Chassé and scissor kick to the rear court

Setup

1. Warm up first, including the shoulders, calves and hips.
2. The hitter starts at base; the coach lifts from the far side, standing near the sideline by the net.
3. Shadow the movement 5 or 6 times without a shuttle before the feeds start.

How it runs

1. The coach lifts high to the hitter's forehand rear corner.
2. The hitter turns side-on, chassés back, jumps off the racket foot and scissors the legs in the air while clearing.
3. The hitter lands on the non-racket foot and pushes forward to base.
4. 6 to 8 feeds a turn, then rotate. Build the number of jumps up gradually from session to session.

Coaching points

• The first movement is a turn: hips and shoulders go side-on.
• Chassé: the feet come together and apart without crossing.
• Take off from the racket foot; the legs swap in the air so the non-racket leg goes back.
• Land balanced on the non-racket foot with a soft knee, then push forward at once.
• The hitting action stays the same as a standing clear.

Common mistakes

• Running backwards while facing the net.
• Crossing the feet on the way back, which can trip the player.
• Landing on both feet at once and stopping dead.
• Jumping too early and hitting the shuttle on the way down.