Hey everyone. I notice that when I play someone who uses the panhandle grip, i have a harder time reading them. it's almost comical! has anyone else been thrown off by a panhandle opponent before?
Not sure they would be using a pan handle grip to hit a forehand or backhand?? Certainly not the norm.
no, they just use panhandle as their grip, period. it actually kinda bugs me. (their form looks really jerky!)
Try clearing more to their backhand with attacking clears especially. Avoid playing high to their forehand. Net play may pose another problem to them except when you hit the bird too high for their favourite 'panhandle' grip which they can easily tap at.
Actually, I would just hit up to his forehand and laugh at his weak smashes. Hitting to his backhand could backfire, because panhandle is the correct grip for a late backhand overhead. In doubles, use low serves from your right court (if he's right-handed). Most serve returns here require a thumb grip, so he will tend to mishit the shuttle. You can also try flick serves, because his smash will be weak.
Rather than laughing at his weak smashes, perhaps you could mention to him that his grip might not be the most appropriate (at least for forehand clears and smashes) and direct him to Gollum's grip guide?
Quite right. (I don't seriously suggest you laugh at him. That's not nice. ) As a competitor, you should use his weaknesses against him. As a friend, you should (politely) help him understand how to correct those weaknesses. The relevant page is the basic grip.
Any supposed "weakness" is not really a weakness unless you exploit it. If you take advantage of his poor technique, then he'll be forced to adapt it or be left behind. If you don't take advantage of it, then what motivation will he have to change it?
Well, "laughing at panhandle smashes" is a motivational force! Although we do have a BFer here called "Panhandle" and plays panhandle, and won the tourney that Break-My-String organized a few years back. -dave
Hi Gollum, I took a quick look at your webpage and wonder whether you're the guy in the picture. One suggestion if it has not been incorporated in the rest of your pages. I see that you have shown very clearly, even with red marking, how the grip should be held. However, to make things even clearer you might consider showing another picture, could be smaller, of the entire racket being held. This is to enable the reader to relate to the grip with the rest of the racket, particularly the racket head and face.
Indeed I am. I'm too cheap to hire models! Um...I do show that! Have you seen the "Basic grip photographs", in the box with tabs? It's just beneath the photo called, "the V-shape, marked in red".
