A Complete Guide to Badminton Grip: How to Hold the Right Way
Badminton is a simple racket game played across the world with a racket and a shuttlecock in a smaller court as compared to tennis.
It’s an exciting game that can be played by anyone who can hold a racket.
Although there is no one-size-fits-all badminton grip technique, the basics of holding a racket the right way are the most important skill you need to learn.
So, just begin to hold your badminton racket correctly!
Photo: Beawiharta, Reuters
If you are a beginner having trouble holding racket the right way, then I got you covered. However, keep in mind that these are just the basics and you are not necessarily needed to follow them to the latter. This is only a guide to holding the racket the right way which means that you should allow for some flexibility until your grip is comfortable enough to use the racket correctly.
The Forehand Grip
The forehand grip is the most basic grip and the mother of other grip techniques. To work with overhead and forehand shots, which are inevitable, you need to learn the forehand grip. Luckily, it’s pretty simple mostly compared to holding an ax.
Image: badminton-information.com
To get it right, pretend you are holding an ax and chopping off wood. Alternatively, pretend you are holding a roller with one hand. However, in badminton, the grip should be a little relaxed unlike the tight grip used for rolling or chopping off wood. If you aren’t still able to hold the racket this way, and then place the racket on a table, place your hand on the racket head and slide it along to the handle and wrap your hand on the handle.
Backhand Grip
The backhand grip works the same as the forehand grip with a slight difference in thumb placement. There is a common guide to holding the racket correctly called the V-shaped test. You should be able to see a V shape between your index finger and your thumb from the back of your hand when holding a racket. However, when it comes to the backhand grip, the V shape disappears where the thumb relocates to wrapping around the racket handle and meeting with the middle finger.
Image: badminton-information.com
Although there are various grips, the forehand and backhand grips are the most popular and the only ones required for beginners. In this regard, the only challenge would be switching between the forehand and the backhand grips.
Interchanging the Grips
To interchange grips, you need to hold the racket flexibly. A relaxed grip allows for better control and transfer of power. If you hold the racket very tightly, then you risk forearm muscle injuries. The best way to avoid this and always be ready is having a relaxed grip or a long grip. With a relaxed grip, you can quickly switch from forehand to backhand and from a loose grip to a tight grip automatically.
A long grip is when your hand is way back at the handle leaving very little space between your hand and the edge of the handle. If you want to test a relaxed grip successfully, then ask your playmate to snatch off your racket. If you are holding the racket in the right way, then he should be able to pick it up with very little resistance.
Use the last two fingers to tighten the grip
Badminton is a pretty quick game meaning that you are required to switch from a long grip to a relaxed grip subconsciously and very quickly. You are also supposed to switch from backhand to forehand and from a loose grip to a tight grip within seconds. To make these split-second decisions, your body should adapt to these grips. In short, practice makes perfect.
When you want to make a smash or a power shot, you need to rely on the last two fingers to tighten the grip. Have you ever seen someone throw off their racket during a smash? These can easily happen if you don’t have a firm grip on your racket. As a rule of thumb, use the last two fingers for stability and the others for manipulation. In this regard, the little finger and the ring finger should be holding on the racket tighter than the other fingers at all times.
To have a more comfortable and controlling grip, make sure that you have small gaps between your fingers. If you have your fingers clumped together, you might have difficulties in dictating the racket face when hitting the shuttlecock.
