So with a forehand grip people usually leave a finger sized gap between middle and index finger, but after you make contact with the shuttle with your smash would the gap between your middle and index finger be much smaller then before? also when you smash do you use your index finger and thumb as a support and use your fingers to create tension or do you use your index and thumb to create tension as well as your power fingers? thanks
Yes, the gap pretty much disappears. None of the fingers should grip with excessive force, it should feel natural and not forced. Being relaxed is important. When I smash, I don't try and grip the racquet harder. I only hold it tight enough so the grip doesn't slip.
just two quick questions with the forehand grip while smash/jump smash 1) Should there be a gap between your index and middle finger after smash as people have told me two different sides of the story that there should and shouldn't be a gap. If there is to be a gap how would I keep my index finger positioned as it feels really awkward. 2) Before making contact with the shuttle before a smash would we tense up all 5 finger or tense up our 3 power fingers and keep our thumb and index finger loose?
I would expect the gap between the fingers to close, briefly, as you hit the smash. There might still be some gap, but it would be smaller than before. Afterwards, the grip should immediately relax again. I suggest keeping your grip relaxed until shortly before you hit the shuttle. Generally people start tensing up too early. While it's possible to stay relaxed too long, it's unlikely; and you will notice it and self-correct. I don't really think in terms of "power fingers" or "control fingers", although I can see the idea. All fingers will tighten on the handle during the hit. Maybe some will tighten more than others.
I found that hammer grip is taught as a no-no by most coaches, but in fact many world-class doubles players use this grip. The first time I noticed it was during watching Kenichi Hayakawa's slow-motion smash in the back court--hammer grip all the way. Later I found Zhang Nan and many other doubles players use hammer grip a lot of more often than I thought. Some even use it at returns of serves, for example Zhang Nan. I found hammer grip is good for power, and thus used for smash, return smash (lift), forehand drive, and sometimes even clear. On the other hand, most singles players use the standard/basic grip, like the one shown in the badminton bible. For example, I have never seen Chen Long uses hammer grip; but Lin Dan does use hammer grip for smashing. https://www.badmintonbible.com/articles/grips-guide/grips/basic-grip
One thing about grip tightening (finger power), just make sure when doing it whether forehand or backhand, you get the feeling of accelerating the racket head forward into the shuttle in order to fully benefit from it.
yeah, you are right in a sense, but talking about slow motion, at first, their hands still have the basic grip, then only when they squeeze the racket at impact with the shuttle, it becomes the "hammer grip" as the OP pointed out at the post. So its still the "basic technique" in the end.
Ah okay, that makes sense. Every professional player will use a tight grip briefly when they contact the shuttle for a smash. This is standard and I don't think you'll find much disagreement among coaches.
it seems really awkward holding a forehand grip with your index finger extended away from your middle finger. It just doesnt seem to be holding its shape and sliding back down right before im set for a clear or a smash
I don't know how true this is. Might give it a shot. But if you are talking about panhandle grip, it would be a wrong grip since the shuttle tends to be flat.
So try it with a smaller gap, then. I don't know if this is relevant, but the photos in my current grips guide show a very large gap that is probably too exaggerated for most players, including myself (I was a bit "textbook" back then).
I disagree. Look at any slow motion clip of LCW or Lin Dan and even prior to hitting a forehand overhead they're already using a "hammer grip" (or "fist grip") - call it what you will, but it essentially amounts to there being no space between the racket and your palm. If anyone can find clear slow-motion footage of a top-level pro using the basic grip/neutral grip immediately prior to smashing, I'd love to see it.
I'm with you on the hammer or fist grip. Don't want to spend time to find slow-mo clips, but I do think Chen Long uses tightened basic grip.
Maybe so, but the point is that most, if not all, top players in singles and doubles seem to use the fist grip for forehand overheads, yet this is taught by nobody apart from Lee Jae Bok. I can appreciate the problems in teaching it, as it can easily lead to over-tightening prior to the hit, but surely better to just warn against the hazards than to teach something that is contrary to what the top players are actually doing. LJB highlights many of the issues of using the neutral grip for overheads, but primarily it leads to slicing shots and diffuses the power at the moment of impact (as one ends up tightening the grip after the shuttle has left the racket face).
I slightly disagree. Based on the slow-mos I watched and my own experience, one only uses hammer grip for a power shot. For overhead clear and half smashes or what people call "sticks", there is no need to use hammer grip. I guess personal preferences are the tiebreaker here.
If you search for "Badminton in Slow Motion — Finals - MS - Lin Dan vs. Lee Chong Wei - 2013 BWF World Championships" on YouTube, you can see LCW using the same grip for clears, smashes and drops. I'd say the primary argument for using the same grip is that one can change one's mind at the last moment, punching a clear instead of hitting a smash etc. Personally, I wouldn't want there to be a fundamental difference in how I prepared for a clear/drop and a smash, but that's another matter >> possibly I'm varying my grip slightly without being aware of it. My main issue, and the reason I felt compelled to post here, is that many of the online resources for badminton tuition don't seem to advocate (or acknowledge) the validity of the fist grip, despite its omnipresence in professional badminton. Sidenote: Lin Dan places his thumb above his index finger when smashing >> clearly it works for him, but man, that feels so weird for me.
