Every good server needs a reliable toss 🔒

thepickleballclinic

View more on Instagram

Click The Video Above ⬆️

Body positioning during firefights 💥

If you watch some of the players with the best hands on tour, you’ll see different styles, but also a few key similarities. One of them is a quiet upper body. Ben Johns specifically has his head low, and he always somehow looks like he’s in position for the ball even in a firefight. There’s also no up and down movement with his shoulders, it’s all lateral movement. I believe it’s key to train this sort of simplicity in firefights no matter what level you are. As you start getting in more and more heated exchanges, especially when you get thrown into an existing firefight, there is a premium on simplicity and keeping your head behind the ball.

It’s natural for a lot of people to slow their feet down in the anticipation of a speed up or firefight. This is something I talked about with Max a lot in his earlier stages - he literally thought his hands were quicker with his feet planted on the ground. Unfortunately the game’s not that easy and you will be out of position at too high of a rate in these firefights if your heels are planted. I try to think of it like I can’t let the ball get too far away from me, so I’m always following the ball. Thinking about hand speed as it relates to footwork is something definitely not talked about enough. It’s one thing to have the reaction time to stay in the fight, it’s another thing to be in right position every time to give yourself the best chance at these rallies. So next time you’re working on your hands, focus on movement with your lower body so your upper body can remain quiet.

Developing your forehand roll drop 👍

jamesignatowichcoaching

View more on Instagram

Taking a step off the line at the kitchen👌

While I avoid it for the most part if possible, there are important situations where you can and should take a step off the line at the kitchen. This depends on who you are and what the exact situation is - women are off the line at a way higher rate because they are less inclined to attack out of the air then men, and usually want a extra half second to cover their body with two hands if they need to. Men are generally hugging the line looking for any excuse to take the ball out of the air. Regardless, here are a few specific situations I’ve found where it MAY be beneficial to take a step off the line in anticipation of an attack.

1. Covering the middle: If the ball is cross court from you and you feel a middle attack coming, it may sometimes be best for you to move to cover that in sort of a backwards diagonal direction. You will be able to cover a little more of that angle in between you and your partner and have a little more time to react.

2. Anticipated attack from your own corner: If your a left sider and the ball is in the right side corner in front of you, it could be a good idea to take a step back. A lot of times in this situation I’ll put two hands on the paddle in anticipation of the speed up down my line. Whenever you are thinking about using two hands instead of one, it’s wise to give yourself a little extra time in case you need to remove one quickly.

3. 4th’s and 6th’s: Too many people have a habit of trying to take fourths out of the air at all cost, or coming right to the line off their return. There are MANY situations where it’s a stronger position to let that drop bounce and then rip it. When all four players are at the kitchen, it’s definitely fair to be leaning in and looking for opportunities frequently. When the opponents are back however, that ball needs to be as deep as possible, unless you’re worried about avoiding a crasher. No need to be all up on the line in this situation.

More forehand counter fundamentals🔒