Maybe my form isn't that bad....

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by BLang, Jan 24, 2007.

  1. BLang

    BLang Regular Member

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    So my form isn't perfect, and I grip the raquet awkward. BUT In my opinion it is comfortable for me, and I am improving on my form...but is it that bad if it's working out for me? I am not missing the shots and like I said, I am trying to improve on my footwork lol. So yea..that is my main question is it bad that I grip the raquet awkward if it is comfortable and it works for me? :confused:
     
  2. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    In theory, might not.

    However, sometimes, ppl hit bottleneck due to the "not too perfect" technique. The wrong stuff might bring you to the end of the road in a faster way. The proper technique sometimes look not as effective, especially during lower level of playing. However, the proper way can show it's benefit in a long run. ;)
     
  3. devendragupta00

    devendragupta00 Regular Member

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    1st of all wat kind of grip do u always hold???
    pan handle all the time???
    or shake hand???
    i think u say wrng then it mighta b close to pan handle...
    wat happens with hldin the grip wrng is dat ur shots frm the last lobby make u exert an extra force on ur arm coz ur wrist is not so free to exert the final impulse. i agree it wud b gr888!! if ur tappin holdin that grip..try smashin or tossin hrd frm d last lobby if u feel pain in ur arm ...then plz hldin the conventional way..
    then pl try holding d racket d conventional way...
     
  4. westwood_13

    westwood_13 Regular Member

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    Would you be able to describe your grip or take a picture of it?


    We might be able to get an idea, then, on how it will impact your manoeverability and thus long term play.
     
  5. BLang

    BLang Regular Member

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    Okay so all my other fingers are in normal position...except for my index finger. My index finger is always extended. Not flying in the air though, it's extended while gripping the raquet. That's the best I can explain it. I dunno why..it just seems to help...but will it give me trouble in the future?
     
  6. devendragupta00

    devendragupta00 Regular Member

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    u mean to say ur index finger points straight along the shaft of d racquet???
    if its so then u bettr change it coz it restricts ur wrist motion n also d variety of shots that u can play..
     
  7. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    It limits the hand/wrist motion, which greatly reduce the shot angle and power. To be worst, it can cause injury if the racket is heavy or you rush for a powerful stroke.

    You need to consult a coach or a good player to correct this asap.
     
  8. ctjcad

    ctjcad Regular Member

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    Maybe this link will be of some help..

    ..BLang/Brittnay, i know it's a bit of reading, and don't know if you've seen this or not but perhaps this link(one of a few out there) will help you somewhat(yes, it has pictures;)): http://www.badmintoncentral.com/badminton-central/content/view/81/35/
    Piggybacking on what LazyBuddy suggested above, perhaps a coach or another advanced player can help or guide you better in correcting your grip..;):cool:
     
  9. BLang

    BLang Regular Member

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    Thanks everyone. Oddly enough, that is the way I was taught to hold the raquect when I was little and I first picked up a raquet in gym class. Okay, well it is going to take some time but I will force myself to break the habit. Thanks everyone for all of your help :)
     
  10. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    Sometimes, consulting with a "better" player is not the best idea. The player won against you or most ppl of your club, might NOT be right for everything, and s/he won, might not due to better form but other factors (i.e. stronger, faster, etc). Such case could be true, especially if the level of play is low.

    Therefore, the better solution is to consult a well reputable coach, or an advanced player who clearly knows what s/he's doing. No offense, sometimes, a slightly better club level player or a gym teacher (who's not specialized in badminton) might just lead you to a wrong direction.
     
  11. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    The answer is that it limits your potential to improve.

    I played pretty OK but could never move myself higher than a decent amateur level (mainly self taught in the past). With a reputable coach, I completely broke down my grip size and technique, stroke movement and footwork to move to the next level. Wished I'd done it earlier.
     
  12. midknightblue

    midknightblue Regular Member

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    I have a problem with grip also, and I feel that it limits my power in clears and smashes. I hold it like many new players do, with the face of the racket parallel to the net, like the grip used for forehand drives. I can't seem to break this habit, I change to a shakehand grip but when the birdie comes flying to me and I prepare to smash or clear, I automatically switch to the forehand drive grip... Is there any way to fix this without a coach? Cause I don't think I'll be able to get a hold of one... Appreciate any tips :]
     
  13. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    It's something you should practice away from a game.

    Grab 200 shuttles, get somebody to high clear to you each shuttle, and you try to change the grip as you hit the shuttle. Start slowly.
     
  14. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    I agree with Cheung.

    Many of us got too focused on the game result. Sometimes, we got so comfortable with the old (but bad) form, once we suddenly change to a new form, it takes a bit time to adjust, and usually means we even lost more in a regular game which we "suppose" to win. Then, we question about the new form, and go back to the old one.

    However, the drills can help us, as we don't have to look at the score sheet. Once you are sure about a correct form, try to focus on the drill sessions, but not the games. Get to used to the new forms, and you can see the progress.
     
  15. Eurasian =--(O)

    Eurasian =--(O) Regular Member

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    Visualize for 10 minutes with the proper technique every day, and if you have the physical ability (balance, strength, endurance) it will come much quicker. Watch some videos of some top players to see what you should try to emulate.
     
  16. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    This one really depends.

    If we start low, I think the basic training video is much better of a choice, as they teach fundamentals and have loads of replays to let you learn from the beginning. If a beginner jumps into an AE final, it could be mis-leading, as s/he still lacks the ability to analyze and "filtering". ;)
     
  17. DivingBirdie

    DivingBirdie Regular Member

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    i used to be a victim of the panhandle grip till i realised handshake is better in terms of

    lifting STRAIGHT(forehand serves too)
    backcourt forehand late return shots (后场被动球)
    smoothness of ANY forehand strokes (esp better dropping actions in smash/clear)
    ease of changing to backhand grip

    panhandle is better only for blocking/driving/tapping at the net, and reverse slice drops(the one where you slice drop to backhand side using forehand) ...

    so what's the bottomline? GRIP SWITCH!! but for lower levels of play i'll still recommend handshake. don't say that panhandle suits you better. You haven't really tried switching to handshake yet. :p
    oh and yes, a bad grip WILL GREATLY hinder your progress in the sport
     
  18. the_oro

    the_oro Regular Member

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    i went through that guide a few times; when i was starting out and just recently, but i don't think the pictures are good descriptors, because the towel grip makes it hard to see what side of the handle the guy's holding... if someone could change those with pictures involving a normal grip, imo, it'd be a lot easier to understand
     
  19. quisitor

    quisitor Regular Member

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    Symptoms vs Causes

    There are a few ways a racquet can be handled "correctly". There are many ways a racquet can be handled "incorrectly". If what you mean by your index finger being extended is that it lies extended across the flat bevel of the handle in a diagonal manner (rather than straight/parallel across the flat bevel as many seem to interpret) then this is not the worst of possible grips. I think you're rather close to one of the favoured methods of handling the racquet-- all that is required to reach this favoured method is a change in your equipment.

    I would handicap the reason for your index finger being extended as follows:

    1. Handle size too small (70%). Increase your handle size by either adding/changing your current grip or buy a new racquet.

    2. Grip not tacky enough (20%). More likely to occur if you are using overgrip as they tend to wear out quicker. Replace your grip.

    3. Handle size too large (9%). Unlikely as most people will compensate by switching to a more palm-based handling style. If unable to curl your index finger due to large handle size and using a finger-based handling style, your finger may end up extending for comfort.

    4. Bad habit that needs to be broken (1%). I doubt your finger's muscle memory is to always be in an extended position.

    If (1) or (2) is correct then the reason your index finger is extending is to provide superior support/stability when swinging the racquet. In both cases, extending the index finger leads to increased surface area contact between your finger and the racquet handle.

    In the case of (1), it is counter-productive to attempt to force your index finger to curl around the grip, if your grip is too small. When the handle is the correct size for your hand, the tip of your index finger will naturally curl around the handle. The top portion of your index finger (the tip) is not used in overhead power strokes. When the index finger is in a relaxed state, it will naturally curl. It is this relaxed state that allows for contraction of the index finger; this allows for incredible power transfer and is the basis of one form of finger power. By forcing your finger to curl, when the grip is the incorrect size, you would be creating tension in your index finger, which will prevent you from transferring power into your shot.

    Some Random Thoughts on the Badminton Central Grip Guide

    You may also wish to take note of the following threads:

    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33784
    Here, the author of the grip guide suggests his grips may be incorrect.

    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21018&page=5
    Here, one member suggests that gripping may not be as simple as portrayed in beginners' books. The member also suggests that those who have been shown to be fallible in the past might be wiser not to make dogmatic proclamations about right and wrong. The member also encourages people to try different ways and angles of gripping their racquet if one is truly interested in advancing one's game rather than merely taking grip from some unknown source as a given; thinking about the reason behind a grip is emphasized.

    While these two threads are from several months ago, it seems necessary to highlight them for the following reasons:

    1. Some "respected" members of BC/BF (if post count can be taken as a measure) continue to suggest/refer people to the Badminton Central Grip Guide but fail to mention its potential drawbacks and pitfalls.

    2. The fact that Badminton Central has chosen to indirectly advocate the grips represented in the Grip Guide by hosting and posting the Grip Guide under a Techniques - Articles sub-section, which lends it a greater air of veracity to the unsuspecting casual forumer.

    3. The author has suggested an update of the Grips Guide will soon be arriving. Soon was a few months ago. The update will be hosted on a separate site-- when/if it arrives, what will Badminton Central choose to do regarding the potentially sub-optimal information present in its currently hosted Grips Guide?

    Some Random Thoughts on Watching Badminton Professionals Play


    Some suggest that beginners should not watch professionals play for two reasons.

    1. The pace of the professional game is so high that beginners would be lost and would not know what to look for. This is all the more reason to watch the pros play. While a beginner may not know how to watch the match from a strategic standpoint and may not grasp all the tactical nuances of the game, this frees up their mind to observe and process the more important aspects of the game for beginners-- the techniques implemented. An "experienced" player may get little out of observing the techniques of the pros since such an individual may already have strongly-conditioned prior sentiments on what forms "proper" technique. As such any data they obtain from watching the pros may be more likely to be discarded unless it reinforces their own technical methods. Reduction of cognitive dissonance is a central theme in fields such as psychology. Some might argue that since the pace of the game is too rapid, technique can not be observed. This is a flawed argument, since technique can be observed on a sub-conscious level-- this is the basis of subliminal messaging in advertising. Concepts in diffusion suggest that the sub-conscious mind might be more vapidly infused by those elements where the greatest gradient of learning/perception are present. In the case of a beginner, such individuals, while appearing to be gaining very little from watching the pros play, may be the ones benefitting the most-- they may not be able to recite strategy and may only recall a few tactical shots but this may simply be a symptom of their rapid learning in catching up to the speed of the bird and observing techniques employed. Once the basics have been sufficiently assimilated, the natural progression would be for the observer to absorb where the gradient for learning is the largest, whether that be in tactics, strategies, dressing style / fashion (not what I'd recommend you pick up on but it's possible some of you may spend entirely too much time on the court), etc.

    2. What is good for professionals may not be good for beginners. Some show concern that the professionals may use "incorrect" techniques, which they are able to get away with due to their superior fitness, training and years of experience. Not all coaches teach "correct" techniques. Different coaches teach different "correct" techniques. The chances of being led astray by a randomly-chosen coach or a public forum are likely to be at least as high as watching the form of professionals. By watching the form of several different professionals, a student of the game is better able to impound the observation that forms/techniques may differ in some aspects while typically being similar in other aspects. From this analysis, a student may learn about the boundaries and ranges of techniques, and may also learn that any black-and-white techniques ought to be qualified. A discretionary mind is developed, which allows one to note that the form of certain professionals may be less "pure" than that of others. So rather than combat the fear that a student might absorb the incorrect technique from watching the professionals through sequester, ought we not encourage them to observe as many professionals in action as possible so as to more quickly accelerate the discretionary mind?
     

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