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When your opponent plays a spinning net shot, you are often faced with two extra difficulties:

• The net shot may be very tight.
• The spin may make it hard to control your shot.

Dealing with tight net shots

Of course, any net shot can be tight, but typically spinning net shots are the tightest. This means you will have to lift the shuttle very high to make it reach the back.

You need to get your racket more directly underneath the shuttle, so that you can hit steeply upwards. It often helps to crouch down low, as this gets your body in a good position to unleash power upwards. Make a positive follow-after movement to help achieve as much height as you can on the lift, but be careful not to hit the net with your racket.

Because you need to hit the shuttle very high, you should use a longer swing than you normally would for a lift. This will allow you to get more power.

It’s often helpful to delay your shot slightly, as this can provide several benefits:

• The shuttle will be spinning less when you hit it.
• You will have more time to get into a low, stable position.
• You will have time to make a longer backswing.

Delaying the shot in this way affects your position of preparation. Normally, you would place more emphasis on reaching the shuttle as early as possible.

Because of this difference in preparation, it’s useful to recognise early when you will need to play this shot. This means you make the decision to play a high lift as you are approaching the net, rather than at the last moment. This allows you to approach with the best posture for this particular shot.

It’s worth noting that some net shots are so extremely tight that you do not have the option to delay hitting them: to do so would leave your lift landing woefully short. In this situation, you’ll just have to take your chances with a turbulently spinning shuttle!

Dealing with spin

Especially when the net shot has sideways spin, the spin can alter the direction of your lift; this happens when you are forced to play your shot before the shuttle has fully stabilised.

The most dangerous example is when your opponent has played in-to-out spin near a net corner, as this spin will tend to push your lifts out at the side. This is also a possibility after any spinning net shot.

To counteract this problem, it’s often wise to play your lift towards the middle of the court, rather than aiming for a corner. This gives you a larger margin for error.

Cross-court drops or net shots

A similar problem can occur after your opponent’s cross-court drop or net shot: because the shuttle is still angled when you hit it, you can lose control of the direction and height of your lift. The effect is most pronounced with a heavily sliced cross-court drop shot: these have a curving trajectory and seem to die as they cross the net.

These are nowhere near as dangerous as spinning net shots, but they can still upset your lifts. Learn to adjust your stroke to compensate for the trajectory of your opponent’s shot. When you’re practising lifts, don’t forget to practise against cross-court drops (sliced) and cross-court net shots.