Contact point on racquet head during backhand serve

When you smash, you are (usually) trying to produce the maximum power you can. If you hit the shuttle slightly above the sweetspot, then your arm/racket will be a longer lever. Longer lever = more power and steeper angle.

But the strings will not transmit energy as efficiently, because you are not hitting in the centre.

So it is a balance.

 

Thanks Gollum.
So in the end, you create more angle of attack.
While it can be logically evident, is there a statiscal difference that a smash hit at the top two-third creates a more steeper angle than at the sweetspot... Ya, I know, evidence based trials (maybe I'm too much a man of science...).

And for any other shots, except finesse shots, you'd use the sweetspot, right?

 

I don't think there has been a great deal of scientific research into badminton.

The principle of hitting smashes slightly above the sweetspot is, as you say, intuitively plausible. It's also backed up by what top players do. The difference in angle is so slight that I think the main benefit is power.

For most other strokes, you want to use the sweetspot. Possible exception for forehand clears. I would say backhand clears and smashes should be hit on the sweetspot.

For a low service, as we have been discussing, you may not wish to use the sweetspot. Perhaps some other delicate shots might gain a similar benefit; certainly I often return extremely net shots using the top strings, if only because I don't want to touch the net.

 

Actually I think the top two thirds of the racket is where the sweetspot is for the isometric head shape rackets, so the middle of the sweet spot is about a third from the top of the racket, not halfway as most people assume. The bottom third of the face is a must avoid area, because you lose power and accuracy in the shots and cause mishits. I usually serve in the sweet spot because I slice the shuttle a bit, and hitting in the sweet spot allows me to flick serve without changing the contact point making it less easy to read.

 

There is no correct spot for the contact point.
It all depend on individual where they feel more comfortable with controlling the shuttle.

The best control, it all depend on individual feeling, confident, the ability to control the "bounce" of the shuttlecock and many practices.

For me, it is the near the top BUT the shuttlecock speed does slightly change my contact point, how I position myself and extension of arms as the rebounce speed is different and those adjustment helps.

 

before reading this thread, i have been trying to position the contact shuttle with the racquet surface. i switch the position from shuttle leaning against the surface to shuttle place perpendicular to the surface while retaining hitting at the sweet spot. i notice the projection of the shuttle faster and curve nicely at the net. but gonna try hitting at different area of the surface today

 

i hit the shuttle near the top. it gives me great control on the placement of my serve. i also notice that my flick serves are more accurate this way, almost never landing out (long) and more deceptive, at least thats what my friends say

 

Would some one please demonstrate on simple drawing tha area in the racket !

 

Finally someone respond to me. ThanX.
About your question, yes sort of because I don't know exactly the sweer spot.

 

Just google for sweet spot...

I found this in some seconds:

http://yonex.de/uploads/pics/Megaframe.jpg

 

I also contact the shuttle at the first 4 strings down from the top. As Adrian told me there's more control.

 

Be careful when using the term sweet spot. This is a little bit confusing. I also thought about the sweet spot being an area, but it isn't! See http://www.racquetresearch.com/

 

sweet spot!!! thats works perfect 99% of the time!!

 

Interesting idea...I will try this out as well.

 

A few days ago, after I read this topic, I began to analyse where I hit the shuttle. It seems to be just behind the fouth cross, between fourth and fifth. Usually, when training and refining the serve (drills), I do around 100 serves, and only 7 to 9 of them hit the net or land in front of the serve-line. So I'd say the top racket-head serve works for me very well. I only still need to work on the slice. Anyone got a link? Searched forums for it but found nothing.

 

one thing to remember on this serve....dont hit the shuttle too close or its gn be too tense n chances of ruining your strings are higher! sweet-spot is really the best to use .... if u slice the shuttle ...sweet-spot is perfect!

 

Hi all, yes it is very interesting! Thx, I will also try this!
But I've been always taught that the best is to keep the racquet as high as possible (at the limit of the rules of course) to get the best trajectory... hitting the shuttle at the top of the racquet would make the impact at a lower height,right? so this should also be taken into consideration?

 

oh thanks for this remark! I didn't know that it's the impact point that count!