forehand grip (the basic grip) and

For backhands at the side of your body, use the basic grip. When the shuttlecock is at the side of your body rather than in front, the basic grip will be better than the thumb grip.Look at the gap between your thumb and first finger; it should form a shape like the letter V. The bottom point of this V-shape should not be exactly on top of the badminton racket handle: it should be placed towards the diagonal bevel on the left, bevel 2.bevel 1 is a narrow bevel, bevel 2 is a diagonal bevel, bevel 3 is a wide bevel, and bevel 4 is another diagonal bevel

The badminton racket handle has eight bevels: the two wide bevels, the two narrow bevels, and the four diagonal bevels.

A wide bevel

A narrow bevel

Bevel gripStart with the basic grip. Without changing the angle of the badminton racket in your hand, place the pad of your thumb onto the diagonal bevel, bevel 2.This badminton grip is good for many backhand strokes, especially for overhead backhands such as backhand clears.The thumb placement can help you gain extra leverage for backhand power.In general, you want to use the bevel grip This will be right for a "normal" backhand clear, where you are contacting the shuttle approximately level with you, or slightly behind you.

THUMB

panhandle grip

When the shuttlecock has travelled behind you, however, you need to

shift towards a panhandle grip.This change in angle is necessary in order to hit the shuttlecock straight. If you don’t adjust your badminton grip, then the shuttlecock will go out at the side.Placing the thumb on the side of the badminton racket handle, bevel 1, can help you gain some leverage for backhand power.Think of this as adjusting the angle of the bevel grip.Use this grip for forehands when the shuttlecock is well in front of you and above net height.This grip is sometimes called a frying pan grip. Lee Jae Bok calls it the forehand net kill grip.

THUMB

backhand grip (the thumb grip)

Use this grip to play backhand strokes when the shuttlecock is in front of your body. For example, you can use this grip to play a backhand net kill.When the shuttlecock has travelled behind you, however, you need to shift towards a thumb grip.In that first pic of Taufik, with the full thumb grip, it seems like the birdie's approaching waist-level.

Since it's not a above-the-head level backhand clear, I guess you could use either the thumb grip or the bevel grip in that situation, because you still pretty much make contact with the birdie in FRONT of you, in which, as Gollum said, the thumb grip is ideal.

If it's coming at an angle and it's NOT in front of you, but far out to the side (still at waist high level of course), I actually prefer a bevel grip. It lets me take advantage of supination and generate more power, in case I need drive the birdie back..if you're just going to perform a drop, you could use the thumb grip...if the birdie's low and on your backhand side, both the thumb and bevel grip is feasible. Again, I personally prefer a bevel grip when it's right there, and reserve the thumb grip for birdies that are at least a few feet in front of me, e.g. a net kill. when reaching out sideways for a backhand net kill, the "normal" grip (thumb grip) does not work. You need a bevel grip instead, or sometimes even a panhandle grip.

• In general, you want to use the bevel grip This will be right for a "normal" backhand clear, where you are contacting the shuttle approximately level with you, or slightly behind you.

• When the shuttle has travelled farther behind you, you'll need to adjust towards panhandle this allows you to hit the shuttle straight and without slice (slicing will rob you of power).