About the footwork, they are solely based on my observation+experience. I could be wrong. They are just my 5 cents. Anwyay, i dont think this is the right thread to discuss such matter into great details. I think the reason the coaches emphasize the use of fingers is because most intermediate players are using their other parts of arms (wrist, shoulder, etc) correctly but not their fingers (as in holding the racket in the best way). I believe that the correct usage of fingers is fundamental as i stated it firstly in the statement. Statement revised. "hold the racket like you are cutting veggies/carrots with a small knife, adjust the thumb so that it is pointing downward. grip the handle 'firmly' with your fingers (not with your palm). with loose wrist, pronate (forehand) and supinate (backhand) your arm. remember the trade between being loose and being tight (elasticity). relax, wait for the shuttle to come closer, at the right moment, swing at the back (supination) loosely (wrist not fingers) and counter the swing back with pronation forces (like a whip). the feel should be like 'gummy' and 'whippy'. get the concept, get the feelings. practice."
That's the "language" they both use. I'm not sure if there's any proper physiological explanation. However, this is probably an abstraction, making a player think/emphasize more on leading/hitting with fingers. The follow through will be shorter. Even the setup (the backswing) will become more compact. You remove a lot of big movements (as in a shot with a lot of arms), you'd be ready to hit faster, and your placement will be more accurate. The above is my own interpretation of what were said, based on the coaches' demo and their complaints about my kid's using too much arm. However, your question does make me think deeper. I shall ask the current coach how he would contrast the finger method with others in order to grasp the subtlety better.
Sorry Raymond I don't mean to be mocking, just inquisitive. I will be waiting for yr coach answers n yr explanation because I am also trying to improve my clears, esp attacking clears, and use less energy. I am not young anymore so should try to conserve all the energy I can n still plays well.
