Loh Kean Yew stays patient in solving badminton puzzle

SINGAPORE – He has been working on solving puzzles for the past two years, and for a glorious week in December 2021, when it all came together, Loh Kean Yew was a picture of poise and power as

he won the badminton world title.

Eighteen months on, the 25-year-old Singaporean is working on even more pieces of his game to become a better player and a medal prospect at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ahead of this week’s KFF Singapore Badminton Open, Loh told The Straits Times: “Most pieces involve playing the right shots at the right time. Last time, I didn’t have so many considerations. I mostly played what I wanted, which was mostly about smashing as hard as I could.

“After winning the world champs, more people analysed my game to try and beat me, so of course, I have to try to change my ways of playing. Now, there is more of a plan and different strategies against different players.

“Actually, I do enjoy it because it is a challenge, it is like solving a puzzle to become better and the end goal is a good thing.

“It is also frustrating now because there are a lot of expectations and some people think it is only natural to get better, but things are not so simple.

“It’s about staying patient. These changes are necessary for me to move up to a higher level, but I don’t know how long this process will take.”

Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) technical director Martin Andrew gave a glimpse into what some of these changes are.

They include variations and consistency to his serves, playing shots closer to the net at the front court, mastering mid-court drives – either hitting hard and flat, or taking the pace off – and getting the right height, trajectory, angle and speed for his clears to the back court to prevent opponents from attacking.

As an attacker, Loh is also working on how to play better in slower halls that are to his disadvantage, against opponents who prefer such conditions.

Andrew added: “We are trying to develop weapons for him in different environments because every arena can be unique, and make sure he can use his weapons and minimise his weak areas.

Loh is leaving no stone unturned. In February, he started to eat cleaner, cutting back on fat, oil and butter to help him shed unnecessary weight so he can move faster on court. In two months, he lost 3kg and is now 70kg.

However, time is a luxury Loh does not have. With a packed schedule that includes around 16 events during the May 1, 2023 to April 28, 2024 Olympic qualification period, he can “trial and error” only in tournaments.

He has no chance to work on finer details for an extended period.

Loh, who

plays Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu

at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, shared: “There is a part of me that cannot accept not knowing what exactly I’m doing out on court, but I’m learning to let go and trust the process more.

“At the All England Open and German Open, there was a lot of trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t, and I lost in the first rounds. But I improved, and made the Asian champs final.

“It’s normal to get worse before it gets better, and I believe this is necessary. It’s about how long I take to bounce back.”

While he will always cherish his world title, Loh accepts it could also be a stick for his detractors to beat him with, especially as he has not won another title since.

“With the Internet and social media, it is impossible to ignore negative comments,” said the world No. 4.

“I do feel I enjoyed badminton more last time, and now it feels more like I’m working to become better. I do want to be better for myself, but it also feels like I have to get better to live up to other people’s expectations.”

After a typical day that comprises 2½ hours of training in the morning, 90-minute afternoon nap, a two-hour gym or running session before a light one-hour skills and technique practice in the evening, he unwinds by chatting with his girlfriend before he sleeps.

On Loh’s behalf, Andrew asked for patience and understanding as the SBA continues to hone a rare world-beater and Olympic medal prospect, and manage his physical and mental load.

He noted how each of the world’s top 10 men’s singles players, including the seemingly invincible Viktor Axelsen, has already suffered at least one first-round or round-of-16 defeat in the BWF World Tour this season.

Andrew added: “There’s so little in between the top 25 men’s singles players that you can be beaten quite comfortably if you’re just 2 per cent off your game on the day.

“We need to understand that Kean Yew has come a long way in a short period of time. From hovering around the top 40, he has won a world championship and reached world No. 3 in a year.

“It’s a massive change and the pressure that comes with it to stay at that level is also massive.

“When he’s performing well, nobody can match his speed, the quality of his attack. It’s just incredibly hard to do this on a constant basis. He’s had criticisms but he is not losing any matches by not trying.”