Badminton Racket Handle Length and Where to Grip It

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

Badminton rackets have no official standard handle length. BWF regulates the whole frame, not a separate handle measurement, and current designs vary. On court, changing where you hold the handle changes the working lever: use a long hold for reach, a neutral hold for transitions and a short hold for fast exchanges near the body.

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How long is a badminton racket handle?

There is no single legal or industry-standard answer. If you compare two rackets yourself, measure between the same physical landmarks on both. Grip-wrap height is not a reliable endpoint, and manufacturer handle dimensions may use different conventions.

The current BWF Laws of Badminton allow a frame no longer than 680 mm and define the handle as the part intended to be gripped. They do not give the handle its own minimum or maximum length.

Manufacturer designs confirm that the dimension can change. The VICTOR 2024 catalogue illustrates a 175 mm FREE CORE handle beside a 195 mm conventional wooden-handle design. Treat those as two real examples, not a promise that every adult racket falls between 17.5 and 19.5 cm.

The cone is the flared transition above the wrapped gripping area on many rackets. It gives your fingers a tactile reference and covers or forms part of the shaft-to-handle junction, but BWF does not regulate it as a separate required part. Its shape and usable surface vary by design.

For overall frame and shaft measurements, see our racket-length rules and shaft diameter and length guide.

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The three useful hand positions

Think of handle position as adjustable during the rally. One racket can give you a longer or shorter working lever without any equipment change.

These positions match the broad coaching distinction in the BWF Level 1 manual: long grips are better for reach and power, while short grips are often used for quick movements or greater control. The exact number of centimetres is personal because hand size and handle design differ.

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What happens to leverage and effective swingweight?

Sliding upward makes the racket feel quicker because your hand becomes the pivot closer to more of the racket's mass. Sliding down lengthens the working lever. The racket's actual mass and balance point have not changed; only your relationship to them has.

In racket testing, swingweight is moment of inertia about a defined axis near the handle. A 2023 Scientific Reports study tested 20 experienced players using five rackets with altered moment of inertia. Higher inertia reduced racket-head speed but did not reduce post-impact shuttle speed. The experiment changed the rackets, not the players’ hand positions, so it does not quantify the effect of choking up; it only shows why quicker racket-head movement should not automatically be equated with a faster shuttle.

The racket’s mass, balance point and laboratory swingweight measured about its specified axis remain unchanged; only the rotational feel about your hand changes.

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When should you change position in doubles?

Change while the racket is relaxed and the shuttle is travelling, not during the final acceleration into contact. Your court role gives the cue.

• Rotating to the rear: slide down toward a long hold as you turn. Set it before the overhead preparation begins.
• Moving into the forecourt: slide upward as your partner takes the rear attack. Keep the racket in front and shorten the action.
• Defending flat: use a neutral or slightly short hold before the opponent strikes. The goal is compact blocks and drives near the body.
• Jumping from the rear court: establish the long hold before takeoff. Do not try to slide while accelerating the racket.
• Role still uncertain: return to neutral instead of guessing at an extreme.

Singles usually rewards a longer default because court coverage and rear-court depth matter, but a shorter hold still helps on low serves, quick net exchanges and body defence. The decision belongs to the next contact, not to a fixed singles-versus-doubles rule.

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How to slide without losing the grip

Relax first, slide second, then restore the racket-face orientation. A squeezed handle cannot move cleanly through the fingers.

1. Hold the racket in a relaxed basic grip at neutral length.
2. Soften the middle, ring and little fingers without releasing the thumb and index-finger guide.
3. Slide one or two finger widths up or down.
4. Check the correct bevel with a small finger roll.
5. Tighten only for the contact, then relax again.

Practise the position change separately from forehand-to-backhand orientation at first. Once both are clean, combine them using our grip-change drill.

The drill and distances are Badminton House coaching choices. Stay slow until the hand arrives at the new position without looking down or squeezing the handle.

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Common handle-position mistakes

Most errors come from treating one position as universally correct or confusing hand position with grip orientation.

• Holding long at the net: the extra reach is rarely worth a slow, oversized interception.
• Holding short for every overhead: the racket feels manageable, but you give away reach and lever length.
• Gripping the cone tightly: use the upper area as a short-hold reference, not as a permanent fist position.
• Sliding while squeezing: relax between contacts so the fingers can reposition the handle.
• Fixing a thickness problem by moving the hand: change the grip build instead. Compare overgrip, replacement and towel grip separately.