Today, badminton is a popular form of physical activity among people of all ages. This sport has taken Bangalore by storm, and you’ll find numerous institutions dedicated to spreading the love for badminton.
However, not everyone visits an institution or learns the sport from a coach. Thanks to this, most players are often unaware of the right technique to employ while playing the game. And one of the most common mistakes that beginners make is in the way they hold their rackets.
The Importance Of Gripping Correctly
Nearly every technique in badminton depends on the movement of your wrists and how flexible they are. As such, without holding the racket correctly, you may find it difficult to play the sport optimally. Certain movements will be restricted, and by gripping the racket incorrectly you risk learning the wrong technique.
So to ensure that you learn badminton the right way and perform as best as you possibly can, it’s important to grip the racket correctly.
How To Hold The Racket
Ideally, you should grip the racket as if you’re performing a friendly handshake. Your fingers must enclose the racket in the same way as it would a person’s hand, while your thumb rests on the wider surface of the racket.
Be sure to hold the racket a little loosely and avoid tightening your grip too much as this restricts the movement and flexibility of your wrist. Another technique you want to keep in mind is to hold the racket using only your index, thumb, and middle fingers. Leave your other fingers loose to enable you to turn the racket in anyway you’d like.
This will allow a wider range of movement, allowing you to try out a variety of different shots and techniques.
Now that you’ve got the basics down, you need to learn about the forehand and the backhand grip.
Also read: 10 Badminton Rackets You Can Buy Under A Budget Of 1000 Bucks
Forehand Gripping Technique
The forehand grip is used to perform forehand shots and your thumb does not necessarily have to press against the racket to perform this shot.
For this gripping technique, you hold the racket as if you are shaking someone’s hand. The only difference is that you need to extend your index finger a little more as this finger will be in control of your shots. So while performing a stroke, you need to push the racket forward using your index finger.
Backhand Gripping Technique
This technique is similar to the forehand grip. But instead of using your index finger to generate force, you’ll be using your thumb to move the racket. Hold the racket as mentioned earlier, but keep your index finger close to your middle finger and make sure that your thumb is pressing against the grip.
Learn To Switch
As you get better at the game, you’ll learn how to switch between the two gripping techniques mentioned here. Be sure to relax your wrist and your fingers, and avoid gripping the racket too tightly as this makes it difficult to switch.
Practice makes perfect. So keep playing and you’ll get the hang of it in no time!
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