Smash
A powerful overhead shot hit sharply downward into the opponent’s side, usually to end the point.
Definition
A smash is an aggressive overhead stroke in racquet sports like tennis, badminton and pickleball. The player reaches up and hits the ball or shuttlecock down at a steep angle and high speed, making it very hard to return.
The smash is most often used in response to a high, short ball such as a weak lob, turning a defensive situation into an attacking one. Its power and steep trajectory make it one of the main point-ending shots in these sports.
Where you’ll hear “smash”
Sports that use this term:
Tennis
A singles or doubles racquet sport that blends agility, strategy and stamina on court.
Badminton
A fast indoor racquet sport played with a shuttlecock that rewards agility and touch.
Pickleball
A friendly, easy-to-learn paddle sport played on a small court with a solid paddle and a light, perforated ball.
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Equipment
- Badminton racketA lightweight strung racket used to hit the shuttlecock in badminton.
- Padel racketA solid, stringless perforated racket used to play padel.
- ShuttlecockA lightweight, feathered or plastic projectile hit back and forth in badminton.
- Tennis racquetA strung frame with a handle used to hit the ball in tennis.
- Pickleball paddleA solid, flat paddle used to hit the perforated plastic ball in pickleball.
Scoring systems
- Badminton scoringBadminton uses rally scoring to 21 points per game, with matches decided over the best of three games.
- Table tennis scoringTable tennis is scored on every rally to 11 points per game, won by two clear points, over a best-of odd number of games.
- Tennis scoringTennis is scored in points, games and sets, using the distinctive 15–30–40 point sequence and a win-by-two margin at every level.
- Football (soccer) scoringFootball is scored by goals, with each goal worth one point and the team scoring the most goals winning the match.
- Padel scoringPadel borrows tennis scoring, counting points as 15–30–40 within games and playing sets to six games decided by a tiebreak.
Skills
- Net playThe skill of controlling points close to the net with volleys and touch shots.
- ServingThe skill of putting the ball or shuttle into play to start a point or rally.
- RallyingThe skill of exchanging shots back and forth to build and win a point.
- SpikingThe volleyball skill of jumping and striking the ball forcefully down into the opponent’s court.
Techniques
- Padel BandejaA controlled overhead shot in padel, hit with slice and moderate pace to keep the player at the net without over-committing.
- Badminton SmashA powerful, steeply downward overhead stroke that drives the shuttlecock sharply into the opponent's court to win the rally.
- Volleyball SpikeA powerful attacking hit that drives the ball sharply downward over the net into the opponent's court, usually after an approach and jump.
- Tennis ServeThe overhead stroke that starts every point, hit from behind the baseline into the diagonally opposite service box.
- Badminton ClearAn overhead stroke that sends the shuttlecock high and deep to the opponent's back court, resetting the rally or buying time.
Tactics
- Net playControlling the point from close to the net with volleys, smashes and touch shots to cut down an opponent’s time.
- Serve and volleyAn attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
- Baseline playA patient tennis style built around rallying from the back of the court and constructing points with groundstrokes.
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
- Counter-attackWinning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.
Facilities
- Badminton courtA rectangular indoor court, divided by a high net, on which badminton is played as singles or doubles.
- Sports hallA large indoor hall with multi-sport line markings, used for court sports like basketball, volleyball and badminton.
- Basketball courtA rectangular hard-surfaced court with a raised hoop and backboard at each end where basketball is played.
- Ice rinkA sheet of prepared ice, usually rink-boarded with rounded corners, used for skating and ice sports.
- Padel courtAn enclosed court, much smaller than a tennis court, walled with glass and mesh so the ball can be played off the walls.