LOL, it took me a while to figure it out as well.
At first, I thought it was a grip to hold the damn thing by while removing the iPad from the case (nearly impossible).
Boy, is that case a disappointment. Sorry I bought it, cause I will *never* use it. Guess it will go on eBay/Craigslist for some poor sucker to buy, but I'll bet they aren't fetching much.
It's so difficult to insert and remove, and SO ill-fitting even so. What a joke!