- Year 9
- Year 9
Smash and defence
I can smash to attack and clear to defend.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Move: contact is made above and out in front, with body weight shifting forwards for overhead shots.
- Move: quick reactions to lunge and flick the wrist on contact with a shuttle help deflect a defensive shot back.
- Think: a flick of the wrist turns a clear into a smash if the shuttle is above and in front.
- Feel: focusing on performance rather than outcome goals helps maintain motivation.
- Connect: supporting others to practise tasks that are just hard enough aids progress.
Keywords
Lift - hitting the shuttle up in the air defensively
Drive - fast attacking shots where the shuttle is kept low over the net
Performance goal - focusing on self-improvement and mastery rather than the end result (e.g. winning or losing)
Common misconception
Pupils hit all shots with a similar technique and avoid high risk, powerful smashes to avoid losing points.
Practising smash shots is necessary in order to take your game to the next level.
To help you plan your year 9 physical education lesson on: Smash and defence, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 physical education lesson on: Smash and defence, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 3 physical education lessons from the Net and wall games: understand effective performance in badminton unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
1 badminton racket per pupil, at least 2 shuttlecocks each, posts and net
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
