Badminton Grip Change Drill: Roll Forehand to Backhand

Last checked: August 2026 · Written by the player-led team at Badminton House

If you learned informally, you may hold one grip for everything and try to repair the problem only when the shuttle is already beside you. This drill moves the change earlier, then adds the visual and movement pressure that makes the habit useful.

The BWF Shuttle Time manual lists grip-change practice without and then with a shuttle. It also recommends relaxed active fingers and changing between grips without turning the hand. Read the grip-change teaching notes. For grip descriptions and theory, use our forehand-to-backhand grip-switching guide, then return here for the drill.

Practice parameters: The repetition counts, pass scores, and work-rest targets below are Badminton House drill settings, not BWF performance standards. Reduce the dose or stop when pain, loss of balance, or loss of racket control appears.

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Step 1: watch the roll at hip height

Start without a shuttle so your eyes can learn the hand movement. The racket moves between the forehand and backhand positions at hip height while your feet stay quiet and your wrist remains relaxed.

1. Stand in a neutral ready position with the racket in front.
2. Roll from forehand to backhand and back again for 20 slow repetitions.
3. Watch the handle for the first 10 repetitions, then look forward for the next 10.

Pass when: the fingers can roll the handle both ways without a thumb search or an uncontrolled spin in the palm. If one fault appears, slow down rather than squeezing harder.

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Step 2: add a slow shuttle

Now connect the grip change to a real contact. A partner can feed gentle shuttles to the forehand and backhand side at hip height, or you can use a balloon or self-feed if no partner is available.

1. Complete 3 sets of 10 feeds, alternating sides.
2. Change grip before the racket travels toward the shuttle.
3. Keep the eyes on the shuttle and the hitting area, not on the handle.

Pass when: at least 27 of 30 contacts use the intended grip without a whole-hand regrip. A miss caused by the feed does not count as a grip fault; repeat the feed instead of rushing after it.

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Step 3: respond to a signal without looking

Remove the visual check of the handle and let a partner call forehand or backhand just before the feed. The signal creates a small decision, but the feed should remain slow enough that the player can keep the racket under control.

1. Use 20 calls with the player starting in the opposite grip from the named side.
2. Rest briefly, then repeat with the calls in a different order.
3. Keep the racket in front instead of dropping it to the hip between contacts.

Pass when: 18 of 20 changes finish before the forward swing, with no eyes on the handle and no thumb search. If the player changes only as the shuttle arrives, return to Step 2 and slow the feed.

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Step 4: change grip while moving

The final step adds a small chasse or split-step movement. The change should happen during preparation, not after the feet have finished and the shuttle is already beside the body.

1. Set two side targets no more than a comfortable step apart.
2. Start in the middle, split, move toward the called side, and complete the grip change before the hitting action.
3. Work for 4 rounds of 20 seconds with 40 seconds of easy rest.

The BWF manual also includes chasse practice and controlled running-and-hitting exercises. See the BWF movement progression. Pass when: the player can complete two rounds while changing before the forward swing and staying balanced.

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Which grip-change faults should you stop?

A fast change is not useful if it removes control. Stop the repetition when the whole hand clamps down, the racket spins in the palm, the eyes chase the handle, or the change waits until the stroke has already begun.

• Whole-hand regrip: loosen the last three fingers and let the fingers roll the handle.
• Thumb search: return to Step 1 and watch only the first few repetitions.
• Late change: call the grip before moving, then repeat the signal step at a slower feed.
• Racket drop: keep the racket in front so the change has less distance to travel.

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How do you make the change stick in a game?

Use half-court singles for one to three minutes with the feeder alternating forehand- and backhand-side opportunities. The receiver scores the repetition only when the grip changes before the forward swing and the contact stays controlled.

1. Begin with cooperative feeds and no rally score.
2. Add a short rally in which the partner calls only late grip changes, not ordinary shot errors.
3. Finish with 2 minutes of easy chasse-and-hit work and no verbal reminder.

Keep a short version in the warm-up: 10 shadow changes, 10 gentle feeds, one short rally block, then normal play. The goal is not to think about the grip during every rally. It is to prepare early enough that the hand can change without taking your eyes or balance away from the shuttle.