I ain't into badminton but there is a parallel story in drag racing... They call it "bracket racing"... What you have to do is "dial in" (guess) your "e.t." (elapsed time to complete the 1/4 mile) and the trick is to run as close to that time as you can without going under it... You go under it, you lose... So what you see is racers hitting their brakes before the finish line if they are sufficiently ahaed of the other car...

In my day it was pedal to the metal until you crossed the finish line... Then, and only then, the brake...

B~