smash · elbow
left court sideRating 5/102026-07-29
Mistake: Racket elbow angle was bent at 93.9 degrees at contact instead of reaching the optimal 150-178 degree extension range.
Fix: Reach up fully and reach for high contact above the racket shoulder.
Why it matters: Striking with a bent elbow drops the contact point and reduces the lever arm length, cutting power and steepness on the smash.
Drills
- High contact shadow overhead swings focusing on fully extending the right arm at the top of the swing
- Feed and smash drill hitting high overhead shuttles while focusing on hitting at full extension
serve · elbow
right court sideRating 6/102026-08-02
Mistake: Your racket elbow was over-extended to 140.3° at contact, far past the ideal 60-120° range for a low serve.
Fix: Keep your racket arm elbow comfortably bent and close to your body, guiding the shuttle with gentle thumb pushing action.
Why it matters: Extending the elbow too straight reduces touch and control, causing the shuttle to pop up high over the net and invite an immediate attack.
Drills
- Shadow backhand low serve drills maintaining a constant soft elbow angle
- Target serving to the service line focusing purely on thumb flick action with a stable elbow
kill · footwork (to the shuttle)
right court sideRating 5/102026-07-29
Mistake: Approached the net shuttle with an upright stance rather than a deliberate front-foot lunge.
Fix: Lunge dynamically forward on your right foot to establish a stable hitting base at the net.
Why it matters: Lacking a solid lunge base prevents proper weight transfer into the shot and limits reaching height at the net.
Drills
- Shadow front-court lunge repetitions
- Multi-shuttle net push and kill lunge drill
net · knee / lunge
right court sideRating 4/102026-07-29
Mistake: Extremely shallow knee bend of 29.2° during the forehand net movement (ideal range 85-120°).
Fix: Sink down onto a flexed lead leg with a knee angle near 90° while keeping your chest raised.
Why it matters: Failing to lower the center of gravity through a proper knee lunge forces the torso to bend excessively (87.4°), ruining balance and racket control.
Drills
- Shadow net lunges focusing on bending the front knee to 90 degrees while keeping an upright posture
serve · torso
centre court sideRating 4/102026-07-29
Mistake: Your torso leaned 23.0° from vertical during the serve, exceeding the ideal 0-15° range.
Fix: Maintain an upright spine and stable torso throughout the serving motion.
Why it matters: Leaning off-vertical destabilizes your core base, throwing off shuttle timing and height control.
Drills
- Mirror serving: practice your serving motion while maintaining an upright posture in front of a mirror.
- Stationary shadow serve focused on keeping head and chest level.
clear · torso
left court sideRating 5/102026-07-29
Mistake: Extremely flat upper body rotation with shoulder-vs-hip rotation measured at only 0.6 degrees compared to the recommended 20 degrees or more.
Fix: Turn your non-racket shoulder toward the net during preparation so your upper body coils before swinging.
Why it matters: Failing to coil the body deprives the stroke of core rotational power, forcing the arm to generate all the force and limiting shuttle depth.
Drills
- Shadow overhead preparation focusing on turning chest to the side wall before swing
- Feeder clear drills emphasizing chest turn and shoulder rotation
clear · torso
right court sideRating 4/102026-08-02
Mistake: Shoulder-vs-hip rotation reached only 9.3° before contact (ideal is ≥20°), keeping the chest facing forward throughout the stroke.
Fix: Turn your chest away from the net during preparation so your back/shoulder faces the shuttle before unwinding.
Why it matters: Failing to coil the upper body removes core power from the stroke, forcing the arm to push the shuttle weakly.
Drills
- Shadow chest-rotation overhead prep drill
- Feed-and-coil overhead drive clear drill
