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Week 75
Welcome back to the Road to Pro!
Let's jump right in.
Here's something you may not know: your reflexes at the kitchen are probably faster than you think. The number one thing slowing them down is moving before the ball is ever hit.
When your opponent is about to speed up at you, it's tempting to either panic or guess where the ball is going. Most players move their paddle over to their backhand side before their opponent even swings. When the ball goes anywhere else, you're stuck making two moves instead of one, and you won't have enough time to respond to the shot. Here are three ways to win more of these exchanges:
Stay neutral until contact. You can expect that an attack is coming, but you shouldn't move until the ball is actually hit. Keep your paddle up and out in front of you, and hold that position until your opponent has made contact and you can see where the ball is going. Your hands are plenty fast when they only have to move once.
Counter down at their feet. You don't need to rush and try to end the battle in one swing. When your counterattack lands at your opponent's feet, they have to hit up on the ball, and the pop-up that comes back is your real put-away.
Take some pace off. The harder you hit the ball, the harder it comes back at you. Control beats power in 90% of these exchanges, so focus on hitting your spot instead of swinging at full speed. Plus, if you hit too hard, the ball is more than likely just going out.
To find your early movement, try the whiff test. Have a partner speed balls up at you, and every so often, have them swing and miss on purpose. Notice how you move even though the ball was never hit. Try to break that habit.
If you want a deeper dive in video form, go watch this video I made with pro pickleball player Roscoe Bellamy. The hand speed section starts at 1:20.👇
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I challenge you to try the whiff test before your next game and see which way you flinch.
Feel free to send this to your doubles partner!
See you in the next one.
- Shea
