I think I read the term "fist grip" in other posts in relation to LJB's teachings, but just disregard that if it's confusing things >> as you say, it's not really a fist given that the index finger is up the racket. To clarify, you're exactly right in that what I really mean is "the grip is clearly deep in his palm and his fingers are wrapped all the way around" PRIOR to hitting.
What I'm observing is that most of the teachings I've read/seen online advocate that the racket starts out in the fingers (with a space in the v between the thumb forefinger) prior to hitting the smash (in other words the basic/neutral grip), whereas LJB teaches that the grip should already be deep in the palm with the fingers already wrapped around (and, in doing so, the racket has also been rotated somewhat so the wrist can be full utilised and the racket will be flat on contact in front of the body). Looking at those videos I've mentioned, it seems clear that pro players are all following the LJB model, in that the racket handle is deep in their hands prior to hitting the shots (I would also wager that they've rotated it slightly as per LJB, as that's how the racket will naturally sit in the fingers).
Though the neutral grip and the LJB grip will end up broadly the same after impact, the starting points are both very different and will, in my experience, make a BIG difference on the quality of the smash (and the angle of the racket face) >> all of which leads to my reason for posting, namely that only LJB seems to actually teach that approach, in contrast to Badminton England, various online guides, coaches etc.
Right! I am with you now. And I broadly agree with you, although I know many players who would argue they initially hold the racket looser and more in the fingertips before they smash. Thats normally because they describe how it feels to them, rather than it being exactly what they do.
However, I would caution you against guessing what another coach teaches if they haven't explicitly said it in the video. I don't know that Jimmy Lin who produced that video would make the assumption you have made e.g. that his demonstration of a relaxed basic grip will automatically lead the world to assume that you must have a huge gap in the grip immediately prior to striking a smash. It was more an effort to demonstrate what the basic grip is (which was correct) and tell everyone that a basic grip is used for a smash (which was correct).
For example: If I told you to use a neutral grip, and showed you the neutral grip (the most important aspect being the rotation of the racket handle, and a relative spread of the fingers), you should not now assume that you know how tightly I will hold that grip unless I specifically say so. What is good (as you say) is that LJB has specific videos where he teaches how firmly to hold the racket prior to the stroke. This is obviously a detail that you have found useful to see in a video (I saw it in a previous smash video from him years ago, and I experimented).
Once again though, I would urge you not to guess what other coaches may say on a particular subject without specifically asking them. When someone says you hold the racket in a relaxed grip, and then it tightens at impact, they may be supporting exactly what you have said works for you, or they may be advocating something completely different. This is why I dislike the way people assume what is seen in coaching videos is the whole truth, the only truth, and the end of the story. It is ACTUALLY, that coaches best attempt at teaching and helping other people, and I do not think it my right to criticize them for their efforts. They actually made a video to help the world, which was very good. Even if incomplete on some details somewhere. Its better than my "I haven't even made a video" position.
Having thought about this a little further, I am wondering if it is a necessary coaching point for most people. Here is the sequence to learn a world class smash:
Use basic grip
Use side on hitting position
Use correct footwork
Get high contact in front of you (allowing you to hit steeply and powerfully downwards)
Practice 10,000 times
End
The practice bit, is the bit most people don't ever really bother with. We like to keep reading and tweaking and learning, but actually, all the details sort themselves out when you have done that huge amount of practice. Imagine I am a coach with many many high level players, and the way I taught them was to use that above sequence, and never told them any details about the "tightness" of the grip during a smash. Should I then assume that my teaching is incomplete, given it works for all those players? Should I even be aware that more details are needed, when all my players were successful.
All I am saying is: don't assume we know the coaches mind just from having seen a brief free video. The teachings are not (most of the time) contradictory. But you have to take into account the coaches mindset when he made the video. He might teach it completely differently if he made the video again today.
I hope that makes sense - it wasn't intended to be a rant!
