"I Learned The Smash From Volleyball": Indian Shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy

Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, the bronze medallists from the 2022 World Championship in Tokyo and the 2022 Asian Games gold medallists, are the first Indian men's doubles pair to be ranked world No.1 in badminton and will represent India at Paris 2024.

The duo met with Dinesh Karthik on JioCinema's ‘Get Set Gold', where they unpacked secrets to their game, talked about the initial language barrier they faced in their partnership, and their common love for South Indian music.

Satwiksairaj, who holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest hit, clocking a speed of 565 km/hr, gave an insight into the technique behind the smash and what inspired him.

“I learned the smash from volleyball, how players jump and smash. It looks like a heroic movement and that is how I started learning my jump when I was young. Nobody taught me this and I think the smash has achieved success somehow. I try taking a peripheral view to subconsciously sense where the opponents are standing. Earlier, I used to play a lot with angles and hit the line, but now I try hitting towards the opponent's body.”

While Shetty and Rankireddy took Karthik through their workout regime, they also discussed the physicality of their opponents and how it surprised them on most occasions. Shetty described the nuances of playing a doubles match, and what are the various aspects other than power that define their game. He then took Karthik through the drills they do to perfect their defence and develop muscle memory.

“When we talk about doubles, the game is not just about power. The game is a lot more about the defence, the net game, on how to get the lift right. Defence is another important part of the game. There are a lot of aspects when you think about