New
New
Year 2

Hitting/striking a ball with accuracy and power to beat an opponent

I can hit the ball accurately with my racket and can apply power to my shot in order to beat my opponent.

New
New
Year 2

Hitting/striking a ball with accuracy and power to beat an opponent

I can hit the ball accurately with my racket and can apply power to my shot in order to beat my opponent.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: hitting requires us to watch the ball carefully on to the racket ensuring the racket head points at the target.
  2. Move: scoring points requires hitting the ball with power and accuracy away from your opponent.
  3. Think: altering your aim, or how much power you apply to a ball, can change where the ball goes.
  4. Feel: challenging yourself to hit the ball away from your partner to win a point requires courage.
  5. Connect: working together to hit the ball back and forth against the target shows good empathy and teamwork.

Keywords

  • Hitting - to reach or strike something in order to score in a game

  • Aim - pointing or looking at something you want to hit or reach

  • Opponent - a person who is on an opposing side in a game

Common misconception

Pupils don't adjust their body position when preparing to stop the ball or return the hit. Instead, they stretch and try to hit the ball from an unbalanced position.

Explain to pupils that positioning their body in line with the ball will make it easier to stop it going past them.


To help you plan your year 2 physical education lesson on: Hitting/striking a ball with accuracy and power to beat an opponent, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When playing with a partner, ensure there is enough space so pupils can move out of the way when it is their partners turn to hit. If outside, using a wall could work similarly to how you use benches.
Teacher tip

Equipment

1 racket per pupil, 1 ball per pupil, benches

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
When hitting a ball, where should you aim the racket head for greater accuracy?
Correct answer: towards the target
towards the sky
towards the floor
Q2.
Why might you need to hit the ball with more power?
to hit shorter
Correct answer: to hit further
to hit slower
Q3.
Which word is the ability to use force when aiming at different targets?
Correct answer: power
speed
accuracy
Q4.
What does playing by the rules when playing against your partner demonstrate?
determination
skill
Correct answer: empathy

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What are you doing when you point or look at something you want to hit with your ball?
Correct answer: aiming
hitting
communicating
Q2.
What do you need to do when the ball is rolling towards you to ensure you hit it correctly?
close your eyes
Correct answer: track the ball
watch your friends
Q3.
What are you demonstrating when you work well with other pupils?
good accuracy
good power
Correct answer: good teamwork
Q4.
What is the benefit of hitting a ball with power and accuracy when playing against an opponent?
Correct answer: increased winning chances
missing the target
scoring less points