Gomu

Gomu is the spirit new players are told they start with. Freeze stops the shuttle for a short time so you can move or set up a smash. Season 5 guides treat it as the default ranked pick because timing is the whole game, and a stopped shuttle breaks the other team's swing. Two Gomu players on one team is common and often called excessive. The ability comes back when the point ends, according to a beginner tutorial, so it is meant to be used in the rally rather than saved for the whole match.

Free starter in player guides. Other spirits are bought from Luna with Yen.

Use Freeze when the shuttle is too fast or too wide, not on the first easy ball. Opponents try to break a low freeze with an awakening such as Ground Slam. Pair it with a power racket if you want the shot after the stop to be hard to return. Mastery on Gomu is the documented path to Gomu's Racket.