Unnati Hooda, the badminton player whose footwork social media won’t leave alone

Unnati Hooda's unconventional footwork has caught the attention of social media, leading to criticism of her play style. Former India international Aparna Popat drew comparisons between Unnati's style and Hariyanto Arbi's, who revolutionized the game with his inside-out slice smash and drive attacks. Aparna Popat questioned whether there's only one way to play and whether Unnati's unique footwork hinders her performance or causes excessive energy expenditure or injury risk.

Unnati herself made it to the quarterfinals at the Asian Games, where she played three matches within 18 hours, defeated a Top 10 player, and gave a tough fight against Akane Yamaguchi. Her coach, Gurusaidutt, found her footwork villainized on social media, but he and Popat believe that small tweaks could make her life easier. Unnati has been training with strength and conditioning coach Atish More and physio Shruti Gharat, focusing on multiplanar drills, interval training, and multi-directional drills to address her footwork issues.