The backhand clear
How to send the shuttle deep from your backhand side without running round it: turn, grip, contact and a progression of drills.
What it is for
The backhand clear is the shuttle played high and deep from your backhand side of the rear court to your opponent's rear court. It buys you time when you are late and have no time to run round the shuttle, and it lets you reset the rally. It is one of the hardest strokes to learn, so patience pays.
Step by step
- Turn your back to the net. As you move back, turn so your back faces the net and your racket shoulder points at the shuttle. Take small steps, not one big stride.
- Change to a backhand grip for the rear court. The basic grip or the bevel grip (thumb on the ridge of the handle) suits a shuttle level with you or behind you; turn the hand further towards a panhandle (thumb on the side) for a deeper shuttle. Keep the fingers relaxed until the last moment.
- Lead with the elbow. The elbow rises first and points towards the shuttle; the racket head hangs below it. Think of the elbow pulling the racket up.
- Unwind. Straighten the arm in a relaxed reach and rotate the arm outwards. The hand punches the shuttle and stops at contact, while the racket head carries on.
- Contact at your side. Meet the shuttle at your side, slightly behind you, at shoulder height or above, with the arm straightened and the hand below the shuttle.
- Recover. Let the racket come back, turn towards the net, and return to your base position.
The idea behind it
The speed here comes from timing, not from a big swing: a relaxed grip until the moment of contact, which tightens naturally on impact, and a fast arm rotation. A tight arm from the start is slow and tires you. For the grips themselves, see holding the racket.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Facing the net at contact. You cannot reach the shuttle at your side. Turn your back to the net before the strike.
- Dropped elbow. If the elbow stays low, the racket head cannot rise. Lift the elbow first.
- Forehand grip. The racket face is not ready for a backhand stroke. Change grip as you move back.
- Contact too low or too far in front. Meet the shuttle at your side, slightly behind you, with the arm straight. Move your feet to get under it.
- Swinging from the shoulder only. Think about the relaxed reach and the arm rotation.
Simple practice
- Without a shuttle: shadow the stroke slowly in front of a mirror. Check the turn and the elbow.
- A hanging shuttle at shoulder or head height, slightly behind you: stand with your back to the net, hit it, and turn back to face the net.
- A partner feeds high shuttles to your backhand corner; aim for the opposite rear court. Count how many land deep.
- Alternate: one backhand clear, one drop shot, in a rally.
Limits
This lesson describes the shape of the stroke. The exact technique varies from player to player. It is not a replacement for feedback from someone watching you play.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.