Racket sport with the most carry-over to tennis?

[thomasferrett]

Badminton - would make you worse at smashing since the smashing techniques are so radically different between tennis and badminton.

Ping-Pong - would make you hit all your groundstrokes with an extremely closed racket face, thus you end up dumping everything into the net or straight onto the floor.

Squash - would make you hit with a slap instead of proper topspin brushing technique so everything flies long.

 

[Aretium]

Badminton, movement, touch and smashing. Don't think smashing is that different.....

 

[rainingaces]

Nadal plays ping pong on the tennis court and it has served him very well.

Ping pong good for spin as well as hand eye coordination, Squash for fitness and movement and badminton for power and touch.

 

[oble]

I'd say ping pong.

Badminton has good carry over from the forehand clear and smash to the tennis serve, but I think ping pong techniques in general carry over to tennis much more.

 

[Bergboy123]

Definitely ping pong

 

[Sumo]

Doubles, followed by Canadian doubles.

 

[tennisdad65]

All three help with tennis, more so if you are a classical player. Badminton helps you at the net with smashes, volley reflexes, hand eye.. Squash with little dinks and touch around the net. Ping pong with reflexes,classical forehand topspin, backhand slice/chip.

Not so much help for the 2HBH or the semi western/western forehand, i.e. modern baseline tennis.

 

[torpantennis]

In tennis, you power the strokes almost solely from legs/core. All other racquet sports are armswinging, so they don't carry-over to tennis at all.

 

[treblings]

there is indeed a sport called ping pong. they actually have an annual world championship
it is however not to be confused with table-tennis

 

[treblings]

In tennis, you power the strokes almost solely from legs/core. All other racquet sports are armswinging, so they don't carry-over to tennis at all.

no. using your legs and core muscles is as important in squash, badminton and table-tennis as it is in tennis.
otherwise you get nowhere

 

[treblings]

Badminton, movement, touch and smashing. Don't think smashing is that different.....

you´re right. the badminton smash if played correctly is very similar to the tennis smash.

 

[onehandbh]

Soccer.

baseball pitcher who can also hit.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

http://www.ittf.com/museum/history.html

there is indeed a sport called ping pong. they actually have an annual world championship
it is however not to be confused with table-tennis

Not in this part of the planet. It appears that the game developed in the 1880s and various names (perhaps a dozen or more) were used. The most popular names, Ping Pong and Table Tennis, appears to have been in use in the latter part of the 19th century. British companies trademarked the Ping Pong (or Ping-Pong) name in 1900/1901. Parker Brothers acquired the rights to use the name in the US. Other manufacturers in the UK and US could no longer use this name and started using "Table Tennis" for their products.

Both the Table Tennis Association and rival Ping Pong Association came into being about 1901. Some of the rules were somewhat different. With the revival of the game(s) in the 1920s, standardized the laws of the game were developed. In 1926 the ITTF came into being and formalized the standardized laws. Not sure about the UK but it appears, in the US, both names apply to the same standardized game. However, it seems that Table Tennis became the official name.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Badminton - would make you worse at smashing since the smashing techniques are so radically different between tennis and badminton...

Squash - would make you hit with a slap instead of proper topspin brushing technique so everything flies long.

Disagree for both of these. There is more than one smashing technique used in badminton. The smashing technique used for tennis is very similar to one of these badminton smash techniques. I first learned tennis some 42+ years ago. I picked up badminton some 6-7 years later. I was able to adapt my tennis smash to badminton fairly easily. After a few years, I started competing in badminton. I rose to a competitive B level (USAB) and, in the process, my badminton smash had become better than my tennis smash.

A college team tennis coach, who had seen my badminton smashes told me that I needed to relax for my tennis smashes the way that I did for my badminton smashes. Once I was able to make this adjustment, my tennis smash improved to a level that was higher than it was previously.

I have taught a number of fairly good badminton players (A and B level) to play tennis. Many of them tend to master the tennis smash, serves and volleys quicker than they master their groundstrokes.

I have come across a number of highly skilled squash players who have taken up tennis. They don't hit topspin very often when playing tennis but their shots don't go long all that often either. Some tennis players have a difficult time against them since most of their FH and BH shots have a low-skidding underspin action.

They do tend to use a continental-style grip for most of their shots and the contact point on the FH is late compared to a conventional tennis FH contact point -- they tend to contact the ball somewhere between the back foot and the forward foot. Their BHs are usually hit with a closed stance while FHs are hit open/semi-open, neutral or closed.

Badminton, movement, touch and smashing. Don't think smashing is that different.....

The smash and touch in badminton transfers well to tennis. However, the movement/footwork is very different. Badminton split steps are often much subtler (less pronounced) than tennis split steps. Badminton players do not run past their shots (on the follow-thru) nor do they run outside the court boundaries. For badminton footwork, the last step is usually the longest step -- often a lunge step. Tennis players will often use small adjustment steps as they get close to intercepting the ball. Fencing-style footwork is usually employed for playing shots at the net in badminton.

 

[maggmaster]

I would imagine that you could train a good badminton player into a killer serve and volleyer in a shorter amount of time. Reflexes, tracking in the air, hand skills and footwork all transfer and the smash looks close enough to generate power.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

In tennis, you power the strokes almost solely from legs/core. All other racquet sports are armswinging, so they don't carry-over to tennis at all.

Not really. I agree with treblings on this. The kinetic chain for these other racquet sports do differ somewhat from tennis but I would not characterize all shots in these sports as arm swings. They often do use legs (bent knees and ground reaction force), core and body rotation (especially torso rotation). However, they might not use these (kinetic chain) links to the same extent that tennis does.

Badminton players tend to use as many links as they have time for. In some situations, they use a full chain very much like tennis. In other situations, there may be less legs/hips but plenty of core/torso and shoulder/arm links. In some very quick exchanges, it may mostly be the latter links -- shoulder rotation, elbow extension, pronation/supination, some wrist action and, possibly, finger power.

Squash players definitely bend their knees and use GRF. The also use hip add torso rotations. However, they do not usually uncoil as much as tennis players and their follow-thru is usually shorter (since they are not hitting topspin shots). For BHs, they often utilize a closed stance and coil up quite a bit (maybe even more that Federer does for his BH slices). Their uncoil is not unlike the uncoil the RF uses on his BHs. They also often use coiling and uncoiling on the FH side. Sometimes, there might not be much coil/uncoil on the FH. You sometimes see this with tennis players who employ a "squash shot" in emergency situations.

P.S. - I forgot to mention in the previous post that squash players hit most of their shots with a racket face that is slightly/somewhat open. Of course the same thing happens when a tennis player uses a conti (or Eastern) grip to hit a shot with underspin.

 

[treblings]

http://www.ittf.com/museum/history.html



Not in this part of the planet. It appears that the game developed in the 1880s and various names (perhaps a dozen or more) were used. The most popular names, Ping Pong and Table Tennis, appears to have been in use in the latter part of the 19th century. British companies trademarked the Ping Pong (or Ping-Pong) name in 1900/1901. Parker Brothers acquired the rights to use the name in the US. Other manufacturers in the UK and US could no longer use this name and started using "Table Tennis" for their products.

Both the Table Tennis Association and rival Ping Pong Association came into being about 1901. Some of the rules were somewhat different. With the revival of the game(s) in the 1920s, standardized the laws of the game were developed. In 1926 the ITTF came into being and formalized the standardized laws. Not sure about the UK but it appears, in the US, both names apply to the same standardized game. However, it seems that Table Tennis became the official name.

here´s a link you might find interesting. hope it works
http://worldchampionshipofpingpong.net

 

[treblings]

http://youtu,be/Shp0OVy5QHk

since the first link seems to work here´s another one

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

BTW, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are/were pretty decent table tennis players. I'm sure that are plenty other top tennis pros as well. I believe that both Andy Murray and Roger Federer played a fair amount of badminton and squash in their youth:

http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/not-just-tennis/
http://squashplayermagazine.tumblr.com/post/48345556876/squash-is-wonderful-so-put-it-in-olympics-says
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/04/murray-backs-squash-2020-olympics

I would imagine that you could train a good badminton player into a killer serve and volleyer in a shorter amount of time. Reflexes, tracking in the air, hand skills and footwork all transfer and the smash looks close enough to generate power.

Long ago, when I was playing at a 3.5/4.0 level, I had a tennis doubles partner who had been playing badminton at at high A level. We both hit badminton-style around-the-head (overhead) shots at the net in tournaments that most tennis players had not seen before. We would sometimes employ some badminton "flick" shots in emergencies and hit a lot more insane angles and touch shots than was common in tennis (especially back then). Opponents feared my partner's smash so much, that he actually got away with hitting some overhead drop shots (I've only seen one pro do this).

 

[dominikk1985]

mixing racket sports can be dangerous because you can mix up technique.

I know some Tennis Players like to Play ping pong in rain delays though and federer played a lot of Badminton when he was younger. but those guys are established pros with a very stable technique that they don't alter. if they would be still tinkering with their strokes it probably would not be a good idea.

 

[dominikk1985]

you´re right. the badminton smash if played correctly is very similar to the tennis smash.

yes, but you jump up with both legs in Badminton because the net is higher.

 

[treblings]

yes, but you jump up with both legs in Badminton because the net is higher.

not at my age, you don´t you´re right, of course, the higher net makes a difference

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

here´s a link you might find interesting. hope it works
http://worldchampionshipofpingpong.net

Interesting, indeed. Had never hear of this before. I did a bit more digging and discovered that Ping-Pong® is actually a brand name in the US and, according to the following link, is not actually a sport.

http://www.pingpong.com/

Ping-Pong was first trademarked in the US by Parker Brothers as I mentioned previously. The brand name is now owned by Escalade Sports. From what I understand, a sport event promotion company, Matchroom Sport, won a legal battle in 2012 to use the Ping-Pong (brand) name for their World Championship of Ping Pong events. For this table tennis variation, they use sandpaper rackets (no longer legal for ITTF events) and modified ITTF rules -- older table tennis rules?

Check out the 2nd half of this article for more background in this:
http://www.allabouttabletennis.com/table-tennis-question-about-sandpaper-rackets.html

http://youtu,be/Shp0OVy5QHk

since the first link seems to work here´s another one

Rackelton! There was a forerunner to Rackelton that aired on American TV on CBS in the late 70s or early 80s. I believe that it was billed as something like "Battle of the Racket Sports". It included a 5th sport that Rackelton does not -- racquetball (not racketball). It featured top players from 5 sports. I believe that these were some of the participants for the original event: Bjorn Borg (tennis), Sharif Khan (squash), Morten Frost (badminton), Marty Hogan (racquetball). Each participant played all events except for their primary sport.

Note that the official Rackelton web site includes a post that I made on a badminton web site back in 2001:

http://www.racketlon.com/newborgrack.html

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

yes, but you jump up with both legs in Badminton because the net is higher.

Not quite. The jump smash is only one type of smash used in badminton. Not all badminton players hit jump smashes. Jump smashes are more common in doubles than in singles. For players who do hit jump smashes, they do not do it for every smash. Note that Pete Sampras' "slam dunk" overheads were probably inspired by badminton jump smashes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emPy439hmCQ

 

[treblings]

Interesting, indeed. Had never hear of this before. I did a bit more digging and discovered that Ping-Pong® is actually a brand name in the US and, according to the following link, is not actually a sport.

http://www.pingpong.com/

Ping-Pong was first trademarked in the US by Parker Brothers as I mentioned previously. The brand name is now owned by Escalade Sports. From what I understand, a sport event promotion company, Matchroom Sport, won a legal battle in 2012 to use the Ping-Pong (brand) name for their World Championship of Ping Pong events. For this table tennis variation, they use sandpaper rackets (no longer legal for ITTF events) and modified ITTF rules -- older table tennis rules?

Check out the 2nd half of this article for more background in this:
http://www.allabouttabletennis.com/table-tennis-question-about-sandpaper-rackets.html



Rackelton! There was a forerunner to Rackelton that aired on American TV on CBS in the late 70s or early 80s. I believe that it was billed as something like "Battle of the Racket Sports". It included a 5th sport that Rackelton does not -- racquetball (not racketball). It featured top players from 5 sports. I believe that these were some of the participants for the original event: Bjorn Borg (tennis), Sharif Khan (squash), Morten Frost (badminton), Marty Hogan (racquetball). Each participant played all events except for their primary sport.

Note that the official Rackelton web site includes a post that I made on a badminton web site back in 2001:

http://www.racketlon.com/newborgrack.html

sandpaper is correct. i tried it once, obviously you can´t impart any topspin or slice with that kind of rubber.
didn´t know about racquetball. thank god that´s not included anymore. it´s hard enough to train for 4 different sports
i think there´s a youtube video showing that event with Borg.
Stefan Edberg played first division squash in sweden after his retirement from pro tennis
Jurgen Melzer competed in racketlon doubles alongside his coach Joakim Nystrom.
and in the video i posted, you can spot Gus Hansen of poker fame. he´s very serious of playing racketlon in his spare time

 

[thomasferrett]

mixing racket sports can be dangerous because you can mix up technique.

I know some Tennis Players like to Play ping pong in rain delays though and federer played a lot of Badminton when he was younger. but those guys are established pros with a very stable technique that they don't alter. if they would be still tinkering with their strokes it probably would not be a good idea.

I agree, if you want to be good at a particular sport, you should play that sport and nothing else. Other sports will only dilute your technique, causing you to become notably worse at your primary sport.

When I hear guys like Monfils playing basketball I think to myself that surely he is messing up his tennis footwork technique by confusing it with basketball footwork patterns. And, more importantly, why isn't he spending the time playing basketball to be more productive - such as by being in the weight-room or the track, or working on dynamic flexibility, or sleeping for recovery purposes? Well, I guess some people are just more interested in having fun than furthering their careers.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I agree, if you want to be good at a particular sport, you should play that sport and nothing else. Other sports will only dilute your technique, causing you to become notably worse at your primary sport...

Absolutely not. Many, if not pros, played other sports as they were developing their tennis as youngsters. Rafa, Novak and many other Euro and South American tennis pros also played futbol/soccer as they were developing their tennis. Rafa also played table tennis and, to my knowledge, still does. Andy Roddick played basketball and baseball before turning pro. Both he and Mardy Fish played varsity basketball in high school.

Federer played basketball, golf, badminton, squash, table tennis and other racket sports (such as Real Tennis). I believe that he still plays some of these sports. Take a look at my first link in post #19. Federer credits badminton and other sports with improving his tennis game. It appears obvious that squash has had a positive effect.

I have not played very much squash but I have found that playing both table tennis and badminton have had a very positive effect on my tennis game. I believe that many other non-pro athletes have also had this experience. Perhaps novices and some low level intermediate players might have an issue with playing other sports. But I believe that most higher intermediate and advanced players do not have this issue.

There may be an adjustment period for some athletes. But, in the long run, other sports tends to help, not hinder tennis... unless, of course, you do not put adequate time into your tennis development.

 

[spacediver]

there is indeed a sport called ping pong. they actually have an annual world championship
it is however not to be confused with table-tennis

What's the difference between table tennis and ping pong - none of the links you've provided seem to suggest there's a difference (unless I missed something).

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

^ I explained this in post #23.


.

 

[treblings]

What's the difference between table tennis and ping pong - none of the links you've provided seem to suggest there's a difference (unless I missed something).

sorry, ping pong is played with different bats(racquets) that don´t allow for any spin or slice to be imparted. whereas modern table tennis is all about spins and slices.
in modern table tennis the material has become ever more important.
to be able to hit with more spin and slice and speed.
in a way, ping pong is back to the roots.
i guess the modern ping pong bats resemble old table tennis bats.

 

[spacediver]

cool, thanks.

yea systemic, I saw your post, but I thought you were on about the brand vs sport distinction. I just noticed you posted this link, however, which does go into the differences between the materials.

 

[thomasferrett]

Well, by 'ping-pong' I meant 'modern table tennis' in that case.

 

[GBplayer]

http://www.ittf.com/museum/history.html



Not in this part of the planet. It appears that the game developed in the 1880s and various names (perhaps a dozen or more) were used. The most popular names, Ping Pong and Table Tennis, appears to have been in use in the latter part of the 19th century. British companies trademarked the Ping Pong (or Ping-Pong) name in 1900/1901. Parker Brothers acquired the rights to use the name in the US. Other manufacturers in the UK and US could no longer use this name and started using "Table Tennis" for their products.

Both the Table Tennis Association and rival Ping Pong Association came into being about 1901. Some of the rules were somewhat different. With the revival of the game(s) in the 1920s, standardized the laws of the game were developed. In 1926 the ITTF came into being and formalized the standardized laws. Not sure about the UK but it appears, in the US, both names apply to the same standardized game. However, it seems that Table Tennis became the official name.

Originally called gossima?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...ris-Johnson-in-whiff-whaff-ping-pong-row.html

 

[GBplayer]

Squash players slice everything, forehand and backhand even serves. Watched the racketlon world championship finals this year in England. They play table tennis, badminton, squash and then tennis one game of each to 21. Most people struggle the most with badminton unless they play it.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Originally called gossima?

Yup, that was one of the early names that lost favor. The set above was made by an early British manufacturer. As the Ping Pong name started to become more popular, Gossima became "Gossima or Ping Pong". The name they used evolved into "Ping Pong or Gossima" and eventually they just dropped the "or Gossima" part of the name. I believe that this was the same British manufacturer who trademarked the name, Pin Pong, in 1901 in the UK.

http://www.ittf.com/museum/history.html

... yea systemic, I saw your post, but I thought you were on about the brand vs sport distinction. I just noticed you posted this link, however, which does go into the differences between the materials.

Even tho' Matchroom Sport won a legal battle in 2012 to apply the name, Ping Pong, to their modified table tennis game, I don't believe that any sports governing body (such as IOC or ITTF) recognizes this use of the brand name. Most people still regard Ping Pong as an alternate name for (modern) Table Tennis.

 

[goran_ace]

Platform tennis (aka paddle) anyone?

 

[LeeD]

Paddle tennis looks fun to me.
I see some beach paddle guys hitting some nice volleys and forehands.
Do paddle tennis guys use tennis balls, or some smaller softer ball?

 

[goran_ace]

It's a solid foam rubber ball with a felt cover

It is a lot of fun. In the mid west a lot of players play both indoor tennis and platform tennis outdoors in the winter. Obviously you have differences like the smaller court, you can play off the walls, strategies are a bit different but any decent tennis player can pick up a paddle and learn to play in minutes. The skills carry over pretty well and it doesn't take long to get the hang of it.

 

[goran_ace]

Beach tennis looks like it would be a lot of fun too. All serve & volley!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTnno5cp118

 

[LeeD]

Looks like they need to learn to hit with topspin, like in badminton, so the ball sharply dives in after clearing the net. Just too many dink balls with no pace or swing, spin or anything.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Squash players slice everything, forehand and backhand even serves. Watched the racketlon world championship finals this year in England. They play table tennis, badminton, squash and then tennis one game of each to 21. Most people struggle the most with badminton unless they play it.

I would think that most people would struggle with tennis more than badminton. At the novice and low intermediate levels, badminton is much easier to learn than tennis. However, to rise to an elite level, all of these sports would be difficult for most people.

 

[treblings]

Squash players slice everything, forehand and backhand even serves. Watched the racketlon world championship finals this year in England. They play table tennis, badminton, squash and then tennis one game of each to 21. Most people struggle the most with badminton unless they play it.

world championships in Surrey this year was very well organised.
they were lucky it didn´t rain on finals day, since they had only outdoor courts for tennis
the level of play rises every year, but i see a lot of struggling tennis players as well

 

[GBplayer]

world championships in Surrey this year was very well organised.
they were lucky it didn´t rain on finals day, since they had only outdoor courts for tennis
the level of play rises every year, but i see a lot of struggling tennis players as well

Tennis and squash players on the whole cannot play badminton, they cannot generate enough racquet head speed. Table tennis players can. This means most of the tennis and squash players are unable to clear the shuttle and hit mid court which is suicide. Badminton is just to fast for them ( it is the fastest racquet sport ). It was funny to see squash players do slice serves, not the same as a tennis slice serve either. They through the ball up and do a high slice, surprisingly effective at the lower levels.

 

[treblings]

Tennis and squash players on the whole cannot play badminton, they cannot generate enough racquet head speed. Table tennis players can. This means most of the tennis and squash players are unable to clear the shuttle and hit mid court which is suicide. Badminton is just to fast for them ( it is the fastest racquet sport ). It was funny to see squash players do slice serves, not the same as a tennis slice serve either. They through the ball up and do a high slice, surprisingly effective at the lower levels.

i´m off to play squash for an hour. i would like to continue that conversation later and will post when i have the time

 

[GBplayer]

Badminton helps your net play in tennis because once you are happy to react with precision to an object routinely travelling at speeds between 100 and 150 m.p.h. in badminton. Balls hit at you in a tennis or squash court between 60 and 90 m.p.h. from further away are sitting ducks.

 

[GBplayer]

I would think that most people would struggle with tennis more than badminton. At the novice and low intermediate levels, badminton is much easier to learn than tennis. However, to rise to an elite level, all of these sports would be difficult for most people.

Novice level badminton Isn't really badminton at all, there is a huge difference between league play and the pitsy patsy most refer to as badminton. In tennis this is not the case in my experience getting into match play 4 years ago. In tennis there is a steady progression from the bottom division as you climb the leagues which the team I play for has achieved. This is good in some ways as it lets you have coaching to make steady progress.

 

[treblings]

Novice level badminton Isn't really badminton at all, there is a huge difference between league play and the pitsy patsy most refer to as badminton. In tennis this is not the case in my experience getting into match play 4 years ago. In tennis there is a steady progression from the bottom division as you climb the leagues which the team I play for has achieved. This is good in some ways as it lets you have coaching to make steady progress.

the same is true of squash and table-tennis where i live. you need to be at a fairly good level before it makes sense to play in some league. not enough rec players competing i guess.
in tennis it´s different. the pitsy patsy players( i like that description, pitsy patsy, and may use it often in the future) are able to start in leagues if they choose to.

 

[GBplayer]

the same is true of squash and table-tennis where i live. you need to be at a fairly good level before it makes sense to play in some league. not enough rec players competing i guess.
in tennis it´s different. the pitsy patsy players( i like that description, pitsy patsy, and may use it often in the future) are able to start in leagues if they choose to.

You are welcome to use it.

Tennis is easier to make that transition from recreational play to league play which is nice. I have no experience of squash or table tennis leagues here but it appears it is the same as badminton from your experience. It seems a quantum leap from being a recreational player to a league player. Maybe that is why there is more money put into tennis?

 

[treblings]

You are welcome to use it.

Tennis is easier to make that transition from recreational play to league play which is nice. I have no experience of squash or table tennis leagues here but it appears it is the same as badminton from your experience. It seems a quantum leap from being a recreational player to a league player. Maybe that is why there is more money put into tennis?

that seems certainly possible.
i´m assuming based on your username that you´re from Great Britain?
i´m from Austria, and here badminton and squash aren´t really popular outside the big cities at least.
i alway thought it was different in the U.K. that badminton and squash are much more popular compared to my country

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Novice level badminton Isn't really badminton at all, there is a huge difference between league play and the pitsy patsy most refer to as badminton. In tennis this is not the case in my experience getting into match play 4 years ago. In tennis there is a steady progression from the bottom division as you climb the leagues which the team I play for has achieved. This is good in some ways as it lets you have coaching to make steady progress.

By the same token, I could say that novice level tennis isn't really tennis at all.

Here is my point. Novice level badminton players are usually able to sustain a reasonable rally within 20 minutes or so after first picking up a badminton racket. While you may not consider it real badminton, they are, nevertheless, rallying. Novice tennis players often have considerable problems sustaining a rally with each other, even after weeks or months of play. Many people give up on tennis in short order when they discover that it is not as easy as it looks to play the game (or even rally).

I picked up badminton after playing tennis for some 6 years. I was able to sustain a rally almost immediately and was able to easily outplay other novices. However, as you have indicated, I did not generate enough RHS at first to drive or clear deep to the other side. After a few months, with very little formal instruction, I learned to generate more RHS by watching high intermediate players.

After a few years of playing badminton, I was playing tournaments at an intermediate level. It took more practice and instruction (but no private instruction) to get to that level for tennis. Note that I had played table tennis for quite a few years prior to tennis. While tennis helped me to pick up badminton, table tennis did the same for my tennis.

I undoubtedly could have made much quicker progress for both badminton and tennis if I had the benefit of some real coaching/training. However, I believe that it still would have taken longer to get to a competitive level in tennis than in badminton.