Clear: High and Deep

The Context

The clear is the basic defensive and constructive trajectory from the back of the court. A well-executed clear pushes the opponent to the back, takes away their time to attack, and allows the player to return to the neutral zone.

The Concept

Two variants:

• Defensive clear (high and deep): to gain time in a difficult situation.
• Attacking clear (flatter, faster): to surprise an opponent stuck at the net.

In both cases, the shoulder is turned, the elbow is high, and the hit is made IN FRONT of the head (never above).

To avoid: hitting too flat (opponent attacks), shuttlecock too short (gift for the opponent's smash), hitting above the head (loss of depth).

How this Course is Structured

We first work on height and depth without a target, then with a precise target (last 2 meters), then the flatter attacking variant, then alternating the 4 variants (defensive/attacking/down-the-line/cross-court), and finally, application in a match.

To Go Further

• Smash — to exploit weak opponent returns induced by the clear.
• Varying backcourt shots — to integrate the clear into an indistinguishable preparation.