The backhand spin net shot: brushing across the shuttle
Two ways to put spin on a backhand net shot, when each is used and what the racket does, as a step beyond the plain net drop.
What it is for
A spin net shot is a net shot where the racket brushes across the underside of the shuttle so that it spins as it crosses the tape. The BWF manual explains that spin makes it hard for the opponent to control the reply. It is used to:
- force an error or an uncontrolled reply;
- force a short, defensive lift;
- sometimes win the rally outright.
You play it when you are attacking, taking the shuttle early and close to the net. Learn the plain net drop first.
Two versions
In to out
- When: often when you approach the shuttle diagonally, when it comes to you from cross-court, or in reply to an opponent's in-to-out spin.
- Backswing: relaxed thumb grip, forearm rotated inwards, racket head slightly to the inside of the point where you will meet the shuttle.
- Forward swing: a slight outward rotation of the forearm. The racket moves from inside to outside, making an arc underneath the shuttle. Contact is just before or at the bottom of the arc.
- Follow through: keep turning outwards in a relaxed way and keep the racket high.
Out to in
- When: mostly when you are attacking and approaching the shuttle straight on, or in reply to an opponent's out-to-in spin.
- Backswing: relaxed thumb grip, reach forward, raise the racket slightly outside the point where you will meet the shuttle.
- Forward swing: the racket moves from outside to inside in a shallow arc underneath the shuttle, with a small inward rotation of the forearm.
- Follow through: short, with the racket kept high.
In both versions
- Use a relaxed basic grip on the approach, a relaxed reach and the racket head slightly above the hand.
- Land the front foot of the lunge on or just after contact (in-to-out version).
- Keep the racket high afterwards, ready for a net kill if the reply is loose.
- For a right-hander facing an incoming shuttle, the manual says the shuttle naturally spins clockwise. The in-to-out backhand hits with that natural spin, and the out-to-in backhand hits against it.
Practice idea
Start with plain net shots rally-style, backhand to backhand, with a partner. Then experiment with moving the racket across the underside of the shuttle on a slightly curved path, and notice how the shuttle behaves. The Level 1 manual suggests the spin comes more naturally with a right-to-left movement under the shuttle, though it can go the other way as well.
Limits
The manual presents these as Level 2 skills; it does not give the amount of spin or any distances, and a text description is a poor substitute for a coach's demonstration. If a spin shot makes you reach beyond your balance, go back to the plain net drop.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.