Cool-down and review

Setup

1. Bring the group to one half of the court as soon as the last game finishes.
2. The coach puts the shuttle tubes by the net post so everyone knows where shuttles go.

How it runs

1. Walk-round (about 2 minutes): walk the court slowly and pick up every stray shuttle, so the floor is clear.
2. Slow tap-ups (about 1 minute): stand still and tap a shuttle up softly while the breathing settles.
3. Stretches (about 3 minutes): hold each gentle stretch for a slow count of ten to fifteen: calves, front and back of the thighs, the racket shoulder across the chest, then the wrist and forearm.
4. Review (about 2 minutes): each player shares one thing that went well and one thing to practise next time.
5. The coach finishes with a home challenge, such as beating a tap-up record before the next session.

Coaching points

• Easy and slow: a stretch should feel mild and never hurt.
• Breathe out slowly while holding each stretch.
• Keep review answers specific: 'my high serves went deeper', rather than just 'good'.
• No one leaves the court until every shuttle is back in a tube.

Common mistakes

• Bouncing in and out of stretches.
• Skipping the cool-down when the session runs late.
• Leaving shuttles on court for the next group to step on.
• Vague review answers that don't give the player anything to practise.