After a little bit of experimentation, I feel like the panhandle grip encourages pace. I find it easier to play 1v2 with the panhandle. The panhandle seems to make around the head shots more comfortable and powerful. Even upon receiving a dropshot, pace from the panhandle grip seems to help me.
I don't think Zhang Beiwen plays with a pan-handle grip. As to Wang Yihan and Wang Shixian, I don't know, I agree it looks a bit different from the other pro-players. Even if they do use a half pan-handle I'm sure they still incorporate a lot of underarm pronation in the grip they use. Otherwise they would be limited from the back court and would not be able to clear effortlessly It would be interesting if someone with a high technical knowledge could watch these women and let us know, do they really play with unconventional/panhandle grips
Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All your overhead shots are going to blatantly obvious. Which is useless for badminton!!!!!!! Your defense is going to be lacking as well! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
is the panhandle grip being refered to here the grip that most of us used when we just put the racket on the floor and picked it up like a frying pan?
With a tournament coming up among other badminton commitments, I haven't been using the panhandle grip recently. I would appreciate if there were pictures or very high quality videos to examine to see WYH and WSX's grip styles.
Hard to see without close-up and slow motion. I'm wondering if their hand form is anywhere close to these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k04bQSznqk4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv5imPdrqf8 It's not pan-handle, but also not neutral (or basic) grip.
It's shifted, for sure. In his words - 10 degree towards pan-handle. I'm interested to see if any other contemporary top players use the same grip.
I think the shifted grip towards panhandle would promote more of a "dart-throwing action" rather than the overhead ball throwing motion, which we see in most top players. I noticed that ljb tends to promote this dart throwing action, which suits the grip nicely.
This is a good observation regarding LJB and dart throwing - too many players do not realise that there is a subtle difference in the techniques. Very few top players use that style - none of the best male players, but the top Chinese womens singles players use it to great effect. I can confirm that the top Chinese womens singles players - many already mentioned in this thread, use a grip that is twisted towards panhandle - it is not the "neutral" grip. I got a great seat at the all england just behind their court and could see it with clarity. The hitting style is very different to "normal" and very distinctive when you know what to look for. This grip does NOT make them win their matches - it is their other physical traits such as speed and power in the legs that make them so difficult to beat (and mental strength). Obviously they have great consistency and tactical ability. The grip adds simplicity to their game - they do not hit big slices and deceptive shots - they use lots of accurate smashes and punch clears - but very little power compared to the top Chinese womens doubles players (who use regular grips). In my opinion, players looking to learn the game should watch Lin Dan from back in 2008 and 2009 - his overhead technique was staggeringly perfect - minimal wrist movement and very uncomplicated (these days its not so good - not as quick or as powerful).
^ You mean the 2008 Olympics final LD where he turned on his turbo and totally demolished LCW. Hence earning the Super Dan nickname. No, it'd be impossible for us mere mortals to emulate him now, not the least his game in 2008.
But really the only advantage of this quasi panhandle grip is that they can take shots to their backhand with an over head action. But in doing so, compromise in all other shots are made. :shrug:
I think and feel that the dart throwing action affects clears. It doesn't make clears go as deep. But the lack of depth in clears is made up with speed and power. I find such clears very threatening, more threatening than those that go up high and drops down vertically.
Good to get this confirmation. My kid visited coach Lee just 2 weeks ago. The goal was to minimize her unforced errors. One of the things coach Lee taught her was this forehand grip (from neutral grip). Because of the way the hand and wrist are set, you can achieve pretty good consistency in preparation, compared to some other ways (e.g. my kid's old way). When making contact with the bird, there's no unnecessarily turning of the racket face. All of these add up to (hopefully) shot consistency. Coach Lee also demonstrated how one can use this to be deceptive, by changing wrist action towards final phase of the swing. Furthermore, he mentioned that as your opponents get stronger/faster, you no longer have time to rotate your body, or your forearm (for pronation). This shot would enable you to take those shots, esp. on the overhead side. As for clear, this shot can still generate enough power for attacking clear. It's not meant to be compared with a full smashes (just as not to compare a half smash with a full smash). The intents are different. My kid is still trying to incorporate this into her game. There could still be occasions (e.g. when there's enough time, and if hitting to middle is good) when neutral grip based full smashes are better/useful.
On another note, I'm wondering why "only" the top Chinese Women use this grip. Is that because most of them have the same coach teaching/advocating this technique?
I came to appreciate this fact once (years ago) when I played with a professional casually in Doubles (she's my kid's coach back then). You feel suddenly a clear was played at you. Unlike any other clears (high and deep type), you feel in hindsight you should be able to intercept it. Yet, I only realized it was played when it already passed me! The pros hand skill was very good/deceptive!
This is a video of Peter Gade in training. If you guys watch his smashing/drive drill, is he using slight panhandle, or is it basic grip? (The drill starts around 1:20). I noticed he doesn't really turn his body that much when he does the smash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZc-hw_csck
