Jump smash and follow in

Setup

1. Warm up shoulders, hips and calves first, finishing with a few standing smashes before any jumping.
2. Smasher (P1) at base on one half. A feeder (CO) with a basket stands beside the net post on the far side, outside the line of the smash.
3. A defender (P2) sits in a low defensive base on the far side, racket up, ready to block.
4. Clear the court of loose shuttles before every set; a shuttle underfoot on landing is a rolled ankle waiting to happen.

How it runs

1. CO serves a high, deep lift to P1's forehand rear court.
2. P1 moves behind the shuttle, jumps off both feet and smashes straight or crosscourt at P2.
3. P1 lands on both feet with soft knees, then pushes straight forward towards the net.
4. P2 blocks short; P1 takes the block early and kills or pushes it down.
5. Sets of 6 jump smashes, then a full walk-back rest while the next smasher works. Three or four sets per player is plenty.

Coaching points

• Get behind the shuttle first; the jump is upward and slightly forward, not backwards.
• Load through the hips and turn the trunk to power the shot; the arm finishes the chain, it doesn't start it.
• Contact high and in front, racket face angled down; a steep smash beats a fast flat one.
• Land on both feet, knees bent and over the toes, then the first step forward happens straight away.
• Racket comes back up in front during the follow-in so the block can be taken above the tape.
• Load: build jump-smash volume gradually over weeks, stop when the jump or landing gets sloppy, and stop at once with knee or Achilles pain.

Common mistakes

• Jumping before getting behind the shuttle, so the smash is hit from underneath and goes flat or long.
• Landing on one stiff leg, or on the heels, and stopping dead after the smash.
• Admiring the smash instead of moving in, so the block drops to the floor.
• Swinging only with the arm and losing steepness when tired.