Hi, I am just a beginner in badminton. I have played for about 6 months (1-2 times/wk) I have read the article about gripping (forehand): http://www.badmintoncentral.com/badminton-central/content/view/81/35/1/2/ (It looks to me that the tips of the thumb and the index finger are leveled. However, in my case, they are either overlap or I have to leave a space between the V and the racket which makes me feel uncomfortable/too loose when holding it). I have a few questions I'd like your help: (1) When I hold the racket, if there is no space between the V (the conner of the thumb and the index finger) and the racket grip, the tips of the thumb and the index finger overlap each other. Does it mean I need to put something on the racket handle to make it thicker so that the tips will not touch each other? Or, Do I need to create a bit of space between the V and the racket so that the tips will not overlap? (2) At the moment, because of the overlapping of the tips, I hold the racket in the way that if you look at the other side, the order is index finger, thumb, then 3 other fingers. In this case, I noticed, most of the times when I smashed the index finger didn't help anything in the smashing process. Is it a wrong way of gripping? I can feel it was quite flexible when I smashed (i.e. the racket head went deeply down), but at that time only the thumb had to support to recover the racket back. It makes my thumb feel tired. (3) As in (2) but if the order is thumb, index finger and then the other 3, the index finger and the thumb support to recover the racket after my smashing. However, it is not as flexible as it is in (2) (i.e. the racket head doesn't go down as much as in (2)). (4) When you smash and at the time the racket head goes lowest/deepest, which parts of the fingers mainly help to recover the racket? I am looking forward to hearing your advice/help! Many thanks! SV
Didn't quite follow everything that you said (perhaps my brain isn't functioning well enough at this late hour = 3:45am to try). I'm thinking that you may be holding the racket grip down in your palm rather than in your fingers. If you have short stubby fingers then you might go with a much smaller grip size. With a tennis racket, the racket grip lies diagonally across the palm of my hand. However with a badminton racket, I hold the grip diagonally across my fingers -- from just below the base (knuckle) of my pinkie (little) finger to the 2nd knuckle of the middle (bad) finger and up to the top knuckle of the index finger. With my fingers loosely holding the racket in the manner described above, I am able to easily switch to different grips for various shots. Also, by gripping loosely with the fingers, I keep my forearm muscles very relaxed to maximize both power & control. Hope that helps. If not, feel free to ask further questions.
Thanks for your reply, SystemicAnomaly. My fingers are not short. I think you are right that I hold the racket in my palm (even I hold it loosely) rather than my fingers. I tried to hold the racket in my fingers before, but whenever I smash, I feel it is not comfortable to tighten my fingers before the hit (or, I feel the action is a bit slow). 1. Is it right that when you smash, you will tighten/grasp your fingers just a second or miliseconds before the racket hits the shuttle (i.e. the thumb, index finger and the middle finger tighten the racket into the palm)? At that time, is the racket totally in your palm? -- Sorry if my description is not clear! 2. Do you need to tighten your fingers when net-playing (i.e. net drops)? Definately, I will follow your advice when I play next time (this Friday) and let you know. Thanks, SV
there's a good thread here http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=554521#post554521 it talks about the power of your forearm(almost wrote wrist ) and the use of fingers to transfer this power at the net. i tighten my entire grip when smashing. search the forum for Gollum's grip guide to ensure you've got the right grip. when someone hold's it pan handled, it's hard to tighten your fingers so they will feel funny but you aren't supposed to play pan handled.
That was a bit insensitive of me, wasn't it. I guess I get a bit punchy & callous when I'm posting at such oddball hours. My apologies to all of you out there with short, stubby fingers
Thanks for all advices, Shifty and SystemicAnomaly. I tried it yesterday. I felt much better. However, my timing and tightening are not good yet, which makes my smashing not really fast. I think practicing will help. Also, I tried a bit of forearm pronation when smashing. I had a feeling that the shuttle flied faster and more steadily. However, it is also difficult to apply (I hit the tape or missed it a few times). Practice, practice and practice, I think! Thanks all again!
