Your first racket contacts: hold the racket short
How holding the racket high up the handle makes the first hits easier, and three small exercises that use the forearm.
The idea
When you first hit with a racket, the shuttle is far from your hand. Holding the racket short, high up the handle close to the "T" of the racket (where the head meets the shaft), brings the strings nearer to your hand. The object you want to hit is then still close to the hand, and success comes more easily. The BWF manual uses this as a bridge between hitting with the hand and hitting with a normal grip.
Three small exercises
- Back of the hand up. Hold the racket short, close to the "T", with the back of your hand facing upwards. Keep a balloon, a soft ball or a shuttle in the air by turning the forearm.
- First finger along the frame. Hold the racket short again, now with the first finger below and along the frame. Keep the balloon, ball or shuttle in the air by turning the forearm.
- Touch, take back, hit. Same grip. First touch a shuttle with the strings. Then take the racket head back by turning the forearm, and hit the shuttle by turning the forearm the other way. At the end you should be able to see the back of your hand.
What to notice
- The movement comes from the forearm turning, not from swinging the whole arm.
- A relaxed hand. The manual says grips should be relaxed: it makes changing grip easier, helps power, reduces fatigue and helps deception. The grip tightens a little by itself at the moment of contact.
Next step
Once this feels comfortable, lower your hand towards the end of the handle for strokes that need more reach, such as those played from the back of the court. The manual notes that long grips are better for reach and power, while short grips suit quick movements or moments when you need more control. See also holding the racket: forehand grip and backhand grip.
Limits
The exercises come from a manual for coaches. The manual describes "near the T" without a measured distance, so find a position where the racket feels light and controlled.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.