Dobbie98 said

So when playing against really tall players with go go gadget arms is it best to hit straight at them & if possible at their feet, so they can’t utilise their reach? Rather then trying to wrong foot them or sending them the wrong way.

In my view, the best thing to do against a player with a long reach is to try to “cramp” them. Good shots for this include straight at the body (don’t bother with the feet, just straight at their chest!). The BEST shot for this is actually a fast clear that goes directly over their head, in line with them – in doubles this is in the middle of their half, and in singles this is down the middle of the court. Tall players (and most players in general) tend to be happier to reach for the shuttle, rather than move their feet – so playing a clear directly over their head will often leave them trying to reach backwards to play the shot which is very awkward compared to reaching out to the sides to play a shot.

This is a great tactic and one that is used a lot in high level singles.

In order to get an edge, what you really need is fast feet and excellent racket preparation – if you threaten to take the shuttle early (especially at the net and in the mid court) then your opponent will be unsure what shot you will play – this uncertainty is what creates the deception. As Paul said, from the back of the court you need to show a powerful shot before you can then mix it up. Just to note: if you always show a smash, and never play a smash, then you are easy to play against – your opponent needs to fear your smash in order for the variations to work – deception is something you add to your game, not a replacement for your game!