Doubles pressure from the front

Setup

1. Pair A attacks front and back: A1 in the rear court, A2 just behind their short service line.
2. Pair B defends side by side.
3. B lifts to start each rally.

How it runs

1. A1 smashes or drops; B defends with blocks, drives or lifts.
2. A2 hunts anything that comes back flat or short: blocks are pushed or killed, flat drives are intercepted.
3. A2 aims replies into the gap between the defenders, at their feet or at the hip of the player who hit last.
4. Play the rally out. Pair A scores 2 when A2 wins the rally with a front-court shot, 1 for any other win; pair B scores 1 per rally won.
5. First to 15, then swap roles.

Coaching points

• A2's racket stays up in front, above the tape, the whole rally.
• Stand where the replies are most likely: slightly to the side the smash went, a step behind the short service line.
• Take the shuttle early and hit down; a push down to the floor beats a big swing.
• Don't drift back into the smasher's space; if the lift goes over A2, A1 takes it.
• Vary the reply: kill, push to mid-court, or a tight net shot that forces another lift.

Common mistakes

• A2 standing too close to the net, so drives and pushes go past at shoulder height.
• Racket drops after every shot, so the next block gets under the tape.
• Hitting replies back straight to the defender who just played.
• Reaching over the net or touching it while killing; both are faults.