Left → Right Wrist Movement 💥

• When you are hitting the two handed backhand dink, you are allowed to add some wrist into the shot if you want to put more spin on the ball. If you cannot hit 20 dinks in a row, adding more wrist might cause pop ups; on the other hand, if you are consistently making this shot, adding some extra wrist could help you better control the kitchen.

• It is important to note that the wrist movement is going from left to right, not down to up. If you are swinging straight into the air, the ball will rise and your opponents will be able to attack you. It is important to hit the side of the ball on a backhand dink, that way the ball will stay low and dip into the opponents feet.

Ryan Fu & Max Freeman Lessons

Looking For Pickleball Lessons?

• If you are in desperate need of a coach, Ryan and Max are offering virtual coaching sessions. This includes gameplay analysis and breakdown of any film you choose.

• In the Boca Raton area and looking for an in person lesson? Text either Ryan or Max to set it up!

Backhand Speedup Practice

• In the video above we discussed using wrist on a two handed backhand dink, now let’s talk about how this helps disguise our speedups.

• If you are only using wrist when you speed up the ball, it will be easy for your opponents to recognize it. Your goal should be to make your dinks and speedups look exactly the same (at least until you speed it up).

• If you have some time to drill, go out and do both backhand dinks and backhand speedups. Film yourself and see what your dink looks like vs. what your speedup looks like. If they are different, it might be time to drill.

Cross Court Resets With Fu 🧠

Why you should hit Cross Court Resets:

• Many people only will practice resets down the line.  Although it is important to do this drill, you shouldn’t forget to be hitting resets cross court as well.  There are a few reasons why a cross court reset can be more beneficial than one that is hit down the line.  For one, there is more space to hit the ball into when you are going cross court.  If you pop the ball up while hitting down the line, it is very likely that your opponent will be able to reach the ball and hit down on it.  On the other hand, hitting the reset cross court may give you an extra foot to hit the ball into. 

• Another reason to hit a reset cross court is the height of the net.  When you hit the reset cross, you are going over the middle of the net, which is two inches lower than the sides.  This gives you even more margin for error.  Why go over the highest part of the net when you can give yourself a better chance to make the shot?