A technically correct forehand clear is one of the keys to a strong badminton foundation. The ready position for the clear is used for a variety of strokes, including drops, smashes, attacking clears, cuts, and slices.

The guide below is based upon an IDEAL hitting situation. Game play does not always allow for maximum preparation, as there are infinite variations due to endless hitting situations. 

For instruction purposes, the guide is referring to a right handed athlete...

• racquet foot is ahead of the other foot
• knees slightly bent (more than the picture shows)
• body weight slightly forward on to the front of the feet
• racquet is pointing out towards the top of the net with a neutral grip
• slight L shape bend in the arms
• Note: this is not the ready position for return of service

• push off from the front racquet foot using the other foot as the pivot
• the elbow of the racquet hand leads while pivoting back
• the raquet should not dip below the shoulder level while pivoting
• the non-racquet arm should also be staying up in the air to counter balance the racquet arm while the racquet arm transfers from front to back
• the front of the body should be roughly facing 90 degrees away from the incoming shuttle direction

• the body weight is favouring the back foot
• the back foot direction is facing 2 o'clock if the athlete is right handed (10 o'clock if left handed) , & the front foot direction is facing at approximately 11 to 12 o'clock
• the shoulders are in alignment, with the athletes' head facing forward
• both arms to the elbow should be about shoulder level or higher
• the non-racquet arm is up as a counter balance during the swing, and that hand can be used to point to the shuttle while in flight
• there is open space between the arms and the head to allow for greater overall swinging range which results in a higher shuttle contact point
• if the arms and racquet are tighter to the body during the preparation stage, the natural contact point with the shuttle will be lower, resulting in less distance and height covered by the shuttle 
• the arms will naturally shrink into the body resulting in the contact point to be lower and closer to the body when the :
  • shuttle arrives shorter or lower than anticipated
  • athlete attempts a short range shot like a drop or push

• the butt end of the wrist leads the start of the clear, which naturally allows the racquet head to drop (Frame 9 at bottom)
• the rear heel lifts off the court as the body starts to transfer the body weight from the back to front
• the racquet head catches up to the wrist when the wrist arrives above the head
• the racquet head face should not be facing the net until arriving above the athtletes' body just before the shuttle contact point (naturally happens if the V grip is used) (Frame 11 at bottom)

• as the racquet head arrives over the top of the body, the index finger applies pressure to the handle as the wrist rotates almost 180 degrees in a clockwise direction (6 o'clock to 12 o'clock) (Frames 9,10 & 11 at the bottom)
• the rotation is referred to as Pronation of the wrist, and this snapping motion of wrist is what gives the shuttle the popping sound as it is hit (see Technical Guide for Pronation Frames)
• the pressure on the index finger also assists in the direction of the racquet head resulting in a better controlled shuttle tradjectory
• the actual contact point is slight in front of the body (Frame 6)
• the movement of the wrist in controlling shuttle direction disguises some shots like the cross court cut(baseline left corner to a cross court drop with the appearance of a full court clear)

• the mechanics of the clear are similiar to that of a baseball pitch and swimming front crawl 
  • during preparation and follow through, the arms are opposing each other for balance and directional control
  • the non-racquet arm is very important in contributing to the overall mechanics of the swing, as it keeps the shoulders and mid body section in aligment with the swing
  • the bigger muscles groups of the mid body and shoulders can generate and contribute to power in the clear.
  • the momentum of the stronger muscles (in unison with the upper body mechanics are carried throughout the delivery of the shot, and transfer into the shot through their rotation and twisting motion during body movement
  • the moment the shuttle is contacted by the racquet, the rear foot carries forward to allow the momentum of the body and racquet arm to follow through with the shot
• the follow through also re-engages the body into a similiar posture of the ready position (racquet foot forward, racquet up to the tape)

Frames 9, 10, & 11

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