Hi, I'd like to learn more about backhand clear & smash. Can somebody share the expertise? It will be great if the technique is presented in the form of video. What are the training needed to do well in backhand clear & smash, weight lifting? trained with squash racket? Wrist training? Please let me know.Thank you.
technique and practice are more important then any weight training. but a good coach can teach you better then any of we can over the internet. just make sure you have good form and keep practicing, backhand clear and smash is ALL wrist.
I very much agree with Lam. Learn the proper technique first. By this I am referring not just to the technique of hitting the backhand stroke, but also the footwork required to get you in position to hit the backhand, and then the follow through. If you are able to download videos, my personal suggestion is for you to find matches featuring Xiong Guobao (Chinese player in the late 1980s to early 1990s). I remember his backhand clear as being the most consistent and correct. I have always been most impressed by how he sets himself up to be in position, both with footwork and how he prepares for the stroke, how his racket contacts the shuttle, and how he follows through to impart momentum and to get back in position for the next shot. As for backhand smash, I only remember Yang Yang and Zhao Jianhua's versions. As Lam mentioned, the backhand smash is a very wristy stroke. But to be honest I am not good enough to describe the textbook-correct backhand. A good coach and good video will be really helpful here.
Actually I have a similar question, the critical issue being where you should place your thumb. Is the grip for backhand clearing more like a forehand grip rather than backhand grip? At least forehand grip + forearm rotation works better to me sometimes than relying on wrist.
Sleet, Gollum, Do you guys mean that, assuming you are in position for a backhand clear, you hold the racket in the usual forehand grip and when the bird comes nearer to you from behind (your back is now facing the net and your opponent), you use that same grip but instead of getting the racket ready high up you would start with the racket from your chest and then whack upwards with a supination (forearm rotating outwards, anticlockwise) ? This means that the motion involves swinging your racket away from your chest to the sky (the reverse of a normal forehand clear) and then forearm twist ?
Yes, that's right There are also some other considerations: For some backhand clears, a forehand grip will be effective. You may wish to modify it by extending the thumb along the diagonal bevel (gives some leverage). For clears where the shuttle is farther behind you, a shift towards panhandle becomes necessary (of course, it is much harder to hit the clear when it is behind you). Use of a full thumb grip (the grip for a backhand serve or net kill) is not effective. I believe that it is helpful to simplify the hitting action and reduce the swing when you are learning the clear. It is easier to learn the timing and correct use of the fingers (especially the thumb). I'm actually reconstructing my backhand in this way after advice from Steve Butler. Once a player is confident about the timing, then the swing may become larger when necessary, with the "elbow down, racket up" preparation. This will increase the power component from pronation/supination of the forearm (and internal/external rotation of the upper arm). Bear in mind that the swing still needs to be compact for timing.
Position, grip and timing are the keys, practice (even if it means running out of position for a forehand smash) and you will develop the technique.