Top coaches in the UK

[badmintoncoach]

Im interested to know your views on! Who do you rate as the top coach in the UK and why? Where in the UK are they from and what in your opion makes them the best?????

[rhombus]

Impossible question to answer.
Is it the coach who get's up every sunday morning and coaches pure novices for 3 hours for next to nothing?
Or is it the club coaches who teach the now "player" the stroke production and tactics.
Or is it the ex-international players who become coaches and fine tune the subtlety in the game.

I know who I think tends to get the credit for players achievements, what do you think ?

[badmintoncoach]

Sorry, I Know exactly where you are coming from, I suppose I was just looking from an Elite level, but I know there are many coaches who give there time, and work just as hard if not harder than ex players who deserve to be included in this list. That said im sure some players/coaches/parents have a view on who they believe to be a TOP COACH.

[rhombus]

Paul Whetnall was in my opinion a very good coach. Having never had any contact with foreign coaches who have been in charge of elite squads I cannot comment on the trend now for foreign coaches. Only to say that Asian players dominated the mens game especially in the 1970's and the logic at the time was not to employ asian coaches for our national squads ? Paul also thought that Jake Downey was'nt bad either, but you may not have heard of him.

[Martin Dew-Hattens]

Paul was one of the England coaches in my time.

I can add my vote that he was an excellent coach and 100% comitted to the game and the players.

He was a player of very high skill and morals and this transfered over to his coaching.

He wan't actually my cup of tea but then I probably wasn't quite his ideal player. Nevererless he was excellent and I had alot of respect for him.

Havn't heard what he is doing for many years now. Can anybody tell me.

[Woody]

Paul is Assistant Manager at the Westgate Centre in Hampshire where he also coaches.

This facility is a joint venture run by Hampshire County Council / Westgate Sciool and Hampshire Badminton Association who have exclusive rights over the 4 courts during the evening, weekends and school holidays.

Visit www.hampshirebadminton.co.uk

Also at the Centre is Nigel Tier (manager) another ex England player whose son is an up and coming badminton player.