First serves: low and high

Setup

1. In the receiving service court, mark a strip just past the short service line and a box at the back of the court.
2. The server starts in the right service court, just behind the short service line, with about ten shuttles.
3. A partner stands in the diagonally opposite service court, between the two targets, and watches where each serve lands.

How it runs

1. Low serve: hold the shuttle by the feathers, drop it in front and push it gently so it just clears the net and lands in the front strip.
2. High serve: stand side-on, swing up from low with a forehand and send the shuttle high so it falls steeply into the back box.
3. Five low serves, then five high. The partner calls where each one landed; a shuttle on the line is in.
4. Swap roles after ten serves.
5. Then add the scoring rule: serve from the right service court when your score is even and from the left when it is odd.

Coaching points

• Both feet stay still and in contact with the floor until the shuttle is hit.
• Serve diagonally into the service court opposite, never straight ahead.
• Low serve: a short, smooth push with almost no backswing.
• High serve: a full swing up and through, finishing high over the opposite shoulder.
• The whole shuttle must be below 1.15 m from the floor when it is hit; check your competition's rules.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the back foot or stepping forward during the serve.
• Throwing the shuttle up like a tennis serve instead of dropping it.
• Serving straight ahead into the wrong service court.
• Hitting the low serve too hard, so it floats up high over the net.