what is the best way to train your footwork

Dear All,

My findings and answers to your tiring, torturing, dull, ridiculous footwork training program.

Firstly we look into what are we currently doing in training footwork. Here are the examples gathered by trainees in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Feedback #1 from trainees in Singapore.
We often set 10-12 shuttles in 4 to 6 different position of the court. Utilising the front, mid and back court.
We were told to transfer the shuttles from 1 place to another and back. Are we training correctly?
My answer to the athlete :
First we must understand that any training of movement in court must be specific to the sport (the way we play the game).
So bending down to pick shuttles from 1 point and transferring it to another point and bending again is never specific to the sport.
So why are we spending so much emphasis in this drill?
Feedback #2 in Thailand.
We were given a certain time like 30 secs, 60 secs or 90 secs to move to 4 to 6 positions in the court. Repeating it and we must get back to the middle of the court on the return of every position done. This is done without shuttles.
My answer to this athlete :
Well this drill is good no doubt about it. My comment is that this drill should include shuttles.
I explained to him that training footwork is not only about speed, plyometrics, body posture upon delivery and recovery.
It is about timing also, when there is shuttles you are able to train to regulate your speed upon execution and recovery.
Feedback #3 in Vietnam.
This female high school athlete approaches me and asked me, sir do you know of any new training method on training footwork other than what she surf in the Internet. I asked her why she asked me this question. She replied to me saying, what she already know have been ages already. She could not find anything new.
During my lunch with her :
I asked her why do you want to train your footwork? She replied " I wanted to train my footwork so as to improve myself, so when I play with guys I am able to reach for their shuttles. You know sir, the guys shuttle speed is real fast"
I laughed cos behind my mind and the way she explained herself, I think she have been tortured be the guys flick shots or delayed tactics.

Ok I said, forget all you have seen in the Internet and all that you have learned. I will give you a strength and conditioning program for 3 months to work on your : Legs and your Core stability.

After which apply it in the court and there you are able to reach for the guys shots.
She was so pleased, cos this is something new to her.

As the saying goes, know your job first and prepare your tools to do it.

Coach