Badminton players execute a variety of shots through two shot hitting wings named forehand and badminton. A forehand shot means that player is executing a shot with the front face of the racquet head. While hitting from the forehand side, the player’s hand does not cross the body’s midline. The inverse is true for a backhand shot.
During a rally, a player might face a situation where the approaching shuttle is high and angle towards the player’s backhand wing. In order to establish an effective attacking clearance, the player might tend to hit a around the head shot. In this shot, if the player feels that they have less time to execute an effective backhand, they hit a forehand shot from the backhand wing by directing their hand around the head.
An around the head shot can be hit as a drop shot, a clearance shot or a smash. Players prefer around the head shot when they feel their forehand wing is more dominant than their backhand. Moreover, they might also prefer it when they believe they can earn a point by hitting a winner with a forehand rather a backhand depending on where the opening on the court is.
An around the head shot can often deceive the opponent. This is because the changed angle of the racquet head does not quickly give away the direction of the shuttle. Moreover, since this shot depends a lot on wrist positioning, the power applied on the shot is also difficult to determine. Around the head shots can be relatively easy to master especially if the player’s dominant wing is the forehand.
