You should play net kills using a short, sharp hitting action.
The exact technique varies depending on the situation. In all cases, however, remember to keep your hitting action compact and controlled.
Most players use far too big a swing for their net kills. This causes them to lose accuracy.
As a result, their net kills often go out or into the net. When you make a big swing, it’s much harder to control the accuracy of your shot.
Using a large swing can also cause you to hit the net with your racket (which is a fault).
Players often delay too long before bringing their racket head up for the kill. This causes them to making a larger swing than necessary, and hit the shot flat.
Get your racket up before the shuttle arrives. Try to get on top
of
the shuttle, so you are ready to hit downwards.
You’ll often need to change grip when you hit a net kill. For example, you often need a thumb grip when hitting a backhand net kill. Make sure your grip change is complete before you hit the shuttle.
Net kills depend on good use of grip tightening for power. Grip tightening allows you to get moderate power even with a short swing.
Start with a relaxed grip, then tighten your grip as you hit the shuttle.
There are several technique variations for playing net kills. Which one you use will depend on the situation.
I’ve divided these techniques into four main types:
In reality, there’s no exact boundary between these techniques. Once you’ve learned these different styles of net kill, you can blend them together to suit the situation in the rally.
Copyright © 2008–2013 Mike Hopley. All rights reserved.
This work is registered with the UK Copyright Service.
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