Shots & strokes · Backhand · Intermediate · ~6 min
Backhand clear
A clear hit with a backhand overhead from the backhand rear corner when round-the-head is not possible.
▶ 5 Drills to HIT the PERFECT BADMINTON BACKHAND CLEAR — Aylex Badminton Academy (YouTube)
More videos: BADMINTON TECHNIQUE #57 - BACKHAND CLEAR , BASIC TUTORAL (Shuttle Life) · BACKHAND CLEAR - Badminton Biomechanics (Badminton Famly)
Prescription3 × 20 shuttles · rest 1 min
EquipmentRacket, Shuttles, Badminton court
ImpactLow
FormatNeeds feeder
Tactical use & trade-offs
Gets you out of trouble from the deep backhand corner. Hard to hit full length, so a short backhand clear is a common weakness opponents target.
Technique
| Grip | Backhand grip: from the forehand grip, turn slightly and place the pad of the thumb flat on the wide back bevel (thumb grip). Relaxed until contact. |
|---|---|
| Preparation | Turn your back to the net, right foot toward the corner, elbow pointing up at the shuttle. |
| Contact point | High, with the elbow leading, slightly in front of the body (relative to your new direction). |
| Racket face | Flat, angled up. |
| Swing | Elbow leads up, then a fast forearm supination and thumb push "flicks" the racket through. |
| Body & footwork | Weight on the right foot at contact. |
| Follow-through | Short, sharp stop; pivot and recover to base. |
Coaching cues
- Elbow up, thumb push
- Snap and stop
Common errors
- Contact too low
- Arm-only swing without forearm rotation
- Not turning the back enough
Practice
On your own: Shadow backhand movement and swing (3 × 8).
With a partner: Feeder clears to the backhand rear; player plays backhand clears; count those passing the doubles long service line.
Volume: 3 × 12 shuttles.
Safety
- Stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, chest pain or unusual breathlessness.