Backhand Clear

Intermediateshots

Turn your back to the net, elbow up.

Reach behind and flick the shuttle deep with your backhand. Wrist power and timing over brute force.

Key points

•Turn your back to the net
•Elbow leads, then snap the wrist
•Hit with a quick flick
•Follow through upward

Practice with Coach Priya

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The backhand clear is one of the trickiest shots to master but one of the most rewarding. When the shuttle goes behind you on the backhand side, turn your body so your back faces the net. Lead with your elbow — bring it up first, and then quickly snap the wrist to generate power. Unlike the overhead clear, this shot relies almost entirely on wrist and forearm rotation rather than full body rotation. The contact point should be as high as you can reach. Think of it as cracking a whip — the elbow leads, and the racket head whips through last.

Fun Fact

Many consider the backhand clear the hardest shot in badminton to master. Lin Dan, the legendary Chinese player, was famous for having one of the most powerful backhand clears in history!

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.