Several studies have emphasized the importance of certain phenomenas when skilled athletes perform throwing or hitting tasks. Such phenomenas include the longitudinal axis rotations of the upper arm and forearm and the proximal-distal sequencing of the involved segments. The aim of the present study was investigate biomechanical differences in stroke technique between youth badminton players of different skill levels, where the afore-mentioned phenomenas were subject to the analysis. The forehand and backhand clear strokes were chosen for the analysis. A total of 20 subjects participated in the study; 10 skilled players and 10 less skilled players. Reflective spherical markers were attached to the subject's body and the racket. The data was recorded using a motion capture system consisting of eight high-speed cameras sampling at a frame rate of 500 Hz. The results showed that both types of subjects executed the forehand clear stroke much the same way, whereas the technique in the backhand clear stroke was quite differently. The longitudinal axis rotations reached the highest angular velocities of all joint movements, supporting the idea that such joint movements may play a crucial role in producing high racket head speeds. The skilled players reached significantly higher angular velocities for the glenohumeral external rotation, elbow supination and wrist extension in the backhand stroke. However, no such differences were found in the forehand stroke. Both types of subjects utilized a proximal-distal sequence in the forehand clear stroke, with regards to peak joint powers from joint reaction forces. As a consequence, they transferred a significant amount of energy from the proximal segments to the distal segments via joint reaction forces. Regarding the backhand clear stroke, the skilled players utilized a proximal-distal sequence, whereas the less skilled players deviated from this in some way. As a result, the skilled players transferred a significantly greater amount of energy to the distal segments due to joint reaction forces.