Badminton Pronation Technique - How to Smash and Clear

[discreetheartt]

I like how you guys made this on my birthday. =D

[polytheho]

Excellent Vid. By the way, do have any suggestions on badminton rackets that I should get. I power the smashes to hard and end up bending or breaking my rackets.

[99shishirs]

thanks



[samirbuth12]

Never heard of this pronation technique, will practice and try this out, thanks !

[4dv4rch3r]

I finally learned how to do this technique, definitely worth it!

[adrian592]

how do you hit cross court with this technique?

[syedzainshah77]

i also use this grip :-)

[ffviicloud23]

Press 5! faster

[zanester3000]

just use the grip that it comes with

[DollarTrading]

Thank you, I hope this will help with y smashes.

[3liteBadminton]

Why do u reverse slice at the end? For maximum power u should hit it flat or cut slightly to improve the steepness

[shiori2525]

wow very interesting. I will try us

[moimasiclat]

this helped a lot :) thanks man.. i've been playing for a month now and all of my friends who toyed me last month are victims of my smashes :)) lol..

[dEVIiiii]

Its incredible how much this video has increased my smash power in less than 5 times playing.

Now I feel I've been holding myself back.

The worst problem in my game now is lifts (from smashes or drops). How should I do lifts? Please make a video!

[toonny2536]

Good i will try Thx.

[GEYmoments]

what camera did you use?

[thejym]

@GEYmoments Canon PowerShot SD600 6MP Digital Elph. It only records in 640x480 so I got a new camera that does 720p (Panasonic LUMIX ZS7)

[Insanerify]

was waiting to see him do it in action...

[Don123q]

i play recreationally and has been smashing like this without even knowing o_o

[AGraagas]

is the first guy abnormal?

[FKRAPCITY]

15 people are badminton coaches.

[baheervani]

This is by far the best instructional video on badminton strokes that I've ever seen.

Thanks very much for sharing these invaluable pointers with us all.

[meohnnavi]

the best explanation and best instructional video. Thanks, dude.

[SHIBUMI615]

i think i saw you at the fed today lol

[Qweklain]

I think I started doing this last Wednesday without even realizing it. My friends kept saying I have a really weird sidearm type smash, and I never had any power on it or really any downward angle. I started thinking about it as I was playing and was changing it up noticing more power and angle. Now, after watching this and doing it a few times this is what I was starting to do! Awesome video and probably the best I have seen for smashes that actually EXPLAINS EACH STEP! Thanks!!

[Redmar137]

Thanks for the video!! this helps me alot, iam a Badmintonner from BC Flevoland,, 11 years exprience in badminton and no one tell me how to smash / technique and you tell me how to great smash and clear !!

[ItsssBrianDawg]

omg thanks for the video, this explains why I get so tired from hitting clears@_@, if I used the incorrect stroke for 2 years is this going to take more than a summer to fix....

[38vausa]

Thanks - it is a great video and clear instruction:-) Perhaps you record a couple of real time plays and I'd love to see it. Thanks again!!

[pykc123]

nice video ...... pronation method is the correct way for hard smashes , likewise flick / point smash is also a good method , good when the contact point is further back , so incorporate both method into your training , become more versatile. For narrowing down angles you can try jumping smashes , this way your contact point will be higher thus narrowing down the angle . Loosen your grip , tighten your fingers during point of contact greatly increase the strength , imagine using screw driver

[gahitoldyou]

If you want to smash hard, you have to think the racket as an object moving in a cirlce in 1 plane. So a right handed player should end the stroke with the racket on his right side. A left handed player should end the stroke on his left hand side.

Be careful, if you don't practice this gently at first and/or you don't warm up sufficiently, this stroke wil result in rotator cuff tears and/or frozen shoulder

[MrBadmintonnoob]

Hey Jimmy, its me again.

I'm very confused about the "stick-smash" or the "flick wrist'' technique and this pronation technique. My coach taught me the flick wrist technique, which has no power. I recently found out that alot of professionals used pronation technique. Can you explain to me which technique should i use? If i use the flick wrist technique, i would have a steeper angle but with less power. I tried with the pronation technique and found thatthe power was great, but angle was high.

[thejym]

@MrBadmintonnoob Using a flick wrist technique allows you to get away with slower footwork since you can contact the shuttle at a further back position than with the pronation technique in a smash. However, as you've noticed there is less power. You should continue practicing the pronation technique, and really focus on moving your body around the court so that you are always contacting the shuttle at the right spot for smashes. The angles you can achieve are more or less the same.

[4dv4rch3r]

@thejym The flick wrist technique was just pronating at a faster speed correct?

[MegaTechNix]

The best video tutorial LOL! nice one Jimmy..u're a great coach! =)

Peace !

[Mrmaximixx]

Haha, I'm a trainer in a badminton club in Belgium and I just got thougt how to teach the perfect smash, thanks!

[izaac229]

Stupid Question

Does following it through increase the power of the smash?

[MrBadmintonnoob]

Isn't this slicing the shuttle?

[Hansmaddin1]

your left hand has to go back.. to get more power... dont let the keft hand in front of your body.

[monkeywatcher]

"pretend to lick your elbow" Got it!

[3LineBaruaJamban]

nice vid man!

[flank988]

That's really helpful. Hope to see more videos from you, especially the backhand clear and smash. Thanks

[capapsss]

is this the best way to swing a racket to produce the most power?i hope to increase my smash with a better technique.

[thejym]

@capapsss It is, you should definitely take the time to learn it. It makes a world of a difference.

[slayrisk]

@capapsss Yes, this is pretty much the best way to increase the power in any drive you play, also, try searching for Episode 28 part 1 Use of fingers, Aggressiveness.

It demonstrates how to use your fingers and grip in the most efficient manner.

[MrDc140]

good stuff!

[grapholic]

if the forehand is pronate than the backhand is supine... am i right? i'm deadly in training with my backhand... coz my backhand is bad...

[kaaaaazzzz]

can yu tell me why im unable to lift racket on 6th day if i play 5 days in a row ? (deltoid muscle) ??? hurts

thanks

[RegisDecamps]

I've been trying for years. And then, I watched your tutorial. Thanks a lot.

[ksceriath]

This is good..!! I've been playing for quite some time now.. but my hand kind of jerks while hitting an overhead shot... makes me resort to drops and other slower shots....

[gnarfish5555]

WOW. This is definitely the best smash video. I play tennis and I really love your pronation. I'm able to add more speed to my overhead by using your technique.

Thank you!!!

[28mhaika]

at least he can help! nice job dude!.. :D I'm a swimming coach, table tennis coach, land loves to play all sports. this time i want to learn more about badminton tricks.. thanks for sharing the proper way to to do it.More Power!:D (From: Phil.)

[zeontcy]

i am quite confuse...

the first 3 steps you mention is in a consecutive way or do it in one shot?

if do try to complete the steps one by one,isn't that swinging speed going to be slow?

[MegaMakahai]

u r awesome jimmy!!!

[MrBadmintonnoob]

@thejym I've tried it but it always ended up high or too low, plus the power is not enough.

[risdi14]

How about show us how you actually smash

[MrBadmintonnoob]

Hey Jimmy, can you make a video about Backhand Smash?i can do lob and drop but i cant smash. Thanks

[pranab20582]

Hey Jimmy - Great video - The technique for smashing is absolute spot on. However you may want to check the grip. You seem to be using the 'neutral grip' for smashing which use the 3 bottom fingers for locking the racket. However for forehand smashes, clears and netkills you should be using the 'Forehand attacking grip' which uses the 3 fingers and the thumb to lock the racket thus providing more power to these shots

[thejym]

@pranab20582 I think I understand what you're trying to say about the "forehand attacking grip," but I'm concerned that you say that grip should be used for smashes, clears, and NETKILLS. Forehand netkills typically use a panhandle grip, unless it's so high that you can just smash it down or if you anticipate a tight net return and tap down on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that you're saying I should curve my thumb around the handle and decrease the "looseness" in the grip

[thejym]

@thejym Actually, the grip I have after the stroke is similar to holding the racket with a fist, but the key point is to use a basic grip over a bevel grip and to maintain some spacing between the racket handle and your fingers so that you can apply finger tightening (though finger tightening isn't as big of a deal in this case compared to panhandle or thumb grip net kill). If you care to show me a picture/video of the grip you're mentioning, perhaps we can clear things up. Thanks for commenting

[pranab20582]

@thejym We both seem to be on the same page - The 'Forehand attacking' grip is the panhandle grip with thumb curved round the handle to decrease looseness. This allows more tightening of the racket grip during impact and thus more power. As you must be knowing, netkills are all about finger power and more the tightening of fingers during impact the better. Here is a LJB's video where he explains the grip (7:08). Please search for 'Lee Jae Bok - Play To Win Badminton Instructional Video [1/4]'

[thejym]

@pranab20582 The grip I show in this video (before the swing) is the basic grip, which is basically the panhandle grip rotated 90 degrees. It's impossible to swing correctly and generate full power on a smash using a panhandle grip (even if the thumb is curved around the handle). Similarly, there's also an inconsistency when you say "to decrease looseness... allows more tightening." The only way to allow more tightening is if it is more loose to begin with. Conclusion: basic grip triumphs

[darkside2000]

@thejym doesn't decrease looseness mean more tightness? dont know much about badminton techniques i just play socially but i found that funny..

[pranab20582]

@thejym Always a pleasure to have a discussion with someone with passion for the game :)

[thejym]

@LRBstudios I can't think of a difference in power or angle that will result from having a 179 degree angle between your forearm and bicep, versus a 180 degree angle. There are some people who's arms lock with an angle greater than 180 degrees, so in that scenario you definitely don't want to be locking your elbows. Mostly, I say it to prevent injury because people who first attempt this stroke sometimes think it's similar to punching the air, and then complain that their elbow hurts.

[mjchangedmylyf]

do you think a beginner can try out for badminton? cuz i can know how to hit the shuttlecock, but i've never won the game. do you think i can?? i have tryouts on monday

[thejym]

@mjchangedmylyf It never hurts to tryout, so try your best!

[mjchangedmylyf]

@thejym okay

[Reirakku]

THANK YOU SO MUCH !



[hardrockforlife000]

thak you soo much for this video

[OhLuckyMan]

Excellent video. I might just finally understand how to do this correctly.  Thanks

Any chance of you doing another video on the backhand clear, as well?

[dispatche]

I'm so glad I just watched this video again because I realized that in gripping the racket for forehand I had been using the pad of my thumb instead of the side of my thumb. I should have paid more attention to the details of the grip from the beginning.

[thejym]

@dispatche That's good to hear! I'm still picking up small details from revisiting the compilation videos I made, but nothing that changes the substance of this tutorial video. Having worked with many different people on this stroke, I hope to make a newer, higher-quality video of this stroke (and others) that explains things even better.

[tarbis]

Very good vid. Now I know why I don't have control over my smashes, I always do the pan handle thingie. Thanks for the vid =D

[lahgazi]

my god, if I had to think that much everytime I smash in badminton.....

[TJmusical]

hei... whats the mistakes if the shuttle always travel straight ? im having difficulties with my shuttle not travelling down, but travelling straight.

[D4V1DC00L]

this is a simple but very effective in pointing the correct technique to a forehand stroke. this is a great video. I have learnt something new, with the elbow point....

Thanks

David

[rookiemy]

I think you kind of over rotate your wrist. during normal high and clear the racket should face towards the direction where you intend to hit the shuttle.

[ShakkIsLife]

After the pronation, and I'm trying to follow through, is it normal to have like a whip-like, action or a smooth glide when doing so?

[nedal244]

apacs racket :D

[Exige098]

those "expertvillage" people have nothing against you! :D

[brookabc]

best coaching video I have seen on Youtube so far~

thanks

[Random1357912]

Fail at 4:17 in the background

[yutichang1]

I have been watching all badminton coachings in Youtube, but I did like your dv.Would you please put more of your coachings on Youtube? It is very interesting and valuable. Thank you and also the demonstrater boy.

[Aznremix]

hey there thejym, Here are a few things that could've made your video a lot better. When demonstrating the pronation, make sure you reach out more than going into a curve to your right because your contact point is somewhat near elbow level if you know what i mean. Also when correcting the errors, make sure viewers know that you shouldn't be locking your elbows as i saw u forgot to explain that but thats okay. Other than that It was decent but it would be better to show it while hitting the bird

[muhammadrazman]

btw im beginner i play badminton 1 year (im 11) and i use yonex muscle power 3

[muhammadrazman]

watched this vids and this is good instruction but... i get nervous and my leg hurt everytime i run and hit the shuttle so it's hard for me to smash anyway THX!!!!!!!!!!(my leg hurt cuz i got accident motorcycle accident i fell from it and i stucked then my leg broke now it's ok but when i play it hurt a bit....)

[Ultimateshuttlefanz]

omg MAN, u are a life saver, i have actual learnt so much from ur vid. thank u :)

[2qd121ws]

which racquet would you recommend me to get if i want to smash?

[Ultimateshuttlefanz]

@2qd121ws armor tec 900 man! so good!

[HarroPhilipCA]

@2qd121ws If you are a beginner, Just get a racquet from Sports Mart/ Check...

If you want to spend 300 dollars... Arc Saber ZSlash, or the limited Arc Saber 10...

If you want one that is good overall... Nanospeed 9900...

(P.s. I use black knight, but those are the racquet names that are common)

[lfn1016]

nice vid...if u cud relax your grip n use your fingers u can genrate even more power ;)

[tacticalmarine]

Hey I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed this video and am in the process of applying it in my own game. I had a swing in which I didn't pull my arm back far enough so my power would never increase no matter how hard I tried to swing it. I just tried the basics today and I can already feel that I'm using 30% or so less strength to get the same power in my clears! I'm going to practice to start applying it to my smashes now, they should be awesome! Thanks!

[crest4578]

And also, what about the wrist uncocking/cocking? I don't quite understand :/.

[crest4578]

Just a question, but where do you want your arm to be when you hit it? In front of you, or slightly angled to the side? so, northeast if you're right handed. And also, when do you tighten your grip, as you hit the bird?

[pistol55]

I could not hit the shuttle cock. What could be the problem? though i could hit it sometimes, but im not satisfied with the power generated and i cannot control where the bird goes. :(

[dnacid]

Great video!

Are you thinking about making any other tutorial video?

[dpassi1]

Just read ur brief, can u put a video up on how to supinate the shot; little unsure as to what you mean :)

[dpassi1]

Nice demonstration dude; lot of players settle for a 2nd rate smash but this is a great breakdown which can help add more kph to smashes..

[atreyukicks]

If only the sound was louder... :S will be trying it soon

[dispatche]

Lol this is probably the best video explaining the smash in existence and you're just some random dude.

[thejym]

@dispatche Haha thanks. My name is Jimmy Lin and I'm a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Now at least you know my name and where I am.

[OutragedPanda]

@thejym I think you are related to Lin Dan.

[mzrealm]

@dispatche It's a bit disrespectful calling him "some random dude", is that what you call everyone who you don't know personally? Who knows, once he gets really good he'll be more than just "some random dude".

[dispatche]

@mzrealm Yes, at which point he will become some semi-famous dude. I only refer to people in terms of their dude status.

[kon1402]

Great thanks. I am a beginner and I really learned a lot from the video. Many other videos on smashes tell you about getting power from your wrist but don’t explain fully the pronation technique, which is not just the action of your wrist but your whole forearm.

[42smart]

this is an awesome video. Thanks so much! You really know how to teach, showing us the stroke in various angles, and breaking up the stroke in several parts. Brilliant!

[drakerel]

can anyone tell me whats the difference between a smash and a clear? i cant seem to do a smash and just keep hitting clears.

Im just 14 and have been playing for a few years

[werdinator]

whoa dude! THANK YOU. your video is so descriptive. i tend to just throw my arm when i do a stroke. but ive just imitatated what you said about using your elbow in your overhead stroke and i feel like im propeling my arm more and can generate my power. i cant wait to try this out! :D

but it really does make more sense! i can feel the difference! btw how long have you been playing? is that a high school gym?

im 19 ive been playing for 3 years since 16.

[thejym]

@werdinator Thanks for your support! I find that many coaches don't go into enough detail about the overhead stroke, yet it's one of the most fundamental and important strokes in badminton.. I've witnessed coaches teaching it by saying "pretend you're throwing a whip" or "pretend you're throwing a ball." What if you don't know how to throw a ball or whip?

It actually all begins from having the correct grip and then being able to break down the stroke in slow motion to fully understand it.

[digitalcrypt]

@thejym "I've witnessed coaches teaching it by saying "pretend you're throwing a whip" or "pretend you're throwing a ball." What if you don't know how to throw a ball or whip?"

EXACTLY!! This is a great video. It is so hard to find things broken down to this level of detail. And it is especially hard to find videos that show the techniques so slowly that I can watch each moment to see what is happening.

Great job.

[thejym]

@digitalcrypt Thanks for the kind words, you're the exact type of person I was trying to target with this video. Some day I will hopefully release another video or two...

[DragonGooey]

Yeah, I get the first part, which was definitely clear enough.

But yeah, I suspected I shouldn't be turning the racquet before I make contact. Thanks.

[DragonGooey]

Thanks a lot.

Also, now i'm finding that in order to make the racquet square with the birdie, I have to use my index finger and thumb to rotate the racquet upon contact.

Is my whole stroke wrong?

[thejym]

@DragonGooey When I say that the racket face should be square with the shuttle, I mean that it should be facing squarely in the direction that you intend to hit it. For a straight shot, this means you want it parallel to the back lines. It can be facing slightly downwards or slightly upwards depending on the type of shot you are trying to make. I wasn't sure if I made this clear so I thought I'd clear it up.

You should not be rotating your racket in your finger upon contact.

[thejym]

@thejym It's important to make sure that you have the correct basic grip BEFORE the stroke, but as soon as you contact the shuttle you should tighten your fingers (you should allow the racket to slip into the groove between your thumb and index finger) but the racket should not be twisting within your hand.

[DragonGooey]

I feel like I have it generally down after about a week (and some 1 on 1 coaching), but oftentimes, i feel like I don't have much twisting action.

It's just that when I practice the stroke in the mirror, the swing is more straight rather than a diagonal-like motion. But I definitely am making the effort to have the twisting action.

Oh, wait. What you're doing at 4:30 looks exactly like my normal stroke.

But then 4:45. It's more diagonal.

[thejym]

@DragonGooey I believe when you say it's more "diagonal," you're referring to the angle made between the racket and my forearm. This is an angle that's not fixed but for most power shots, you generally want to be pretty close to 135 degrees (3/8 of a circle). At 4:30, that would be a shot where I would contact the shuttle a little higher than I would typically do it and the trade-off for the added height is that I had to use a little more wrist flexion to direct the shot at a downward angle.

[thejym]

@thejym At 4:45, it's pretty close to 135 degrees so I need little wrist flexion to generate a powerful shot. If you were to measure the power of both shots, the shot at 4:45 would be more powerful because the sin of the angle would net a greater force. With this understanding, you might wonder "Why don't I just hit it with a 90 degree angle?" The main reason it isn't commonly done is because you reduce the angle that you have with the shot since your contact point is lower.

[orangyorange]

I tried this technique today and made tremendous improvement to my smashes and clears. Before this, my smashes caught the net most of the time due to wrong technique. Now, my smashes consistently cross over with additional power to boot.

Thanks a lot!

P.S. It would be lovely if you can show the slow motion version of backhand clear and forehand drop shot as well. Cheers!

[thejym]

@orangyorange Thanks for the support! I hope to eventually make videos for a lot of techniques, and probably will start with the backhand stroke. I have a new grip video showing how to do all four grips that will be uploaded very soon! As far as backhand clears go, you can imagine an opposite-handed person doing a forehand swing. Instead of starting with supination in the backswing and then pronating, you want to begin with pronation (as you lead with your elbow) and then supinate.

[DragonGooey]

helpful video

[crest4578]

Is this shot supposed to take no effort whatsoever? I just recently learned how to do a proper proper proper clear stroke. And I'm not used to it, lol. I have the power to do it, I know I do, but my timing is bad. So yeah, is it supposed to take no effort whatsoever to make the birdy go all the way back?

[xEternalx]

@crest4578

All shots take effort regardless. I think what you are asking is does using this type of swinging reduce the amount of effort you have to put into doing your clears? No. What this guy in the video is demonstrating is just the proper way of swinging; not power control.

The power of your shots come from using your wrist at the moment of contact. And if you can use your wrist instead of trying to use your entire arm, then yes, this decreases the effort to make the birdy go all the way

[thejym]

@xEternalx Switching to a proper stroke from an improper one should always result in a little more power, if not initially then at least once the player has learned to use the proper stroke.

The power of shots does NOT come from wrist extension, as is commonly believed. Rather, it comes from the forearm pronation action combined with upper arm rotation, body rotation, and hitting it square in the sweet spot of the racket.

[thejym]

@thejym Because one can generate a quick swing with forearm pronation, it APPEARS that the shot was done using the wrist, though this is not actually the case. As for using your "entire arm" for your swing, this often results when one does not lead the shot with the elbow or improperly applies power to their shot (power should be applied starting from the backswing when the forearm is supinated and maximum at the point of contact with the shuttle).

[xEternalx]

@thejym

The wrist extension is not as natural as you made have made it sound. Sure, it the wrist naturally extents with the proper swing, but to some extent you have to force the wrist flick a little more to get the power you want. Wrist flick is a source of power too is what i am saying :D

[xEternalx]

@thejym

I agree with you about where the source of power comes from and the stressed importance on a proper swing (the arm pronation and such), but my point is that the wrist is equally if not more important in power generation because it is what directs the flow of energy. And no the wrist is partially responsible for the power generation; that is reason why I think we have wrist strengthening in badminton?

[xEternalx]

@thejym

How about we meet up and I demonstrate what I mean. And no I'm not going to post a video of me doing it on youtube like you do lol. I need to hide my account identity.

[crest4578]

@xEternalx Really? When I used my old stroke, I could only get the birdy NEAR the back of the court.

I have bigger muscles than my friend, but he can put it all the way back with this stroke. Now, I'm still trying to get used to this stroke, it could be that my timing is bad. But thanks.

[xEternalx]

@crest4578

Np :) Well good luck with this. If your timing is off, just use your other arm like a target tracker or smt. This might help.

[crest4578]

@xEternalx Haha, if only I took badminton seriously when I was younger, then I'd learn it faster XD... I have the stroke down, but when I actually play, I keep forgetting.... Hmm, Looks like I need to practice more.

[xEternalx]

@crest4578

How are you now? It's never too late to relearn everything :P

[crest4578]

@xEternalx If we were to divide the "classes of badminton" into 4, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and national level, I'd be intermediate. See, using the left hand to "time it" I'm not used to that either. My hand is either down or low. I need to relax more, lol. And about relearning? Yeah, I'm 16, at least that's better than relearning as an adult. :/

[xEternalx]

@crest4578

Yeah... Exactly. You're only 16. No need to worry. You will improve with time for sure. Just practice really hard lol. At first I thought you were like 20 cause that is what it says on your profile, but nvm, that's good. 16 still young xD

[crest4578]

@xEternalx LoL, this isn't even my account. It's my brother's XD

[orangyorange]

Great work! Is there any pronation for backhand clears?

[TheArnesss]

yes, great video! greetings from germany and "vielen dank"

[hipposmash]

awesome video....your video really helped me to understand what I have been doing wrong. THANKS!!!!

[hthinhst]

I have learn so many smash before but This smash which i really want to learn, thank for your posting!

[syahn9988]

Thank you, learnt something new today

[pridurak]

good video! I've seen lots of videos attempt to explain the pronation technique but they all fail.