Almost certainly the most vital facet of a player's game is their grip. Having a correct grip is vital for maintaining consistency and correctness in ones stroke. Here we will look at few of the basic grip configurations and discuss their pros and cons.
The Straight Grip
The straight grip, in some form, is probably the most commonly used grip in carrom today. For the direct grip, the hand is held palm side down, with the fingertips resting evenly on the carrom board. The wrist rests on the border of the board. The shot is made by the index finger (or at times the middle finger) with an easy frontward "push" of the finger. A lot of players find that in case they hold the striker amid the thumb and third finger (as shown in photo), and let go the striker as they are making the stroke, it adds good steadiness and augmented accuracy to their shot.
A general fault made by beginners is to "cock" their index finger at the back of the tip of the thumb, and then let go the finger aggressively, "smacking" the striker with the tip of their finger. This can have a aching result, and more prominently, it is damn tough to maintain correctness when making the shot in this style. A further better approach is to rest the index finger slightly on the carrom board, directly at the back and simply touching the striker, and to make the shot with a light "push" of the finger, as opposed to a "strike". This approach will lead in far better accuracy and a more lovely experience of the game.
The Scissor Grip
The other, less familiar grip used for frontward shots is called as the "scissor" grip. This grip is finest comprehended by looking at the photograph at right. In the scissor grip, the stroke is made by the middle finger, which is laid plane on the carrom board, vertical to the intended path of the striker. The index finger rests atop the middle finger, holding it behind until the moment of release, which gives a "snap" that can make great power when done correctly. Consequently, a lot of players who use the straight grip for their usual shots are called to use the scissor grip at the time of breaking.
The benefit of the scissor grip, additionally to the augmented power, is (at least in theory) that the finger, at the time of resting at right-angles to the path of the shot, more probably, in the arc of it's stroke, to propel the striker in the correct direction. One can picture, for instance, that when making a shot with the straight grip, the striker might be inclined to "roll off" one side of the fingernail or the other, because of the roundness of the nail.
General
Most prominently, a player ought to feel "at home" with whatever grip they have preferred. It is vital that the position feel quite steady, while all at once allowing the player to feel comfortable and undisturbed. If it does not feel at ease to address the striker and take your usual stroke, you might want to experiment with another grip. And, like everything else, practice is the one and only way to actually achieve the result you wish!
Will Smidth is a Copywriter for
Carrom, Carrom Boards. He written many articles in various topics such as
Carrom Coin, Carrom Gear. For Further details, please visit
Carrom Shop, Carrom Store, Carroms
