CHAPTER 108: INTRO TO BADMINTON: SERVES

"Too much wrist," Ramirez said, tossing another shuttle. "Use your arm, not just your hand. Keep it smooth."

Nova tried again, this time focusing on his arm’s extension. The shuttle flew straighter, landing just inside the court. Ramirez nodded. "Better. Again."

For the next twenty minutes, Nova drilled forehand strokes, each shot growing more consistent. The kittens watched from the bench, occasionally meowing as if cheering him on. Ramirez kept the pace steady, correcting Nova’s form with quick, precise instructions: "Loosen your elbow," "Don’t lean forward," "Eyes on the shuttle, not the net."

Next, they moved to backhand strokes. Ramirez demonstrated the motion, his racket slicing through the air with a fluid twist of his wrist. "Backhand’s trickier. Your thumb’s doing the work here. Keep your grip firm but not tight."

Nova struggled at first, his backhand shots wobbling or missing entirely. The unfamiliar motion frustrated him. He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to force the shot with raw strength. Ramirez noticed the tension.

"Easy," the coach said. "You’re fighting the racket. Let it flow. Try again."

Nova exhaled, shrugging his shoulders. He focused on the shuttle, imagining it as a goblin’s spear tip, something to intercept with precision. His next backhand connected cleanly, sending the shuttle over the net with a soft thwack. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress.

"Nice," Ramirez said, smiling. "You’re picking it up faster than most. Let’s try some basic rallying."

Ramirez positioned himself on the other side of the net, tossing shuttles for Nova to return. They started slow, with Nova focusing on alternating forehand and backhand shots.

Each rally lasted a few hits before the shuttle curved off or hit the net, but Nova’s movements grew sharper, his footwork syncing with his swings.

After thirty minutes of rallying, Ramirez called a break. He sat on the bench, checking on the kittens, who were now napping in a pile. Luna stirred, stretching her tiny paws toward him. He smiled, scratching her chin.

"You know what, you’re doing alright," Ramirez said, leaning against the bench with a water bottle, slightly in disbelief with the words coming out of his mouth. "You’ve developed a decent foundation already, so let’s move on to some serves. They are part of every rally and game you play, so you gotta get ’em right."

Nova stood, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He sighed, reclaiming himself. Then he picked up his racquet and said, "Where do we start?"

Ramirez led him to the service line, handing him a shuttlecock. "There are two main serves in singles: high serve and low serve. We’ll start with the low serve, since it’s precise, and keeps the shuttle close to the net. Perfect for beginners to control the game."

He demonstrated, standing with his feet slightly apart, racket in his forehead grip. "Hold the shuttle by the feathers, not the cork. Like the head. Then drop it straight down, and hit it with a gentle push, like you’re guiding it. Aim for the front of the opponent’s service court, just over the net."

Ramirez zerved, the shuttle skimming low over the net, landing nearly in the imaginary opponent’s court. "Your turn. Focus on smooth, precise control, not speed or strength."

Nova took the shuttle, mimicking Ramirez’s stance. He dropped the shuttle and swung, but the racket clipped the head, the cork, too hard, sending it into the net. He frowned, getting annoyed at his failure to perform a serve in a game that he had just started to participate in.

"Too much power," Ramirez said, shaking his head. "Don’t try to kill it. Think of it like placing the shuttle, not launching it. Try again."

Nova adjusted, loosening his grip. He dropped the shuttle and pushed with his racket, this time sending it over the net. It landed short but within bounds.

Ramirez nodded, boosting Nova’s confidence. "Good. That’s better, and now try to keep it as low as possible, and as tight to the net as possible. Practice the motion-stimulating through your mind and body."

For the next ten minutes, Nova drilled low servers, each attempt smoother. The shuttle began to arc consistently, grazing the net as it dropped into the target zone. Ramirez tossed in tips along the way: "Keep your wrist steady," "Don’t lift your back foot," "Aim for the T at the front."

Next, they moved to the high serve. Ramirez demonstrated again, this time using a fuller arm swing. "High serve goes deep, pushes your opponent to the back. Use your forehand grip, and follow through with your arm. Drop the shuttle, hit it upward, aim for the back line."

Nova watched closely, noting the fluid arc of Ramirez’s swing. He tried it, dropping the shuttle and swinging upward. The shuttle landed just short, about mid-court.

"Not enough follow-through," Ramirez stated. "Extend your arm fully, like you’re reaching for the ceiling."

Nova tried again, this time extending his arm as instructed. The shuttle flew higher, landing closer to the back line. "That’s it, keep practicing. Alternate between low and high serves. Mix it up to keep your opponent guessing."

They spent another twenty minutes on serves, Nova alternating between low and high, his confidence growing with each successful shot. His movements felt less like combat and more like a poem.

Ramirez called another break, wiping his eyebrows. "You’re getting the hang of it. Serves are about control, not just starting at the point. They set the tone. Keep practicing these at home, and I’m sure you will learn in no time."

Ramirez smirked, his voice optimistic about Nova’s future progression, "You’re not half bad, kid. Next session, we’ll build on this, more rallying, maybe some defensive shots. For now, rest up. And keep those cats out of trouble."

Nova packed up his racket, smiling as he felt confident in his ability to play badminton on an intermediate level. He lifted the litter box, Luna, and Sol, half asleep. As he stepped outside the sports center, he felt the temperature difference affect his head.

A shiver ran down his spine as he left for the apartment.