… you should definitely go for the former.
A world-class badminton trainer will be able to teach you better in person than online. The problem?
Most world-class badminton trainers will charge a lot for you to be trained in person. Why? Because of their skill level, they’re sought after.
And as demands rise, so do prices. We’re talking hundreds of dollars per hour.
Working in-person with a great badminton trainer is expensive. They’re likely not living closeby to you, or you might not have the opportunity to even work with them as they do not take on new clients. Even if you do, they may have to fly in, rent a hotel – rent a local court – and all of that will cost you money.
My rate as an in-person badminton trainer, due to my accomplishments, is $250 per hour (August 2024). And I barely do in-person coaching anymore. Even a half-decent badminton trainer in the US will cost you anywhere from $70 to $100 per hour.
So, badminton trainers are increasingly moving a large part of their training online because they realize that they can better control their schedule, achieve better work-life balance, and work with a larger number of people given that they are not restricted by their physical location.
So, in short, when it comes to pricing, you’ll typically pay less for an online badminton coach. Because online training allows the Badminton coach to experience more freedom, and they’re willing to offer you a discount for this.
But. will you actually see results?
If the recent pandemic has shown us anything, it is that basically any work can be done online. Right?
With tools such as video conferencing, or instant messages, we’re simply less reliant on living close to each other.
So if you’ve ever done your work online – via Zoom, messages, or email – I have good news for you: Online coaching will be nothing new to you. In fact, you’re already more than equipped to get coached online – you have all the tools you need.
Online badminton coaching works perfectly for adults, as adults often have the self-management required to follow a schedule and meet with coaches online.
Even more so, when you work with an online badminton coach, you have distinct advantages:
There’s no need to book late hours or early mornings with a sought-after trainer. You can do the workouts when you have time for them – check them off – and let the coach analyze your technique afterward.
If you’re an adult with a busy schedule – this is a huge benefit for you. No more sacrificing family time for an evening workout with an in-person coach at horrendous times. Do the workouts when your kids are still asleep – or at lunch time – and watch your badminton game improve almost on autopilot.
You can meet a coach for one hour per week. In that hour, you might play fantastic. Or, you might play horrendous. They might even be watching another player during that hour. Regardless of your performance, your coach only has very small data points on your performance, right?
With an online coach, you can send matches, games with friends, tournaments – everything you have available. The online coach can clearly see your performance and can analyze your type of playing frame-by-frame.
This gives the coach more data and more detail, which improves their advice. Better advice will lead to faster progress for you.
Sometimes technique is the missing factor in your badminton game. Other times, it’s your physical fitness or your mindset.
In my experience, in-person trainers are very much drilled into improving your technical skills. And often, at no fault of their own, put physical fitness or mindset as secondary.
They do so again, because they only have a limited overview over your training data, as well as limited time with you. Unlike with online coaches, who often have access to a treasure trove of information.
So you might be improving your technical skills, but your overall performance stays the same. Because the limiting factor, the bottleneck, was not properly addressed by the coach. Do you see what I mean?
That’s why online badminton coaching can sometimes lead to quicker progress than in-person coaching, because you might be trying to accelerate a car while having your manual handbrake on.
And what happens when you release that handbrake? Wooosh – your car speeds forward.
So you might be focused so much on technique that other hidden aspects of your game that are really sabotaging your progress are left being uncovered. And only a competent online coach can uncover it.
Online badminton coaching is typically more cost-effective than in-person badminton coaching, because it allows the coach more freedom.
It also allows you more freedom, as you can schedule the workouts at your own pace – and only focus on the drills that really move the needle – as your coach has more data on your skill level. Additionally, you typically save a good amount of money by training with a coach online.
So – if you have the absolute best coach for you in person, by all means – stick to him or her. But if you’re still unsure of how to improve your badminton game and are searching for the best way to improve your game with the help of a professional, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of online badminton coaching.
Thanks for checking out this video, and best of luck in your Badminton journey!
You might have a few additional questions about online badminton coaching. Here I respond to the most common ones:
We work with people from the ages of 18 – 72, from all around the globe, and all experience levels. From complete beginners, e.g. never hold a badminton racket in their hands, to professionals competing at international tournaments.
The vast majority of our clients are in the beginner stages. They love playing badminton, but are frustrated with the lack of progress. As such, they turn to professional help to nail down the basics, get consistent shots, and good physical fitness level to be one of the most respected players at the local badminton club.
99% of our clients are adults. In very rare cases, we work with children who want to compete professionally and display an extraordinary level of commitment.
However, most of our clients are working professionals or entrepreneurs who have little free time. They don’t want to compete professionally, but instead, be one of the best players at their local badminton club.
And they want to achieve that, without sacrificing their private life or spending hours and hours in the gym training. E.g., they’re looking to be the best badminton player they can be with the least amount of effort and time commitment.
I’m personally located in San Francisco, but I constantly travel the globe for badminton tournaments as a professional badminton player. These days, I very rarely coach in-person, and my in-person hourly rate (that is ever increasing) is simply not affordable for most people – as I typically need to fly in from another country.
That’s why 99% of my coaching is done online. It’s much simpler for both me and the client, as I can keep up my lifestyle as a professional player while not needing to charge an arm and a leg.
Our online badminton coaching entails a badminton online course, that you can study in the comfort of your home. It’ll be specifically related to the drills, techniques and physical conditioning of your specific situation. So it’s not a ‘general’ online course, it’s an online course that only entails the information for your specific situation.
And unlike other ‘general’ online courses, we actually hold you accountable in the online coaching. You’ll enjoy coaching from a world-class professional badminton player.
I’ve personally had the pleasure of working with many world-class coaches. The best badminton coach for you, will be the one that understands your unique situation and can tailor the program completely to you.
The best badminton coach for you is not necessarily a professional badminton player, or an accomplished champion (although that certainly helps) – but also a person that can work closely with you and that you align with.
That’s why we screen every applicant for our coaching process. You can’t join our online badminton coaching program without hopping on one or two calls with our team to see if you’d be a great fit. This way, we only work with people that we have a great synergy with, and we’re sure we can help.
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