Defensive Lift

Intermediateshots

Deep knee bend, body low, racket ready.

When under pressure, lift the shuttle high and deep to the back court. Buy time and reset the rally.

Key points

•Low body position
•Racket face open and upward
•Scoop under the shuttle
•Send it high and deep

Practice with Coach Priya

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The defensive lift is your get-out-of-jail shot. When your opponent plays a tight net shot or a fast drive and you're scrambling, the lift sends the shuttle high and deep to the back of their court, giving you time to recover to the centre. Get your body low by bending your knees deeply. Open the racket face (tilt it upward) and scoop under the shuttle with a smooth upward swing. The shuttle should travel high enough that your opponent has to move to the back court, and deep enough that they can't attack it easily. It's a defensive shot that resets the rally in your favour.

Fun Fact

In professional doubles, the defensive lift is often the start of a counter-attack. A well-placed lift can turn defence into offence in a single shot!

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.