Backhand

[New_Guy04]

i heard that u have to use this tricept or somekind of muscle on ur arm to execute a backhand more powerfully, correct? if so, can someone tell me some easy and effective excerscise that can help me build this muscle more? thx.

[F-Man]

The easiest way to think of the backhand is that this kind of shot is almost a direct reversal of the forehand, the main difference being that you don't follow through with the racket head.

[New_Guy04]

wel, i mean how can i train my muscles so taht i have enough power to clear it all the way back to back court?? the fastest way??

[confuzzledfreak]

wel, i mean how can i train my muscles so taht i have enough power to clear it all the way back to back court?? the fastest way??

u use ur thumb

[wilfredlgf]

Adding to confuzzledfreak :-

Think of the analogy of snapping a wet towel. Your wrist will snap the racquet towards theshuttle with no arm follow through.

[fhchiang]

backhand.. if you swing your arm, it's too late as the shuttle would be very low...

to execute backhand... is to FLICK your wrist..............


also.. before the shuttle come to you.... raise your racquet , turn.. then flick your wrist....

[Gollum]

u use ur thumb

Not for an overhead backhand you don't! The backhand (overhead) clear uses a forehand or panhandle grip, depending on how far the shuttle is behind you. If the shuttle is in front of you, play a round-the-head forehand instead.

[Dill]

u use ur thumb

If you are playing your backhand and the shuttle is in front of you (when I say in front of you I mean nearer the net than the back line when you turn to hit it) then the simplest method is to have a proper backhand grip and suprinate the forearm (the opposite of the pronation movement for the forehand shot), there is little need for any wrist or follow through.

Just think of the stroke in a simple way ie. preparation is racket arm accross in paralell to the net cord, in other words horizontal and as you turn you are looking at your watch face, take the arm across to reach up and hit the shot and after the stroke you should be looking at the watch strap because of the suprination movement of the forearm

As Gollum points out you should try to play a round the head instead of an actual backhand but in my case I rely on my backhand to dig me out of trouble since I can clear one side to the other no problem.

The trouble with backhands is when you have to dig out the shuttle once it has gone behind you, you have to change your grip to an almost panhandle and take a much larger swing which includes a large follow through to give you enough on your stroke to get it from behind you (hopefully you are playing this from a very deep lunge) all the way to the back of the other side of the court.

This shot takes practice and a lot of fine adjustment on your grip to get it right becasue everyone holds the racket slightly differently in order to get the racket face flat enough to hit the shuttle properly

[Gollum]

The trouble with backhands is when you have to dig out the shuttle once it has gone behind you, you have to change your grip to an almost panhandle and take a much larger swing which includes a large follow through to give you enough on your stroke to get it from behind you (hopefully you are playing this from a very deep lunge) all the way to the back of the other side of the court.

Actually a large follow through is inefficient for any backhand stroke. For a backhand clear, follow through should be limited to the racket head (pivoting from the wrist), since the shoulder and elbow have "locked" during a correct tap action. Indeed, you may find that stopping the wrist at impact helps too (even less follow through). When I do this, I can see my racket shaft bend slightly from the power of an arrested tapping motion.

No backhand shots use a whip hitting action. They either use a tap or a push.

This shot takes practice and a lot of fine adjustment on your grip to get it right becasue everyone holds the racket slightly differently in order to get the racket face flat enough to hit the shuttle properly

This is exactly the right way to think about grips, especially for backhand shots. Always think of the grip as a method for contolling the racket face.

[Neil Nicholls]

[QUOTE=Gollum]the racket head (pivoting from the wrist)QUOTE]

what did you mean by this?
extension of the wrist, or supination of the forearm?

[Gollum]

the racket head (pivoting from the wrist)

what did you mean by this?
extension of the wrist, or supination of the forearm?

Extension of the wrist, although supination of the forearm is also a natural part of a backhand shot. But I'm not talking about a forceful movement to hit the shuttle - I'm talking about the follow-through of such a movement.

The point I'm trying to make is that the arm should stop moving at impact. It should not continue to sweep forwards. The wrist, however, may be allowed to continue moving.