Han Jian’s Method for Overheads – Steve’s Badminton Blog and Website

This week I talk about Han Jian’s method for overheads and compare it with the Malaysian style I learnt as a youth. This topic is asked by Sritam Behura, and I created a video to talk about this topic. This is the first video in a new series of videos where I talk directly into the camera, aptly named: Steve’s Monologue. Here on the blog, let’s dive a bit deeper into this topic.

The overhead swing I learnt when I was a youth player is done with the entire arm. I would put the racquet up preparing to hit, and then pull the racquet back, creating room for the backswing. As the shuttle drops to the right height, I would pull the racquet forward, the distance which I pulled the racquet back would provide the distance required for the racquet to accelerate before the hit. After the hit, the arm continues to move downwards.

This is very different from the swing which I have learnt from Han Jian. Han Jian’s method requires the racquet to be held lower, and right before the hit, the arm move up and the racquet points downwards, like the thumbnail shown above. The fingers are not gripping the racquet tight at this point, and this allows the racquet to fall downwards. The fingers then grab the racquet and pull it upwards in order to hit. This creates a whipping action as the racquet swings forward very quickly to hit. After the hit, the racquet bounces back as it reaches the maximum distance which the wrist can turn, and I can then lower my arm and start moving.

The Malaysian technique I learnt as a youth player is much easier to master. If you know how to throw something, you know how to hit with a racquet. It just takes practice to understand the flight of the shuttle, and also the timing of the swing. The simplicity is what makes it popular. Every child can do this swing and hit. The difference is how hard and far they can hit. If they are bigger, they can hit harder. And by varying the height of their hit, they also vary the distance. So, it is quite normal to see children younger than Lucas hitting the shuttle baseline to baseline, but at a height which is more similar to a drive.

Han Jian’s method has such a steep learning curve that most children are unable to do it. The movement required to do this is so complex and it too requires strength, but in different areas: the fingers. To generate the spin required to whip racquet fast, it requires a lot of finger dexterity and strength. And children do not gain that finger dexterity until they are much older, roughly when they become teenagers. Fred did not start to master this until 2022, when I first started making videos on YouTube. At that time, he just turned 12. He was swinging like Lucas now before that, and Lucas is 10 now.

This is one of the primary reason why many players here in Malaysia do not play with Han Jian’s technique despite learning it from him very early on. Han Jian practically touched an entire generation of Malaysian players when he was coaching the national team and the national juniors team here. None of them could adapt to his technique. Humans would always revert to the easiest way to do something when given the chance. Why would they choose to do such a difficult method to lob when they could swing with their arms and it works? So, why would I want to learn this technique when I already know how to play with the Malaysian style at a high level?

The answer lies in the fact that I understood my failings as a youth player. I understood why I did not make it. It was not because of my chronic injury problems. The chronic injuries which plagued me were because I did not accept the truth in my failings and tried to prove nature wrong. I tried to execute all the difficult moves which I saw Chinese players do with my Malaysian technique, and that was how I got injured all the time.

There is where the answer lies on why I insisted that my children learn Han Jian’s methods and nothing else.

I always asked the question, how could the Chinese players do those moves whereas I am not able to? What is their secret? And now I know the answer: It is the technique of swinging. Their short swing allows for hits which are not practical otherwise.

Using the fingers to generate the power takes the stress off the shoulders, and this allows for rapid swings with good power with the need to continuously moving the shoulders too much. This is particularly useful in double when doing flat play and pressuring the opponent with rapid smashes. It also allows for the player at the front to intercept more shots. With such a short swing, they can just stick the racquet up at the right moment and spin it to hit the shuttle downwards.

This short swing allows the player to hit over the head shots which are closer to the backhand side without turning and using a backhand shot. This means the player can still continue to apply pressure to the opponent despite the opponent sending it to the backhand side. Lin Dan uses this to great effect. I have discussed this in a prevous blog entry:

Perhaps the most notable advantage of the short swing is not in the type of hits which the players can do, but it is in their improved mobility. Having a short swing means the player has to spend less time swinging to hit, and this means they can spend more time moving on court. The player can hit the shuttle later, so they can spend the extra half second moving closer to the shuttle to get a better hit, which results in better attacking play. And when defending, the player can still retrieve smashes which are very steep as they do not that much time to swing and return the shuttle. Nobody exemplifies this more than Chen Long.

There are many more aspects to discuss and I will be diving deeper into this topic in the future. Please do leave comments on what you think. This will help shape the discussion further. Below is the link to the video on YouTube. Please leave your comments there. This will help guide me on what video to make next.

That’s all for this entry.

Until the next update, eat well, get plenty of rest, and keep the badminton going!