How to hold a badminton racket

How to hold a badminton racket: use a relaxed handshake (forehand) grip for forehand and overhead shots, with the V between your thumb and index finger on the top-left edge of the handle (for right-handers), and switch to a thumb (backhand) grip by turning the racket slightly and pressing your thumb flat on the wide back of the handle. Add the bevel and panhandle grips later, and avoid holding it like a frying pan for everything.

Grip sounds boring, but it decides how much power you can generate, how quickly you can switch between forehand and backhand, and how much strain goes through your forearm. Use the interactive handle below to see where your hand goes for each grip.

First, know your handle: the eight bevels

A badminton handle is not round. It is an octagon with eight flat faces called bevels. Two of them are wider and run parallel to the strings; the two narrow ones line up with the edges of the frame. By convention, with the racket face perpendicular to the floor and the handle pointing at you, bevel 1 is on top and the numbers go clockwise for a right-hander. You don’t need to memorise numbers; you do need to feel the wide bevels, because the backhand thumb grip uses one of them.

The badminton forehand grip

1. Hold the racket by the throat with your non-racket hand, face perpendicular to the floor (frame edge up).
2. Shake hands with the handle: the V between thumb and index finger sits on the top-left diagonal bevel (top-right for left-handers).
3. Spread your fingers slightly, with the index finger a little apart from the others like a trigger. Don’t point it straight along the handle.
4. Leave a little space between the butt of the handle and the heel of your hand, and between your palm and the handle. You should be able to wiggle the racket.

Use it for every forehand: overhead clears, drops and smashes, forehand drives and lifts, and forehand net shots. The key test: from this grip, your forearm can rotate freely (like turning a door handle), and that rotation is where overhead power comes from. Read more in how to smash harder.

The badminton backhand grip (thumb grip)

From the forehand grip, rotate the racket slightly in your fingers so the pad of your thumb lies flat on the wide bevel behind the backhand face. Your thumb now pushes the racket through the shot, like pressing a button. The fingers stay relaxed and slightly back from the handle.

Use it for backhand drives, mid-court backhand lifts and clears, backhand blocks, and the low backhand serve used in doubles. The most common mistake is keeping the forehand grip for backhands, which forces you to hit with the edge of the hand and robs you of power.

The bevel grip

For shuttles that have got behind you on the backhand side (rear-court backhands) the thumb moves further round, from the wide bevel onto the ridge next to it. The strings then face diagonally, which makes it easier to get the racket face behind a shuttle that is already past your body. It is an intermediate grip: learn the thumb grip first, then experiment with the bevel grip for high backhands and some defensive blocks.

The panhandle grip, and why the frying pan is a trap

The panhandle grip turns the racket so the string face points at the net, like holding a frying pan. At the net in doubles, it is genuinely useful: short, fast taps and net kills on shuttles just above the tape, with no time to swing.

The problem is using it for everything. Many self-taught players hold the racket like a frying pan by default because it feels natural. From there, overhead shots become an arm push without forearm rotation, clears fall short, and backhands are almost impossible. Pickleball and table-tennis players switching to badminton often bring this habit with them (see badminton vs pickleball).

Grip pressure: hold it like a bird

Most beginners squeeze far too hard. A tight grip tires the forearm, slows the swing and makes fast grip changes impossible. Many coaches describe the ideal as holding a small bird: firm enough that it can’t fly away, loose enough not to hurt it. Hold the racket gently between shots and squeeze only at the instant of contact; the sudden squeeze adds a final burst of racket speed. For soft shots like net shots and drops, stay relaxed even through contact.

Grip size matters too. A handle that is too thick encourages squeezing; too thin and the racket twists in your hand. On Yonex rackets, a higher G number means a thinner handle, and an overgrip adds thickness and tack. Our racket finder and how to choose a racket guide cover sizing.

Changing grips quickly

In a real rally you change grips constantly, often several times per shot sequence. The switch should be a small rotation of the handle with your fingers, not a full re-grip.

• Neutral between shots. Many players hold a relaxed in-between grip at the ready position and adjust once they read the shot.
• Finger twiddle drill. While watching TV, rotate between forehand and thumb grip with your fingers only, without looking. Aim for smooth and silent.
• Wall drill. Hit alternate forehand and backhand drives against a wall from about 2 m. You can’t keep it going without switching grips.
• Shadow with a call. Have a friend call “forehand” or “backhand” randomly while you shadow; change grip on each call. More ideas in drills for beginners.

Which grip for which shot?

Left-handed players

Everything mirrors. The V sits on the top-right diagonal for your forehand, and your thumb goes on the opposite wide bevel for backhands. Flip the toggle on the handle above to see it. Most coaching videos are filmed with right-handers, so mirroring them in your head is normal; filming yourself and comparing side by side helps.

Replacement grips and overgrips

The surface under your fingers matters as much as the shape. Synthetic (PU) overgrips are thin, tacky and cheap to replace when they get slick; towel grips absorb sweat but add bulk and need changing often. Replace a grip when it feels slippery or flattened, because a slippery handle makes you squeeze harder, which undoes all the relaxed-grip work. Wrapping with a slight overlap keeps the bevels easy to feel; a very thick wrap rounds them off and makes grip changes vaguer.

Common grip mistakes

• Frying-pan grip for overhead shots.
• Squeezing all the time (forearm fatigue and slow swings).
• Index finger pointed straight up the back of the handle.
• Thumb wrapped around the fingers instead of resting on the handle.
• Holding too high up the handle for power shots, or right at the butt for net shots (choke up a little at the net).
• Same grip for forehand and backhand.

Next up: put the grips to work with our guide to every badminton shot and the 25 beginner tips.