can't seem to hit with proper grip

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by tneiba, Mar 7, 2007.

  1. tneiba

    tneiba Regular Member

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    I know that in order to hit an overhead clear, you have to use the proper forehand grip and pronation. BUT I just can't pronate! I always revert back to the panhandle grip to hit my overhead clears so it really does suck, only from mid-court to opponent's baseline. I think part of my problem is that I can't seem to pull my racket back in time but I don't know what to do about it. :( Is there any more advice than to just practice?
     
  2. Adone

    Adone Regular Member

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    pronation? o_O what is that?
     
  3. westwood_13

    westwood_13 Regular Member

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    To Adone: pronation is the hand position with knuckles facing you. Supination is the hand position with knuckles facing away from you.

    Tneiba: Practice, of course, but make sure you're getting a full backswing... something many players do not generate naturally and must be taught. Hitting the bird with your racquet is virtually identical to throwing a ball. So in your backswing, make sure to get your elbow waaaay back, almost as far as you can (taking care not to drop it or raise it, but keeping it at shoulder height). From there, the forward 'snap' motion (which involves the pronation) should be a natural movement of straightening the arm forcefully and in a forward direction.

    Hope that helps!

    For those who are set in the panhandle style, it takes a lot to move to the more advanced technique. I know I've been trying to get my dad to make the transition for ten years, but he just can't (or wont) do it :p
     
  4. tneiba

    tneiba Regular Member

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    Thanks for the advice, westwood. I guess maybe it's hard for me since I can't throw a ball correctly. :p
    Does any know when I start pulling my racket back? As soon as I leave ready position?
     
  5. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    I think you got drowned by that high sounding word pronation. Forget it and try this simple stroke that everyone can execute :
    Point your racquet, edge-wise like you are holding a long sword to chop off a person's head, and then swing it backwards to between your shoulder blades (still edge-wise), and then simply do the forward swing and hit that shuttle.
    Now you will wonder why you did not hit the shuttle edge-wise but square on the face of the stringbed? It is instinctive because you unconsciously know that you cannot "cut" into a shuttle like a knife cutting into butter, and have instead "turned" your racquet face. This is a layman's way of using pronation.
     
  6. Adone

    Adone Regular Member

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    pronation is when your thumb is facing towards the opponent and knuckes facing you? If so, then I guess im been using this pronation thing without being told ;p
     
  7. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    You know the motion of screwing and unscrewing with a screw-driver or the closing and opening of a water tap facing you? The Chinese simply call this outwards and inwards, respectively.
    When you point your racquet edge-wise to the oncoming shuttle, the racquet head is at 90% to the net. To hit the shuttle you have to turn this edge so that the racquet face is now square to the net. This almost 90% inwards turning of your wrist as you hit the shuttle is the unscrewing motion of a screw-driver or the opening of the tap.
    Tip-you should never have the racquet face square to the net all the time when hitting overhead power shots.
     
  8. NanoBatien

    NanoBatien Regular Member

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    Just think to rotate (turn) the racket into the shuttle. Then you have to start with the racket side on (otherwise you cant rotate and get it to go straight), and you have to rotate just before contact. Then you incidentally find that the proper grip is the most comfortable.

    Worked for me.
     
  9. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    It's easiest if you just practise the final part of the swing, because the preparation phase adds more complexity.

    Hold your arm up in the air, level with your shoulder (neither in front nor behind), as if you are nearly hitting the shuttle. At this point, your racket should be angled so that you would "cut" the shuttle -- hitting it with the side of the frame. You can think of it as chopping with your little finger. The palm faces inwards.

    Just before hitting, tighten your grip and turn the racket so that it faces forwards, to hit the shuttle. You go from a sideways (cutting) angle to a forwards (hitting) angle, very suddenly. This creates power.

    Obviously you need the correct basic grip to do this.

    "Pronation" is just an anatomical term to describe that forearm movement. Having said that, I suspect our use of the term in badminton is a little peculiar. A very good physiotherapist (she trains other physios) was perplexed by my using it of the arm: normally they would say "internal rotation of the upper and lower arm", reserving "pronation" for other body parts such as the foot.​
     
    #9 Gollum, Mar 8, 2007
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2007
  10. tneiba

    tneiba Regular Member

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    Thanks, taneepak, NanoBatien, and Gollum for your advice. Helpful. :D I tried to do it today and it did work out better. It felt more effortless. But I'm thinking that I'm not setting up for it correctly. Anyone want to clarify the whole process to me?
     
  11. westwood_13

    westwood_13 Regular Member

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  12. stumblingfeet

    stumblingfeet Regular Member

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    Maybe that's because physiotherapists tend to treat more problems involving overpronation of the foot? I've seen the terms pronation and supination used by exercise physiologists when referring to the types of grips to use for upper body exercises involving barbells.
     
  13. __Lam

    __Lam Regular Member

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    easiest way to think of pronation is to think of your hand and wrist motion when opening a door when you turn the doorknob, exact motion
     
  14. tkteo

    tkteo Regular Member

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    It appears that doctors are trained differently! I was asking a medical doctor friend of mine about overpronation versus oversupination of the feet. He said that he is used to thinking of pronation and supination in terms of whether one's hand palms are facing towards or away from the body (e.g., when you perform a bicep curl, your palm is facing you because it is supinated). But when it comes to feet he is not trained to use the two terms, it's just whether the ankles roll inwards or outwards. He finds it weird that physios apply the two terms to the feet.
     
  15. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Well, I could be misinterpreting what they told me.

    I suspect that the terms "pronation"/"supination" and "internal rotation"/"external rotation" are pretty interchangeable.
     

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