The aim of the system of play is to use the four performance factors through the three time phases to produce a series of legal shots that win the rally. Shots are the product of actions. All actions happen in time and space. Different concepts in the system work at different scales of time and space. For example, components of shot technique work at the very small scale, whilst moving around the court or sustaining energy levels during a match work at a much larger scale.

The first goal of each cycle of the time phases is to produce a legal shot. A legal shot has a trajectory that starts on the player's side of the net, goes over the net and ends by landing on the ground in the playing area of the opponent. The shot finishes either by completing its trajectory (i.e. landing on the ground) or a new shot is started by the opponent.

A shot is started with an impact of racket and shuttle. The impact happens at a particular position and at a particular time (relative to the time the opponent's shot started). To determine the exact position and time, a list of limitations must first be applied (see figures opposite):

• Trajectory of opponent's shot. Obviously the impact must occur along this line. Therefore the trajectory defines a set of positions against time
• Legal hitting positions. This is defined as anything on the player's side of the net
• Possible hitting positions. A hitting volume can be determined based on height of player, length of arm, length of racket and ability to jump. Also, shots cannot be played to close and low to the net, and shots cannot be played below a certain point (close to the ground)
• Time (relative to the time the opponent's shot started) to reach impact point must be less than the time of impact. This time includes reaction time and time needed to orientate the body to begin shot. This is the time of the prepare phase

When the above limitations are applied a set of possible positions ( possible impact set ) along the trajectory is obtained. The difficulty of playing a shot varies in this set. The main determinant of the difficulty is the last limitation - time. The difference of impact time and prepare phase time gives a surplus of time that can be used. It can be used to slow down the prepare phase which makes it less demanding (less energy needed to execute the prepare phase ). It can be used to give more time to the shot, which may allow more power to be used. It can also be used in final body orientation to give more shot options as described below.

The impact is made in the player's hitting zone . This is the volume of space around the body in which the racket head can move and play shots. The impact point within the hitting zone determines the primary type of shot to be played. For example, shots above the head can be classified as overhead shots, below the waist shots could be classified as lifts. Orientation and speed of racket head at impact determine the exact shot played within the primary classification. More on this later.

In order to alter where the impact happens within the hitting zone, either the type of shot played has to be changed, or the zone as a whole has to be moved. The zone is moved by the player moving and orientating themselves to change the position of impact relative to the body. As already stated the surplus prepare phase time can be used to affect this zone movement. Therefore, the degree of surplus time acts as a limitation on the amount of zone movement. At the beginning of the paragraph we see there is a trade-off between zone movement and types of shot possible. So the more surplus time there is in the prepare phase the more types of shot there are available.

Looking back at the positions within the possible impact set, it can be seen that they will vary in the number of shot types possible, and the amount of energy required to execute the prepare phase . This can range from all shot types and little energy, to one shot type and high energy.

All the shots playable in the possible impact set constitute the possible shot set .