Move sideways with small chassé steps
Practise a short sideways journey without crossing your feet, then try a partner's signal.
Make room for a small journey
Warm up gently. Choose a clear, dry patch with space to both sides; leave bags and spare shuttles outside it. Use existing court lines as references rather than placing objects on the floor. Agree on a stop signal with your partner. They watch from outside your movement area and racket's reach.
A sideways chassé links two small steps: the foot on the side you are going to moves first, then the other follows without catching it. Keep your feet apart rather than crossing them. Bend your knees comfortably and keep your upper body steady.
Find the movement before adding speed
Begin without a racket or shuttle. To go to your right, move your right foot first, then bring the left foot after it, leaving a gap. Reverse this to go left. Use small steps; you do not need to jump high or travel far.
If your feet touch, cross or feel tangled, slow down and shorten the journey. Keep the movement comfortable. Stop if it hurts.
Try three short rounds
- One pair of steps at a time. Take one chassé to your right and pause, then one to your left and pause. Repeat five times. Swap roles.
- A short journey each way. Choose a side and make one or two chassés, then stop balanced. Walk back to your starting spot. Try five journeys each, then swap roles; repeat towards the other side. If this is easy, hold your racket comfortably in front without swinging it.
- An optional choice. Your partner calls “your left” or “your right” only when you are ready. Take one chassé that way, pause and walk back. Try five calls each, swapping after five. Keep the directions relative to the person moving, not the observer.
Finish by naming one change that helped you stay balanced. These pauses and the starting spot belong to the exercise. Moving during a rally also depends on the shuttle and the other players.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.