Front-court interception

Setup

1. Mark the front-court zone on pair A's side: from the net back to the short service line.
2. A2 (front player) starts on the short service line near the centre with the racket up; A1 (back player) starts in the middle of the court behind them.
3. B1 and B2 stand side by side in their mid-court as the drivers.
4. Interceptions are aimed at the floor in the gap between the drivers or at the sidelines, never at a player's head. Eye protection is a sensible option for juniors.

How it runs

1. A B player starts the rally with a flat drive or push towards A1.
2. A1 and the B players keep the rally flat and fast: drives and pushes only, nothing lifted.
3. A2 watches the B player's racket and intercepts anything they can reach, hitting it down into the gap.
4. A2 scores a point for every rally they finish with an interception; B score a point for any drive that passes A2 and wins the rally.
5. Play to 7, then rotate so everyone has a turn at the front.

Coaching points

• Racket up in front of the face, head of the racket above the hand.
• Watch the hitter's racket, not the shuttle, to read the direction early.
• Step across with the racket-side foot and take the shuttle in front of you; short, punchy swing.
• Hit down and into space: the gap between the defenders or the sideline.
• After an interception, recover straight to the front position, racket up again.

Common mistakes

• Racket held low, so anything flat goes past before it can be lifted.
• Swinging big and hitting the shuttle into the net or long.
• Drifting back towards the partner and getting in the back player's way.
• Reaching over the net to hit: a fault. Make contact on your own side; following through over the net is fine.