Wooden paddle as an alternative for badminton?

At the primary school level, can we represent net barrier games which allow only a single touch at each side of the net using a different game other than 1v1 badminton? Badminton is a popular sport but Singapore's PE syllabus at the primary school level does not dictate the type of game that can be introduced at the primary school level.

Therefore, would using a wooden paddle similar to one that you use in table tennis work? Would it be easier to teach considering that it demands lesser on the hand-eye coordination of our novice players? Would it make a more effective game to encourage greater movement of the feet since the novice players cannot rely on the length of the implement to reach for the object? Would it be easier to manage a class of 40 students since you do not require too large a playing area with this set of equipment? Would you consider swapping badminton for this? Why or why not?