its starting to become a reoccurring problem and i kind of want to fix it before it becomes a bad habit. in doubles when i play side-side, sometimes my partner would miss then i would try to get the shot and save it, especially the back right corner. i'm left handed, and i can do a drop when high enough, but i cant hit a bird once below my knees. i try to drive it over the net but it goes into the net alot. im not too sure what im doing wrong though. i'm female, and my backhands arent too strong for a drive clear (fyi)
So you're saying you're on the left and your partner is on the right, and s/he regularly misses on the right. And you being left handed have to go behind him/her to the rear right corner to desperately save the shot? Your only two options is to drive down the line or drop it back over the net. Well, there is a third option: get a new partner!
I assume you understand how forearm rotation works for overhead shots: you pronate for forehand shots, and supinate for backhand. You need to be aware that when the shuttle is below waist level, this is reversed. It's kind of a scooping action; you supinate for forehands, and pronate for backhands.
Definitely a case of prevention being better than cure. I hate to be negative, but at this point it's pretty much guaranteed you're going to lose the rally. If your opponents know you're not capable of hitting a deep clear, they'll just both move up to the net, and kill any attempted drop/drive. By far your best option is to work on your tactics and positioning, to try and prevent this situation from ever arising in the first place.
Completely agree with Sketchy. What was the last shot you or your partner played before you got stuck at the back? When you say your partner 'misses' the shuttle, are we talking an air-shot or are they not going for the shuttle? I suspect most right-handed men would struggle to get out of the right rear-court from knee height.
Still not answering her problems. If she's just stuck with such a situation, I'd think she has only two options (assuming that he can barely reach there and shuttle is below waist for a proper backhand clear). And the two options are like what Visor described. I would add a cross drop if you can because the opponent will be waiting to pounce on you at the net facing where the shuttle is prior to your return.
As soon as they see you in difficulty, good players will step up in an aggressive side-by-side formation. They will have all the time in the world to kill any drop, cross or straight. As a full-length, high and deep clear is beyond the limits of mortals (myself included), I would suggest that you are left with the straight drive. If you're lucky, it may clip the net and put your opponent off. However, I wish to maintain that in situations such as these, prevention is significantly better than cure. Very rarely does someone get 'just stuck' with a situation. Almost always, it is because of a weak (or wrong) shot, bad positioning, poor communication or just not ready to receive the shuttle (racket up). Fixing that will save more points than perfecting your knee-level drive ever could.
@Line: sorry for the late reply, but yes, it would be a shot that my partner would miss because she can't reach it (she's 4' 11") and because it happens on the right side of the court, it falls to that back corner. But, I am working on strengthening my backhand now so that I could drive it back. I learned to cross drop in that situation
