"cocking/uncocking" of the wrist

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by thrice3990, Feb 27, 2009.

  1. thrice3990

    thrice3990 Regular Member

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    This had suddenly came to my attention that I come across this term of "cocking your wrist" when u do an overhead swing. At first I never clearly understood the meaning of wut "cocking of the wrist" is in terms of how the action is performed. But after running into a video in one of the other threads, I saw this video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-LmPlUZOOE&feature=related

    At time 6:15, the guy in the video is showing wut the backside should look like in the position before "uncocking his wrist" i assume. But LOOK CLOSELY AT HIS WRIST, right before he pronates, it looks like his wrist is slightly bent. And when i say "bent", imagine ur hand is straight in front of u (in neutral position/"like getting ready to shake someone's hand") and u bent it outward. I noticed that this coach in the video is doing that....But why? is this what I'm missing in my overhead stroke when I want to make that loud "bang" sound in my overhead swings? (and yes, i noe the sound is partly due to the strings + tension on the racket, but putting that aside. I'm referring to the "correct" stroke to smash the birdy w/o slicing it)
     
  2. thrice3990

    thrice3990 Regular Member

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    no one noes? im really curious as to why players cock their wrists...wut advantage does someone who does do that and someone who does not?
     
  3. mojopin

    mojopin Regular Member

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    the bit at 6.20 is the important part in relation to forearm power. his wrist does look kinda bent though, your right. I cant imagine it makes a differance because by the time his elbow has gone forwards, his wrist is in a neutral "unbent stance". Only speculating though.
     
  4. stumblingfeet

    stumblingfeet Regular Member

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    I thought I had posted on this topic, but it appears to have disappeared. Anyhow, the problem with that video is that what he's demonstrating at low speed is not the technique which is actually used at high speed. The shoulder is raised too close to the ear, the wrist is too straight; this would result in discomfort and eventually injury in these joints. This is why I like the other training videos showing slow-motion demonstration, you get to see the real technique and not what the person thinks is ideal.
     
  5. ^Tayo^

    ^Tayo^ Regular Member

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    Works for all types of smashes (including jump smashes) except while moving lateral.
    Cocking the wrist = pronation of the arm
    Uncocking the wrist = supination of the arm
     
  6. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    This is not true. Pronation and supination for forehand and backhand shots, respectively, are basically forearm movements that are more rotational.
    Try to watch a top player versus a a not so good player hit claers or smashes and watch their wrist movement before impact. One has a whip like wrist snap, the other with the wrist/forearm in a straight line from the backswing to point of impact. The wrist "explodes" in one, and in the other nothing happens.
    Have you tried to use a whip, the one they use to make a cracking sound? It is similar. Also have you used a rolled newspaper and try to swat a fly? If you do not cock and then uncock your wrist you will never ever hit the fly.
     
  7. ^Tayo^

    ^Tayo^ Regular Member

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    ah.. I misread the thread. Too many "cocking" words involved. :cool:

    Perhaps fingerpower should help in exploding the wrist. You'll get the crack sound eventually if you really hit the sweetspot. Just a matter of praciticing.
     
  8. thrice3990

    thrice3990 Regular Member

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    Well, I tried emphasizing the cocking the wrist back (wrist extension) and then uncocking (wrist flexion) as i straightened out my arm and pronate to swing. I did this in front of a mirror both front and side view. I noticed that as I did this, from the side view, the face of the racket was facing the side and the edge of the racket was VERY perpendicular to my back. But the thing about this is that, it feels all too unnatural, I felt like there was probably too much emphasis on the wrist extension part.
     
  9. stumblingfeet

    stumblingfeet Regular Member

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    The wrist doesn't flex or extend much in badminton. Most of the motion comes from pronation/supination and the wrist angle is controlled with ulnar/radial deviation. The wrist angle affects the moment arm between the racquet head and your wrist and how it loads your pronators/supinators.
     
  10. jykw11

    jykw11 New Member

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    what's the other video you're referring to please? any link?
     
  11. thrice3990

    thrice3990 Regular Member

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    Well I tried the technique for about a couple weeks now, but i still notice that my timing is really off.

    Also i notice that when some ppl pronate their forearm at the very top the racket face sometimes faces out to the side during the follow through. I used to do this, but for a long time i felt like this follow through was a sign that i was slicing my smash rather than hitting it squarely...But a lot of videos that show the stroke demonstrate as after making contact with the birdy, the arm automatically relaxes and simply glides to the left side (assuming the individual is a right hander). So does the follow through matter in terms of signaling that im hitting it squarely or not?
     
  12. invisbear

    invisbear Regular Member

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    I thought the cocking and uncocking of the wrist comes natural, doesn't swinging your arm back bends your wrist at the same time due to the weight of the racket?

    If you don't bend the wrist how do you do a backswing? wound't your racket point straight up @.@?

    I normally only followthrough halfway, as I find it waste time
     
  13. thrice3990

    thrice3990 Regular Member

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    Do any of you guys who know how to smash squarely can post up a video of the wrist action that you guys perform when doing it? I feel like when i search through BC everyone recommends youtube videos as an example, but the resolution is so blurry that i can't really tell what exactly is happening. So does anyone here willing to post up a video that shows the correct method of the overhead stroke?
     
  14. mojopin

    mojopin Regular Member

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  15. mojopin

    mojopin Regular Member

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    watch LD's slow motion replay. The 2nd replay is particularly good. Open up chest-> throw elbow->rotate the forearm->job well done
     
    #15 mojopin, May 9, 2009
    Last edited: May 9, 2009
  16. thrice3990

    thrice3990 Regular Member

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    That's a pretty ok video, except the angle is hard to see since the first couple seconds of the vid shows LD doing pronation, and the camera kinda just captures his hand after that only. O_O wut about the shoulder rotation? the wrist extension?
     

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