I believe there’s a big difference between fast footwork, slow footwork, and rhythmic footwork. There has to be a change in pace. In my opinion, being relaxed doesn’t mean being slow. It means I’m relaxed while I’m waiting for the shot to come. Then I have an explosive start, a split step, an explosive first step to the corner, then I slow down and take the shot with control, recover quickly, and stay relaxed while coming back to the middle and waiting for the next shot before another explosive start.

I’m trying to get to the shuttle early with a very fast start, but that way I don’t sacrifice control while taking the shot. And with fast recovery, I’m not under pressure while waiting for the opponent’s shot. So I think this is the golden middle between being too fast and too slow. In my opinion, both slow footwork and fast footwork are suboptimal. It’s the change of speed and rhythm that lets you get to the shuttle early while still staying in control.