Keeping your elbow in during firefights 🎯

Make the switch to forehand more efficient ↔️

⬆️ Click The Video Above ⬆️

Frequently Asked Questions 🚨

1. Why am I hitting my drives so high?

The most common cause of high drives is either popping up with your body, or you’re not staying low enough through contact. The simplest solution: exaggerate your knee bend and keep your head still. Especially on low drives (where it might be unnatural to stay low, as you’re actually hitting the ball upwards), these two are essential to consistency. Another common issue is simply overhitting drives. As I’ve said before you (usually) don’t want to be ripping your drives as hard as you can. Find that sustainable speed that you feel comfortable hitting two feet above the net with some topspin. You might get away with overwhelming pace at the 3.5 level, but as you get better, that ball will come back even harder (and at your feet) if you don’t hit it low enough.

2. Do you change your grip on your forehand dink?

Sometimes. Generally, I’m continental on everything at the kitchen. I think there are two scenarios where I slide over towards eastern:

⁃ Forehand rolls where the other team is back and I have time

⁃ Sometimes when I have time on my forehand dink. It’s much easier to get topspin with a forehand dink with an eastern grip, and you can still speedup from that position.

I wouldn’t generally recommend too many grip changes at the kitchen, but if you have time and can maximize your effectiveness on a given shot, then I say go for it.

Maintaining a fixed wrist on slice dinks 👊

Maximize your consistency at the kitchen 💫

⬆️ Click The Video Above ⬆️

Momentum with Maxwell 🧐

Everyone who has played enough knows how important momentum can be in a pickleball match. These matches are quick, with a much faster pace in between points compared to tennis. When things are going well, it’s a beautiful feeling. When you miss 3 returns in a row and are down 6-0 before your coffee has even kicked in, not so much. While momentum switches are basically inevitable in this sport, I’ve learned of a few ways to combat that helpless feeling when things are going south:

1. Use your timeouts. If you’re playing a tournament, don’t be afraid to use your timeouts early. I used to be way too stubborn, thinking the tide was always due to shift towards me. It’s pretty uncommon to be in a situation late in a game (where it’s probably close, and likely back and forth) where you really wish you had a timeout.

2. Take your time in between points. You don’t have to be annoying to your opponent, but there’s nothing wrong with going back to your towel for an extra couple deep breaths. When it feels like it’s all happening so fast - it’s because it is. Slow it down a little.

3. Focus on the first few shots of the point. Nothing is a momentum killer like missing a serve and then a 3rd and giving the ball right back. I don’t really like changing my game based on the score, so I’m not recommend any drastic strategy changes, but playing a couple longer points might allow you to get in a groove and get the confidence up - and you’re at least making your opponents earn it.

4. Submit to the chaotic nature of the game. Every single time you play, you will hit shots you’ve never hit before, so you can’t expect to make every ball. Pro’s miss dinks and drops - it happens. It doesn’t have to be meaningful when you miss. Just go with the flow and focus playing one point at a time.