The badminton grip for net kills depends on how tight the shuttlecock is to the net.
When you have room (and time) to swing
- Room to swing
If the shuttlecock is not too close to the net, then a greatly shortened smash action is often the best technique.
For forehands, use a similar grip as for smashing: the basic grip, often shifted towards a panhandle grip.
Similarly, use a bevel grip for backhands, often shifted towards a thumb grip.
Tight net kills
- Tight net kill
If the shuttlecock is tighter to the net, then the hitting action must be made shorter to avoid touching the net: the normal arm rotation cannot be used.
Use a short forwards tapping action instead, with a panhandle grip for forehands and a thumb grip for backhands.
The panhandle grip is also appropriate whenever the shuttlecock is well in front of you—even if you have room to swing, you might not be far enough forwards to use a basic grip.
Extremely tight net kills
- Brush net kill
If the shuttlecock is just trickling over the net, then only a brush net kill will avoid touching the net. A brush net kill involves
swiping the racket sideways along the net, to brush
the shuttlecock over.
The grip is approximately panhandle for forehands and thumb for backhands, but in both cases it’s helpful to angle the badminton racket slightly inwards: the brushing action is always towards the middle of the court.