When watching professional players I`ve noticed that many of them tend to "bend" the wrist of their non racket hand, when hitting forehand overhead shots, especially clears and drops but also smash. If you are not sure, what I mean, here is a good example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70L4RLO6UqI Just watch the warm up phase (Minutes 5-8) and pay attention to their non racket arm/hand. For overhead shots they always raise their arm in front of them and slightly bend their wrist. The reason for raising the arm seems pretty clear for me (it helps you to remain balance and to generate power by "pulling it down"), but is there any reason or benefits for this specific hand posture? I`ve asked my coach and he said it`s just a personal habit and the hand posture doesnt matter as long as you raise your non-racket arm into the right position. But I`ve seen so many different players do this, not only Chen Long and Viktor Axelsen but also many other like Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan or Jan O Jorgensen. So if so many players do this, there must be a reason for this, right? Please tell me that you know the reason for this or at least that you also noticed it and I`m not the only one wondering
So this is something I do during play. I'm happy to explain it. One technique for learning overhead shots is to use your non-racket hand as a gauge for shuttle distance; you point your non-racket hand towards the shuttle to build up alignment. This accomplishes a few things: a) You get a better judge on distance b) It teaches you the correct chest breadth for achieving the shot necessary (by opening up the chest) c) It helps to develop the 'pull it back like an arrow' method of hitting. Well, as you can guess, the pro players don't really need element a) in their game. They're already adept at judging the shuttle's distance. They do however, need to keep their chest open properly, and they'll still use that same 'draw it back like an arrow' technique in a refined form. By keeping your hand here, you keep the other muscles in the same place as you always have, but you don't have as much preparation time required by pointing, and you remove a conscious element of play (the judgement). It's just an advance in the simple technique.
Agree. In order to hit properly with power, the muscles must be relaxed to start with. Pointing straight with the non racket arm/hand would unnecessarily increase muscle tension.
This just happens when you pull your arm out as far as possible, as I've explained. Put your elbows out straight, then push them backwards to open your chest as much as possible. If you let your wrist go straight, it moves into that backward position. He's likely tensing the muscles in his arm as he's swinging at that point, flexing his fingers in the process.
how can a muscle contraction come from being too relaxed?! If I'm pulling my elbow around using shoulder/chest/back, then why should my forearm contract to induce wrist extension when it is otherwise relaxed!? It doesn't make sense.
In so far as charlie says 'this just happens' I say "this just doesn't happen" as I have demonstrated to and by myself. ( I actually edited my post before I saw your reply )
If I do as I described above, and pull both arms back (like there's an imaginary bar across my neck), and go as wide as possible until it's a stress position, and then I let my wrist flop forward, it's sore on the inside edge of my arm. When you open your chest like that, your wrist going backwards really is the natural relaxed position. I mean there isn't really much more to this. I find it odd that you don't find this position more comfortable to maintain when you have a widened chest.
Why are you even talking about that motion? It's not a badminton motion I've ever heard of. A lot of what you're saying makes no sense to me. 1: Axelsen is in the preparation phase and has this posture. Why should he be opening his shoulders so early (if it is this opening of shoulders that causes this wrist posture...)? 2: I've always been taught to bring the elbow in so that your shoulders/torso can rotate faster. 3: Axelson still has this wrist position when keeping his chest 'closed' and his elbows in (e.g. two clears at 7:28 -> 7:34) There is a big difference between the wrist flopping backwards, and the near 90 degree angle that it seems some people have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU-gTOVnZvI I'm in black. My wrist stays pretty neutral and natural (imo) throughout. Maybe I'm just incredibly inflexible!?
Watched the video, you don't open your chest wide enough for your arm to assume that position. Even with you're side on, your arm is in front of your body, to open your chest fully, your non-racket hand should be behind the body.