Despite knowing different coach has different teaching style, I have the following question for the mass of you I was taught to position yourself while leaning back before hitting a clear/drop/smash, however I recently has a new coach and he taught me not to lean, but rather horizontal. He showed me clips of both professional male and female players, and almost always, they stand relatively straight as opposed to leaning back before hitting the shuttlecock. So now I'm confused... I'm fine with leaning backwards and then throwing myself front while doing those shots, but I also wonder about the professionals whom always position themselves upright. So what have you guys noticed about this? And what do you guys think?
My advise is you need to learn both the 'active' and 'passive'. Your new coach is teaching you the active, that is, your shuttle in front of your body; however you sometimes may face passive situation that requires you do passive. Try do let the shuttle before you, so that you can be in the position of active that brings in better control of shuttle
In general with coaches, they teach you what works for them as it is logical to believe that what works for them will work for you. However this is not always the case and so you will have to learn what works for you and what doesnt. Leaning back will help you generate more power but it is slower. Someone who is very powerful wouldn't have to lean back but someone who isnt will.