The universal grip

In Crossminton you hold the racket the same way for every stroke. No re-gripping, no variants for forehand and backhand. One grip for everything — hence the universal grip.

That sounds unremarkable, but it's the reason you can keep up in the fast game at all. The Speeder travels faster than you could ever re-grip. Anyone hunting for the right grip arrives too late.

Here's how to find it: hold the racket in front of you with your free hand, the edge pointing to the floor. Now grab it as if you were shaking hands with the grip. A slight "V" forms between thumb and index finger. That's all there is to it.

Two things decide between good and bad:

The pressure. Hold it loosely, not tensely — about as firmly as you shake someone's hand without crushing it. Too tight a grip robs you of feel and tires your forearm. It only firms up at the moment of contact, and afterwards you release again.

The wrist. At the start you keep it quiet and straight. The power comes from arm, shoulder and legs. At first this feels like a tennis stroke, and that's exactly right. Only once the grip is secure and your strokes come cleanly may the wrist join in and, at the end, snap like a whip. That whip comes later — for now you're building the foundation.

Grip it blind