Feed and hit: underarm lifts

Setup

1. Mark a back zone with cones on the coach's side, roughly the last couple of metres of the court.
2. The hitter starts in the middle of their half; the coach crouches close to the net on the other side with a box of shuttles.
3. Waiting players stand behind the back line, out of the hitter's swing, with a safe gap to the wall.

How it runs

1. The coach throws the shuttle gently underarm so it drops in front of the hitter's forehand side, near the net.
2. The hitter steps in with the racket-side foot leading, swings from low to high and sends the shuttle up over the coach into the back zone.
3. Recover to the middle; the next feed goes to the backhand side.
4. Ten feeds each, alternating sides, then the next player has a turn.
5. When the box is empty, everyone helps pick up the shuttles before the next round.

Coaching points

• Racket foot forward as you reach, on both the forehand and the backhand side.
• Swing from low to high and finish with the racket up above the head.
• Forehand: palm facing up and forward at contact. Backhand: thumb flat on the back of the handle.
• Hit the shuttle out in front of the body, before it drops near the floor.

Common mistakes

• Leading with the non-racket foot, so the reach is short and the body twists.
• A flat, pushing swing that sends the shuttle into the net or straight at the coach.
• Letting the shuttle fall almost to the floor before swinging.
• Staying at the net to watch instead of recovering to the middle.