The movement cycle: start, approach, hit, recover
The four parts of every move on court, why the return matters as much as the approach, and a three-step way to practise the whole cycle.
What it is
Every time the shuttle comes back, your body goes through the same four parts. The BWF Level 1 Coaches' Manual (2nd edition, 2017, Module 6) calls this the movement cycle:
- Start: your reaction to the opponent's hit, which lets you move off towards the shuttle.
- Approach: the steps you use to travel across the court to the shuttle.
- Hit: the movements your body makes as you strike.
- Recover: the steps you use to travel in a direction that anticipates your opponent's reply.
The manual notes that approach and recovery use many of the same movements, forwards, backwards and sideways. It also says each cycle is triggered by the opponent striking the shuttle.
The one thing to change
Give the recovery the same care as the approach. In the manual's own practice list, the last step of the progression is to strike a fed shuttle and "give as much attention to the quality of recovery". A good hit followed by a lazy return leaves you late for the next cycle.
Three ways to practise
- Copy a pattern. A partner performs a short pattern of steps, for example to the net and back; you watch, then copy it. The manual suggests standing so the copier can follow from behind, which makes the pattern easier to copy.
- Same pattern, no model. Perform it alone, shadowing the court: start, approach, a swing without a shuttle, recover. Do both sides.
- Add a shuttle. Your partner feeds a shuttle; you play the whole cycle and hit it. Judge the recovery, not only the hit.
Repeat each a few times, then change sides.
Mistakes to avoid
- Stopping at the hit and treating the return as an afterthought.
- Starting the cycle only after you see where the shuttle goes. The cycle is triggered by your opponent's hit, so the start belongs there.
- Practising only the approach: the manual points out that recovery movements are largely the same, so train them too.
Limits
The manual says there are many ways for a player to put the components together, and that it suggests only some as a starting point. Patterns can be personal; use them as a base, not as a rule.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.