I read around a lot and also asked a lot of people in which all told me to grip the racket as if you were giving a hand shake to it. But I recently found a new grip that was pretty effective, what do you guys think? Is it wrong? the picture shows the handshake grip, but what if the thumb were to be laying on the racket where I circled red, so it's pretty much like a thumbs up . [img=http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/2159/21294818.png]
Yeah, I'm also using it to smash, and I feel a lot of power coming from it, is it wrong to hold it that way to smash?
Should be fine. That photo looks like it was taken from the Badminton Bible and I believe it depicts a 'Basic Grip'. The basic grip can be used for smashing. Gollum, who wrote the Badminton Bible would be the best person to elaborate further on the use of this grip. UPDATE: My bad. Just re-read your original post. Take a look at this link which explains when to use of the grip better. Again, Gollum would be the best person to comment on the use of this grip. I suspect that there are areas of your smashing swing that are a little off which would make the bevel grip feel more comfortable and allow you to generate more power in comparison to you using a basic grip. However, with these areas corrected, in general, a basic grip would be more ideal for smashing.
Oh look, it's my hand again. I'd recognise those cuticles anywhere. Generally speaking, I would avoid using the bevel grip for forehand smashes or clears. It may be suitable sometimes for a half-smash, where you're going for placement rather than power. Use the basic grip instead as your default grip for forehand overheads (smashes, clears, and drops). For smashes where you're well positioned and are taking the shuttle out in front of you, I recommend a slight adjustment towards panhandle (a "smash grip"). The problem with the bevel grip here is that the thumb position introduces tension in the fingers and wrist, and can "block" a full-power swing. Essentially, the straightened thumb is resisting the forwards movement too much. Conversely, if you're going for placement with a half-smash, the bevel grip offers better fingertip control and may sometimes help. With a basic or "smash" grip, the thumb is in a more relaxed position and can curl around the handle before or during the stroke. Immediately after hitting a power-smash, the player's thumb would normally be curled or wrapped tightly around the handle, rather than remaining straight. The bevel grip doesn't really allow the thumb to curl in this way, and this inhibits the stroke. The bevel grip is mainly used for backhands. In this case, the thumb is "behind" the stroke instead of in front, which provides support and leverage and does not "block" the stroke. For backhands, your thumb should remain straightened throughout the stroke and should not curl or wrap around the handle. Hope that makes sense!
