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Where your child starts, and where it goes

Two things on one page. First, six questions that tell you the level your child would most likely start at. Then the roadmap they'd be starting on — the actual coaching pathway, 10 separate ladders, 108 drills, 135 named skills, published in full. Most programs won't show you this, because most programs don't have one.

Your child does not have a single overall grade. They have a level in each ladder, and it is completely normal to be Level 2 at clearing and Level 1 at netting. Progress is measured per skill, on a 0–100% scale that asks one question: how much reminding does this still take?

Find your child's starting level How we grade a skill

Two minutes, no email

Where would my child start?

Six questions about your child and you get a real answer — the level they would most likely begin on, ladder by ladder, on the roadmap published further down this page. No email address, no sign-up, nothing sent to you. The answer appears on this page.

Answer honestly rather than kindly. Nobody sees this but you, and an over-flattering answer only produces a wrong level. If you're not sure, picture the last time you actually watched them play and pick the nearest option.

1. Has your child played badminton before?
2. When a shuttle comes down high above their head, what happens?

This is the overhead clear — the single most telling shot in junior badminton.

3. Do they get underneath the shuttle, or reach for it where it is?

Getting the body behind and under the shuttle is a named skill in its own right, and it's the one that separates a swing that works from a swing that only looks right.

4. Can they keep a rally going with someone?
5. After they hit the shuttle, what do they do?

Recovering to the middle is what makes the next shot possible. Almost no self-taught player does it.

6. Do they do a small bounce or hop just as the other player hits?

This is the split step. If you've never noticed one, the honest answer is almost certainly the first option — it's a coached habit, not a natural one.

And how old are they?

Not scored — it only stops us placing a very young child above where they'd enjoy themselves.

This quiz needs JavaScript to work out the answer. If you'd rather not turn it on, no problem — the whole roadmap is below either way, and a free trial gets your child placed on it in person, which is more accurate anyway.

Why these six? Each one maps onto a named skill from the pathway below — getting under the shuttle, recovering to the middle, the split step. They are what a coach is watching for in a trial, which is why the answer is worth anything. What a questionnaire can't do is see your child hit, and that is why it will never place a child at Level 4.

The four levels

What a level actually means

A level is not about how hard the shot is. It is about how hard the feed is — how much the shuttle helps. That is the honest difficulty dial in badminton, and it is the one we turn.

  • Level 1 — Getting the shape right

    Standing still, close range, shuttle fed gently by hand. We are building a swing that looks correct — not power, not accuracy. A child who has never held a racquet starts here.

  • Level 2 — Adding the feet

    The same shots, now with movement. Your child starts in the middle, moves to the shuttle, hits it, and recovers. Smashing and dropping are introduced at this level — they need a working overhead first.

  • Level 3 — Not knowing what is coming

    The feed goes anywhere, in no order. This is where footwork and the split step have to hold up under pressure, because there is no time to think. Most of what looks like "talent" is really this.

  • Level 4 — Continuous and match-like

    Multi-feed — shuttle after shuttle with no reset — and then the shot used in real play. A child at this level is playing badminton, not practising it.

Which ladders run at which level

Not every shot starts at Level 1. Smashing and dropping need a working overhead swing underneath them, so they begin at Level 2 — a beginner is not taught to smash in week one, and shouldn't be.

Ladder Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Clearing 5 drills 4 drills 9 drills 1 drill
Netting 5 drills 5 drills 5 drills Not part of this ladder
Smashing Not part of this ladder 6 drills 2 drills 1 drill
Dropping Not part of this ladder 6 drills 2 drills 1 drill
Lifting 5 drills 5 drills 5 drills Not part of this ladder
Driving 5 drills 4 drills 7 drills Not part of this ladder
Block 2 drills 2 drills 1 drill 1 drill
Net Kill 2 drills 2 drills 1 drill 1 drill
Back Court 3 drills 1 drill 3 drills Not part of this ladder
Front and Mid Court 3 drills 1 drill 2 drills Not part of this ladder

Each block is the number of drills in that ladder at that level. A ringed block is where the ladder starts.

The shots

The six shots

Eight ways to hit the shuttle. Each one is its own ladder, and a child can be further up one than another.

Clearing Levels 1–4

19 drills · 17 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Correct grip
  • Turn sideways & both arms up to 90°
  • Drop racquet, elbow point back
  • Quickly whip elbow forward
  • Hit shuttle up high
  • Follow through with the swing

1Level 15 drills

  1. Throw & Catch Shuttle
  2. T grip clear shots
  3. Stand & Clearfacing forward
  4. Stand & Clearside on
  5. Stand & Clearside on, a harder variation

2Level 24 drills

  1. Centre Clearfed to the centre
  2. Clear & Shadow Net
  3. Centre Corner Clearfull court, one corner at a time
  4. Centre Corner Clearfull court, alternating corners

3Level 39 drills

  1. Centre Corner Clearfull court, random corners
  2. Diagonal Corner Clear — Forehandfull court, alternating corners
  3. Diagonal Corner Clear — Backhandfull court, alternating corners
  4. Clear & Net Opposite Sidefull court, alternating corners
  5. Diagonal Corner Clear — Forehandfull court, random corners
  6. Diagonal Corner Clear — Backhandfull court, random corners
  7. 2 Back Corners, 1 Front Cornerfull court, alternating corners
  8. 2 Back Corners, 1 Front Cornerfull court, random corners
  9. Clear & Shadow Netfull court, alternating corners

4Level 41 drill

  1. Multifeed

Netting Levels 1–3

15 drills · 15 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Correct grip
  • Heel first
  • Point toes
  • Knees behind toes
  • Racquet up high
  • Land into lunge and contact shuttle at the same time

1Level 15 drills

  1. Stand & Netfed to the centre, one corner at a time, stepping in
  2. Stand & Netfed to the centre, alternating corners, stepping in
  3. Net with Footworkfed to the centre, one corner at a time, with footwork
  4. Stand & Netfed to the centre, random corners, stepping in
  5. Net with Footworkfed to the centre, alternating corners, with footwork

2Level 25 drills

  1. Corner Netfull court, one corner at a time, with footwork
  2. Net with Footworkfed to the centre, random corners, with footwork
  3. Corner Netfull court, alternating corners, with footwork
  4. Corner Net (FC, TD, Alt, FW)
  5. Corner Netfull court, random corners, with footwork

3Level 35 drills

  1. Net with Split Stepfed to the centre, one corner at a time, with footwork
  2. Net with Split Stepfed to the centre, alternating corners, with footwork
  3. Corner Net with Split Step (FC, TD, Alt, FW)
  4. Corner Net with Split Stepfull court, random corners, with footwork
  5. Corner Net with Split Step (FC, TD, R, FW)

Smashing Levels 2–4

9 drills · 17 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Correct grip
  • Get behind the shuttle
  • Drop racquet, elbow up
  • Hit shuttle high / in front
  • Racquet angled down
  • Tighten grip at contact

2Level 26 drills

  1. Stand & Smash
  2. Stand & Smasha harder variation
  3. Centre Smashfed to the centre
  4. Smash & Shadow Net
  5. Centre Corner Smashfull court, one corner at a time
  6. Centre Corner Smashfull court, alternating corners

3Level 32 drills

  1. Centre Corner Smashfull court, random corners
  2. Smash & Shadow Netfull court, alternating corners

4Level 41 drill

  1. Multifeed

Dropping Levels 2–4

9 drills · 16 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Correct grip
  • Get behind the shuttle
  • Hit shuttle up high
  • Racquet angled down
  • Follow through with the swing

2Level 26 drills

  1. Stand & Drop
  2. Stand & Dropa harder variation
  3. Centre Dropfed to the centre
  4. Drop & Shadow Net
  5. Centre Corner Dropfull court, one corner at a time
  6. Centre Corner Dropfull court, alternating corners

3Level 32 drills

  1. Centre Corner Dropfull court, random corners
  2. Drop & Shadow Liftfull court, alternating corners

4Level 41 drill

  1. Multifeed

Lifting Levels 1–3

15 drills · 17 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Correct grip
  • Heel first
  • Point toes
  • Knees behind toes
  • Step then swing
  • Flick wrist and hit at the same time

1Level 15 drills

  1. Stand & Liftfed to the centre, one corner at a time, stepping in
  2. Stand & Liftfed to the centre, alternating corners, stepping in
  3. Lift with Footworkfed to the centre, one corner at a time, with footwork
  4. Stand & Liftfed to the centre, random corners, stepping in
  5. Lift with Footworkfed to the centre, alternating corners, with footwork

2Level 25 drills

  1. Corner Liftfull court, one corner at a time, with footwork
  2. Lift with Footworkfed to the centre, random corners, with footwork
  3. Corner Liftfull court, alternating corners, with footwork
  4. Corner Lift (FC, TD, Alt, FW)
  5. Corner Liftfull court, random corners, with footwork

3Level 35 drills

  1. Lift with Split Stepfed to the centre, one corner at a time, with footwork
  2. Lift with Split Stepfed to the centre, alternating corners, with footwork
  3. Corner Lift with Split Step (FC, TD, Alt, FW)
  4. Corner Lift with Split Stepfull court, random corners, with footwork
  5. Corner Lift with Split Step (FC, TD, R, FW)

Driving Levels 1–3

16 drills · 8 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Reach racquet out — correct grip
  • Step and swing timing
  • Flick wrist, tense fingers

1Level 15 drills

  1. Throw & Catch Drivefed to the centre, one corner at a time, stepping in
  2. Step & Drive — Frontfed to the centre, one corner at a time, stepping in
  3. Step & Drive — Sidefed to the centre, one corner at a time, stepping in
  4. Step & Drive — Sidefed to the centre, alternating corners, stepping in
  5. Step & Drive — Sidefed to the centre, random corners, stepping in

2Level 24 drills

  1. Drive with Footworkfull court, one corner at a time, with footwork
  2. Drive & Controlfull court, one corner at a time, with footwork
  3. Drive with Footworkfull court, alternating corners, with footwork
  4. Drive & Controlfull court, alternating corners, with footwork

3Level 37 drills

  1. Drive with Footworkfull court, random corners, with footwork
  2. Drive & Controlfull court, random corners, with footwork
  3. Drive with Split Stepfed to the centre, one corner at a time, with footwork
  4. Drive with Split Stepfed to the centre, alternating corners, with footwork
  5. Drive with Split Step (FC, TD, Alt, FW)
  6. Drive with Split Step (FC, TU, R, FW)
  7. Drive with Split Step (FC, TD, R, FW)

Block Levels 1–4

6 drills · 7 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Correct grip
  • Racquet out in front
  • Soft hands, no swing

1Level 12 drills

  1. Stand & Block — Forehandfed to the centre, one corner at a time
  2. Stand & Block — Backhandfed to the centre, one corner at a time

2Level 22 drills

  1. Stand & Blockfed to the centre, alternating corners
  2. Block with Footworkfull court, alternating corners, with footwork

3Level 31 drill

  1. Block from Random Smashfull court, random corners, with footwork

4Level 41 drill

  1. Defence Multifeed

Net Kill Levels 1–4

6 drills · 8 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Correct grip
  • Racquet up and in front
  • Tap down with fingers, not arm

1Level 12 drills

  1. Stand & Tap — Forehandfed to the centre, one corner at a time
  2. Stand & Tap — Backhandfed to the centre, one corner at a time

2Level 22 drills

  1. Step & Killfed to the centre, alternating corners, stepping in
  2. Kill with Footworkfull court, alternating corners, with footwork

3Level 31 drill

  1. Kill from Random Net Feedfull court, random corners, with footwork

4Level 41 drill

  1. Net Kill Multifeed

Movement & footwork

Movement & footwork

How they get to the shuttle. Nothing above works without these, so they are taught as progressions in their own right.

Back Court Levels 1–3

7 drills · 18 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Split step
  • Skipping / footwork
  • Transfer weight / jump

1Level 13 drills

  1. Pick up and Throw
  2. Front and Back FWpicking up shuttles
  3. Front and Back FWwith a racquet

2Level 21 drill

  1. Back V Shapewith a racquet

3Level 33 drills

  1. 3 Shuttles, 6 Cornerspicking up shuttles
  2. Pointing, 6 Cornerswith a racquet
  3. 2 shuttles to each corner

Front and Mid Court Levels 1–3

6 drills · 12 named skills

Checked in every single drill, at every level
  • Split step
  • Footwork / skipping
  • Lunge

1Level 13 drills

  1. Step and Lungepicking up shuttles
  2. Side to Side FWpicking up shuttles
  3. Side to Side FWwith a racquet

2Level 21 drill

  1. Front V Shapewith a racquet

3Level 32 drills

  1. 3 Shuttles, 6 Cornerspicking up shuttles
  2. Pointing, 6 Cornerswith a racquet

How a child actually moves up

Every drill above re-checks the same handful of fundamentals — the ones listed under each ladder. A faster feed never excuses losing them. That is the whole reason a coach keeps working something that already looks fine from the sideline.

A child moves to the next drill when the skills at the current one are reliable without being reminded. Not when they can do it once, and not just because ten weeks have gone by. The 0–100% scale is how a coach records that, and it is the same scale for every child here.

One honest caveat. We can't promise the rate. Some children click in week two and some in week seven, and a roadmap can't change that. What it does mean is that at any point you can ask exactly which rung your child is on and what the next one is — and get a straight answer.

Book a free trial How enrolling works

We place your child on this roadmap in their free trial.

One class, no cost, no commitment. You'll leave knowing which rung they're on and what they'd be working on first.

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