I have seen some instruction videos in which people say that when you hit an overhead shot such as clear or smash, your body transfer the power from legs to waist to trunk, shoulder arm and then wrist. So for ideal power transfer, it is good to relax the upper body, particularly your should and arm and wrist. At the same time, people say that if you have strong wrist power (presumably the muscle of your underarm), you can hit the shuttle really fast and powerfully. My question is when hitting an overhead shot, should you relax your wrist and let pretty much your body and arm bring the wrist forward, or you actually need to add power to your wrist to achieve the best effect? Or is it a combination of both, you try to relax the wrist and add power at the last moment to your wrist and fingers?
For the extra power, you should always "pinch" your grip. Remember: - SWIPE MOTION: use a lose grip to get a relaxed feeling and play with more amplitude - STROKE MOTION at impact point: "pinch" the grip for extra power and not losing your racket
This and yes Yeah, in the ideal power transfer that is what happens, it's called a proximal to distal sequence, where the power generated is transferred from joint to joint through eccentric contractions. For maximum power you should be putting in as much effort as possible only on the concentric contractions through each stage, ending with forearm pronation/supination. For the forehand it is exactly as you said, and with a backhand the power transfer should be non-dominant foot -> back -> chest -> shoulder -> elbow -> forearm. Fingers and wrist adduction are usually added during the elbow extension stage.
towel whip the theory of power transfer and stroke in badminton is very much like whipping a wet towel... practise it @ home after you shower [video=youtube;7tCgg7DXwX4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tCgg7DXwX4[/video]
Hi Kenzo, your answer sounds very academic and it surely provides a great new perspective on this issue. Could you maybe explain a bit more? Particularly what action should one take to perform the eccentric contractions and concentric contractions?
Well the eccentric contractions happen automatically, you just need to ensure your body is in the right position using the correct set-up and backswing, once you start transferring the power through your legs, you apply power like a whip ending with your forearm.