Jump and turn in the air: hitting from the back of the court
What the jump and turn is, where it fits in the movement to the rearcourt, and a floor exercise to learn the landing before using a shuttle.
What it is
When a shuttle is going over your head, you sometimes hit it with both feet off the ground, turning in the air so that your feet change places. Some coaches call it a scissors jump. The BWF Level 1 Coaches' Manual (2nd edition, 2017, module 6) does not use that name: it calls the movement "jump and turn in the air", with the shuttle struck while off the ground. It is one link in a chain of steps, not a stroke on its own.
Where it appears in the manual
The manual lists it in the sample movement patterns to the rearcourt, each starting with a split-step:
- To the backhand rearcourt: split-step, then a pivot or hop around the non-racket leg, then the jump and turn in the air, then a chassé or running step to come back. In a second pattern, backwards running steps replace the pivot.
- To the forehand rearcourt: split-step, then a chassé back, then the jump and turn in the air, then chassé or running steps. Another forehand pattern uses a jump out, striking the shuttle in the air, instead of the turn.
The manual adds that the split-step and chassé tend to make an arcing shape, which lets the player get more side-on to the shuttle, and that running steps backwards should follow a slightly curved path for the same reason. It presents these as common patterns only: they can be personal and depend on the situation.
A floor exercise: jump and pivot
The manual's exercise has no shuttle. It teaches the landing first:
- Stand with your feet together, facing the net, in the rear tramlines.
- Step back to load the rear foot. The rear foot should be at a right angle to the front foot.
- Jump and rotate in the air, so that the feet change places.
- Land on the rear foot first, then the front foot, with the rear foot at a right angle to the front foot again.
To make it more interesting, throw a ball to a partner, or against a wall, as you do it.
Keep the landing safe
The manual's jumping practices say to land on the balls of the feet and bend ankles, knees and hips to control the landing. Squat down to prepare the jump. Start low, on a clean, grippy floor.
Mistakes to avoid
- Jumping before you are in the right place: the jump finishes the movement, it does not replace it.
- Landing with straight legs.
- Learning it with a shuttle first. Learn the landing without a shuttle, then add a hand-fed shuttle.
- Turning only one way. Try both directions, like the hop and pivot (see the hop and pivot: a three-shuttle pick-up drill).
Limits
This is an advanced movement, and it puts load on knees, ankles and hips. Do not use it as a beginner. If you feel pain, stop and see a qualified coach or health professional. The manual does not say when to prefer the jump over a chassé or a lunge: choose with a coach's eye on your own play. For the steps around it, see the split-step and the lunge and the basic steps.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.