Pickleball Forum is a resource for new players, a meeting place for friends, and a hub for growing the sport. Backhand Techniques - Gale Leach -- Author An eastern grip involves gripping the paddle in a handshake grip such that the position of your knuckle is aligned with the flat side of the paddle. A Pro-Tip is not to let your wrist wiggle but to tilt back so that you may make hard contact with the ball. Another option is the western grip or frying pan. Here, the paddle head sits perpendicular to the palm as if the paddle head were a frying pan. Your paddle can hugely affect the outcome of the game. Now we have new pickleball videos published several times a week. You must be light on your feet and memorize the routine. If you have correctly positioned yourself at the edge of the non-volley zone line, the chances are that any power shots hit past you will be coming at volley height. When your opponent pops up an easy shot for you to return, where you have plenty of time to set up your shot and the ball is hanging in the air and coming at you above your head, you can try an overhead smash. Home Pickleball Pickleball Strategy & tips How To Hit A Forehand Pickleball Drive? After mastering this groundstroke, move towards the topspin. Here is a step-by-step on generating a perfect topspin on a forehand drive. Stand in a forward stride position behind the baseline with your left shoulder pointing toward the target and your weight on your back foot. Your right hand and pickleball paddle should be set up behind you on the backswing (this is reversed for lefties). Force your opponent to hit defensive pop-ups rather than ground strokes, and youll find yourself with the upper hand. If you are using the straight wrist method, you might have some control in the beginning but what you're going to . Not standing in the right position, and your shoulders or hips not being in the correct position. . So, in that case, youre also going to use a more abbreviated backswing. To hit a good dink shot, land the ball in the kitchen, or hit it directly at your opponents feet, with as little height as possible. Choppy shots, with a hitch in them, such as when you go straight back before coming forward, lead to a loss of power and consistency. Although you have to hit the ball hard in a forehand drive, it must be avoided if you want to generate a spin. In tournaments you drive at the weaker player. Starting from the legs, then going to the hips, then the shoulders which ultimately whips the arm around and through and into the finish. I've seen players use a lot of different grips in pickleball and frankly, sometimes those grips are great for a forehand but not the backhand. As the ball reaches you, turn your shoulders so they are square with the ball. The type of stroke that you will use will mainly depend on your stance and where the ball falls. Avoid reaching; move the feet instead and prepare to meet the ball from the ready position. The Pickleball Drilling Journal Thursday, February 2, 2023. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Pickleball NEWS you don't want to miss! A forehand drive is executed when the ball has bounced on its way to you. Why? All the above strokes can be used as either a ground stroke or volley. But if you are constantly losing points by playing soft shots, its the right time to try new tricks. Once the serve has been successfully made, the ball can land on any court line, and will always be good. There are three main types of forehand drives. (Explained). This makes them slower to react. 88K views 3 years ago #pickleball Seeing players hit groundstrokes from the baseline isn't a common thing that you see very often. To put it simply, a volley is any shot that is made before the ball hits the ground. What happens if the ball hits the line in pickleball? It can be boring if not spiced up. Its a power killer as well as a control killer. Once you decide to generate a topspin with this drive, adjust the position of your body. So, this one is not a mistake in all situations. Stepping. Move your body sideways such that your non-paddle shoulder and foot are facing the ball. Jack is a writer and keen sports fan based in Berkshire, England. Grips can be confusing "eastern, western, continental, semi-western". Watch his form in super slow motion with additional tips that pop up to give you more focused instruction on how to improve your forehand. What foot do you step with when hitting a backhand? You need to keep an eye on the balls trajectory from the time it leaves your opponents paddle so you can accurately assess its speed and trajectory. The forehand drive is a powerful pickleball shot, and can be a dangerous weapon in any pickleball players arsenal when executed correctly. Using adink strokeis a strategy that helps your opponent to make a mistake. This type of shot is extremely difficult to pull off. To generate faster ball speed, you need to use all the large muscles in your body: hips, shoulders, and chest. If you not only love to play pickleball but love talking about pickleball with anyone who will listen, you might be a Pickleball Nut! Grab your paddle, ball and favorite pickleball tee shirt and start playing today. Lets bring it into an everyday type of situation. Dink. This allows for good momentum build up as you head into contact. That's so effective, and against most people that would be a winner. Lets look at them one by one; There is another version of this groundstroke that can generate a topspin. We have discussed the first key beforethat is, we must have a target. To win, you have to be prepared to apply a wide array of hitting techniques rather than just relying on one or two. If you're a little more athletic, I'm not saying I'm athletic. We have all levels come through the channel, but we concentrate on the 4.0, 4.5 and up to 5.5 with the pros. He moves it from right to left and it drops. If you want to serve your opponent with accuracy and power, then the forehand stroke is the best type to use. Follow through by allowing your swinging arm to continue through toward the target." When hitting a forehand you can choose to hit the ball with an open stance, with a closed stance or somewhere between both stances. $the drive will win you points, but most likely it's going to get you an easier drop. This sounds simple, but its actually a hard skill to master. Pickleball Forum is a resource for new players, a meeting place for friends, and a hub for growing the sport. Most commonly used is a forehand drive serve. Before you can execute your backhand from the center of the court, you need to get yourself in the proper position. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. What are two common faults in pickleball? At this critical time, you can strike a drive to attack the opponent. The Art of Pickleball : Techniques and Strategies for Everyone The key to getting in the correct backhand position is the grip. The ready position is a neutral stance you should use while waiting for the next shot to come your way. Definition of Player Skill Ratings - USA Pickleball Association Even if they manage to return it, their momentum will carry them forward. PDF PICKLEBALL: STROKES AND STRATEGIES - Health and Exercise Studies Home Equipment How To Hit A Pickleball Forehand. While generating a topspin, your paddle, shoulder, hips, arms, and legs must be positioned at a certain angle. Despite the need for speed on a forehand drive, try to avoid over-hitting it. Now that you have learned about the basics of this groundstroke, lets get to the main section. How to Hit a Pickleball Topspin Forehand Drive? However, if you vary the shots you are hitting and the speed with which you hit themsome slower, some more powerfulyou keep your opponent guessing. For one, the ball is usually on the dominant side of your body (the side of your stronger hand), so it feels more natural. It is important to proceed with the follow-through necessary to return to a standing posture with a straight back. So, youre mostly going to be generating power into the shot with your arm. Many times, the serving team will rush into the kitchen to protect their court. But the minute you try to speed it up and have more power in your shot, youre going to start running into problems. But, you also dont want to be so late that youre making a very rushed backswing as you enter into contact. Microsoft Word - M-10-13-Pickleball-SkillCueCards.docx If your opponent has left a gap in the court, try to hit a powerful forehand drive into that gap to get it past them. This will allow you to take off quickly, moving toward the ball. BACKHAND: Learning stroke form and starting to develop consistency but will avoid if possible. If you are looking to improve your pickleball paddle swing, here are some helpful tips. As a rule, they say to drive directly in front of you at the person's backhand. PickleballStat will break down your strokes by forehand and backand for serves, 3rd shotes, attackable shots, winners, forced errors, and unforced errors. How to Hit Quality Overheads in Pickleball with Mark Renneson. From the ready position pivot shoulders and hips so the non-paddle shoulder is facing the approaching ball and begin the backswing. Dont overthink things here, just hit the ball easy, with minimal follow through. Proper technique is important when doing a good forehand stroke. Pickleball | Fundamental Strokes and Shots - Uberpickler That paddle's almost at his knee, and then he swipes across it. When the ball is low, it forces you to scoop the pickleball paddle under it, popping it up in the air. I started this channel quite by accident, I was recording my games to do film study and get better. In those instances you are going to want to have a nice strong turn on your forehand. To help the game move faster and add more twists, you can hit a forehand shot on a bounced ball. Hit the ball in the transition zone or no mans land as most players cant hit a shot from this area. The stroke includes a weight shift from your back foot to your front foot and may or may not be accompanied by a step with the front foot, depending on the timing of the movement to the ball. Youre just going to send it back deep so that you have time to run in behind it. When hes not writing, you can find him on the golf course desperately trying to get a little white ball around a big field. "Loaner" paddles will be available for these sessions. Hence, a forehand stroke is certainly useful in multiple-game scenarios. What is the forehand stroke in pickleball? Finally, you can try out the continental grip. What Are the Cues for Holding the Paddle Correctly for a Forehand Swing? When you hit a pickleball using your forehand stroke which foot should you step in with? This stroke is made perpendicular to the ground, going from the backswing down and finishing up high. But the problem comes into play when you do a big reach back with your arm versus a turn back. Keep your body weight forward on the balls of your feet and your toes. Now, you DO need a back swing if you want to hit a forehand with maximum power. The forehand stroke . You can improve your groundstrokes by practicing with a friend. Sometimes both players are trying to play according to each others caliber, which is judged after playing a few shots with them. There are two main volley techniques: Forehand: During a forehand volley, the stroke is on the side of your dominant hand. hand-eye coordination, racquet skills, and grip. FOREHAND: Improved stroke development with moderate level of shot control. How to Swing a Pickleball Paddle: A Guide to Pickleball Hitting Therefore, a continental grip is good for the pickleball backhand drive but can be difficult to use for a forehand one. The Forehand Mechanics Forehand Mechanics - YouTube Videos . Required fields are marked *. However, the continental grip is similar to a hammer thats hitting a nail. Contact Shari Sternberg at 240-273-8246 or pickleballplus@aol.com to get yours now. In this case, it is better to avoid hard shots to play an equal and fair game. The stuff that makes up your equipment might make or break your game. In fact, you should initiate the shoulder turn, which is the start of the preparation, almost as soon as you have recognition of which side the ball is coming to. Im working on a video, that's a set of drills to make your drive more effective. With a turn back, your take back for your backswing is mostly achieved by the hip turn and shoulder turn. Forehand drives are also the best shots to play when you are attempting to smash the ball to take advantage of an opening. If you are someone who likes challenges, then adding a topspin would be a great idea. Join the community today to find your Pickleball tribe. You will be swinging with the pros in their league with some luck and a lot of practice. Mistake number five is not having enough turn on your back swing on the forehand. Top 10 Pickleball Stroke Technique Mistakes - PrimeTime Pickleball 38: Forehand and backhand volley examples . The Forehand Drive in 3 simple Steps! It mostly mimics a basic dink. Cross-court dink. Shift your weight from your rear foot to your front foot and tighten your grip on the paddle as you contact the ball at a point just off your front knee. In a forehand stroke, the inner side of the palm of the dominant hand gripping the paddle faces forward. With his blog, Pickleball Database, he wants to share fun, informative, and exciting content about the highly-addictive sport and encourage others to embark on their pickleball journey. Pickleball Safety: Tips to keep you on the court and playing strong! If you attempt to speed up your forehand out of a reach back backswing then things are going to start to go astray very quickly. How do the PROS hit winning forehands? Forehand (Groundstroke) The tennis forehand is a stroke in which the inner side of the palm of the dominant hand that is holding the racket faces forward. You will have more control, at both lower and higher speeds, with a turn back backswing rather than a reach back backswing . Press Esc to cancel. If your forehand is weak and wobbly then chances are that one or more of the mistakes weve outlined here could be the culprit. How Do You Hit Topspin in Pickleball? | Racquet Warrior This is a natural grip because it makes the paddle feel like an extension of your hand. That's what I want to do. Right-handed players hit forehands on their right side, while left-handed players hit forehands on their left side. How To Hit A Pickleball Forehand? They let you reduce the bulk of your paddle without sacrificing the pop you get when you strike the ball. Thelob is the perfect shot for this. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your knees slightly bent. Most pickleball players have a stronger forehand than backhand. Uberpickler is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. That helped all of us a lot to improve our game, strategy, mental toughness, and techniques. A shot of this height is tough to return, and itll often win the point. A firm grip allows for better control of the paddle and puts more force on the hit. I see many players making some really BIG forehand groundstroke mistakes and their WHOLE game is suffering as a result. This is the most common shot in pickleball. Those often come together but not always. It puts your palm facing towards the net, and it makes for a robust and powerful forehand. The drive. . But you have to be ready to drop. Groundstroke: A groundstroke is simply any shot you make after the ball has bounced once. So, to be clear, having a more pronounced backswing is not wrong. Because of the double bounce serve rule, the receiving team has a chance at the third shot. When setting yourself up for a forehand stroke, you should turn your body so the foot on the non-paddle side of your body is facing your opponent.