Instead of focusing on keeping your paddle up I want you to focus on two things:  1.  Maintaining a neutral posture which faces the ball, and 2.  Tracking the ball with your paddle.  Let’s review each of these:

Your Neutral Position

Here is a picture of me in what I like to call my happy, neutral zone.  You may have heard the term “ready position” or “compressed position”.  You’ll notice that my feet are a bit wider than shoulder-width apart.  You can’t see it here, but trust me I am not flat-footed.  Ideally, I feel light and agile on the balls of my feet.  I bend forward from my hips, not my waist.  I keep my chest and head up.  You’ll notice that I am holding the paddle in front of me at about chest height.

I should be maintaining this position whenever I am not running or hitting the ball.  I call this the neutral zone because it allows us to move in either direction, side to side, or forward or back.

When you assume the neutral position, I want you to face the ball. I am not suggesting you turn your head, but rather you angle your body so that you are facing the ball.   Imagine you were hitting a crosscourt dink.  You wouldn’t stand square to the net and attempt to hit the dink across your body.  Instead, you would angle your body so that you are facing where the ball is intended to go.  After hitting the ball, return to your neutral position, angling your body in the direction the ball will be traveling to you.

Use Your Paddle as a Tracking Device

Now focus on using your paddle as a tracking device.  Track the ball.  I’m not suggesting you point at the ball….rather concentrate on keeping the paddle in front of the middle of your body.  This will help you in two ways:

1. By focusing on tracking the ball, you will actually be less likely to drop the paddle.  In fact, when most people drop their paddle they lower it to their side.  Simply focusing on keeping it up in the neutral position, tracking the ball, will improve your ability to keep the paddle up.
2. Since your paddle, hand, arm, and body are all connected…when you shift to follow the ball, all your parts will move in unison.  This will help you shift your weight enabling you to move more quickly but remain balanced.  This, of course, makes it easier to maintain your range of motion while being aware of your neutral zone.

If you are in a neutral position, with your paddle in front of you tracking the ball, you will have room to attack when your opponent fails to keep their paddle up.  Watch the video I created which discussed using your paddle to track the ball.  I’m confident this will help you keep your paddle up!

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Pickleball Fundamentals, Pickleball Fundamentals, Pickleball Fundamentals

Yes, I know I repeat myself.  It is true that I have published more than one article on a topic.  But that is because these topics are the fundamentals that EVERY player needs to learn. I am often asked for a book on on-court strategies.  (And I am working on one.) But it is tough because those on-court strategies are of no value until you master the fundamentals.

It is no different than learning to read.  First, you learned the alphabet and then you learned to read.  You learned to count to 10 then you learned how to add 2 plus 2.  When you learn to play an instrument, you learn about notes first.  I could go on and on offering analogies … I hope you get my point.

Preventing Injury

I also focus on the fundamentals because if I can help you get into the correct position, and use your body properly, I can help you minimize the risk of injury.  Pickleball is a tough sport on our bodies. There are quick starts and stops. We move forward and backward, left and right.  We even jump at times.  However, if we grip the paddle too tightly we can injure ourselves and miss time playing the sport we love so much without ever moving!

So What are They

Today I am not going to provide you a complete list, but instead, focus on five that I teach at every clinic:

• Grip:  You want to hold the paddle in your fingers.  On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the tightest I am typically at a 3.
• Posture/Neutral Position:  You want to stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart and your head up.  Your body is relaxed and your knees are soft.  Your weight is balanced over the balls of your feet.
• Paddle Position:  Your paddle is held at the handle and is positioned to protect your sternum (bullseye).
• Tracking the Ball:  Many players move too much, shuffling side to side at the non-volley zone during a rally.  You don’t need to move that much…instead track the ball with your paddle.
• Give Yourself Room:  You must hit every shot in front of you. To do this you must, keep the paddle and the ball away from your body.   

Notice that these five fundamentals apply to every pickleball shot.  Notice too, that all of them occur before you have even started to swing the paddle.

Fundamentals and my Mantra

Certainly, there are more pickleball fundamentals.  And I will write about others in future posts.  But just as my pickleball mantra applies to every minute of every game you play, or drill session you participate in … so do these fundamentals.  Regardless of your skill level, a new 2.5 player or an advanced 4.5 player that has been playing for five years, the fundamentals don’t change.  We all continue to work on our pickleball fundamentals.

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When I am Teaching

One of the things I have learned is that an instructor has to learn a dozen different ways to express the same lesson.  I have learned this is especially true as it relates to paddle position:

• I have talked before about keeping your paddle up by tracking the ball with your paddle…in fact, I have an entire YouTube video on paddle tracking.
• I have suggested that proper paddle position is the best way to anticipate your opponents shot.
• I have written about the importance of the neutral position relative to keeping the ball low.

As a full-time pickleball instructor, I frankly would get a bit bored saying the same thing over and over. More importantly, I have found what makes sense to one student may be misunderstood by another.  So I keep working to find ways to express this important pickleball truth.

Pickleball Bullseye…Laser Tag

Between shots, you must keep your paddle out in front of your body and positioned at sternum high.  To keep your paddle up, visualize a bullseye on the middle of your chest.  If your pickleball bullseye can be seen by the folks on the other side of the net, you are vulnerable and you are not in a “ready” position. You must protect your pickleball bullseye at all times.
Here is another visual that I have found works for some people…imagine you are playing laser tag.  You have a giant laser tag receptor hanging from your neck over your sternum, just like the boy pictured here.  You are in the proper neutral position, when your paddle is in front of the game device.  If you are not in this position, you are vulnerable.

Next Time You Practice

If you aren’t certain that you are maintaining the neutral position at all times, I want you to make a conscious effort to monitor yourself as you play.  

• When you are about to receive serve is your paddle up in front of your body?
• Perhaps you begin that way, but find that you drop your paddle as you move to the non-volley zone line.
• If your partner is receiving most of the shots, does your paddle drop a bit lower between each shot?

Really focus on protecting your pickleball bullseye.
Also, make certain to capitalize on those times when your opponent leaves their pickleball bullseye exposed.  Recognize those times when her or she drops their paddle and hit the ball directly at their bullseye.
Focusing on your and your opponents’ pickleball bullseye will improve your game!
 
 
 
 

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3 Keys to Keeping the Ball Low

When you inadvertently hit the ball higher than you intended, I want you to ask yourself three questions:

1.  What is my grip pressure?  During a long rally, it is natural to feel more anxiety as the point wears on.  Perhaps you have returned four or five dinks in a row.  As the “dink fest” continues you may become obsessed with controlling the ball. Perhaps you forget to breathe which further raises the amount of stress you experience.  With this stress comes tension.  Next thing you know, you have a death grip on the paddle.  You want to grip the paddle with your fingers…there will be a small gap between your palm and the paddle grip.  Imagine you want to hold a bird in your hand firmly enough that it won’t fly away but not so tight that you choke it.
2. Where did I make contact with the ball, relative to my body?  You are more likely to pop the ball up when you make contact too close to your body.  During a dink exchange, this often happens when we scoop the ball up near our feet.  From that position, or just behind your heel, it is an almost certainty that the ball will fly over the net much higher than you intended.  You want to make contact with the ball in front of your body.    When you are in your happy neutral position, be certain that your arms are holding the paddle out in front of your sternum.  Keep that distance.  Imagine a beach ball being held comfortably between your chest and the paddle face.  Track the ball with your paddle, and make contact with the ball in front of your body.
3.  Is your body comfortable, and relaxed?  Too often, after we pop up the ball we focus on our paddle.  Yes, the paddle face will determine the trajectory of the ball….but your body will determine your paddle position.  I want you to think about your body.  Are your feet at least shoulder width apart?  Are you relaxed with a  slight flex in your knees? Are your back, chest, and head up?  Are you comfortable and relaxed?  Remember, it is just a very light, little yellow balls.  It doesn’t take a lot of effort to get it over the net.  Focus on your body and how comfortable you feel.

Focus on Maintaining Your Neutral Zone

Take time to define your neutral zone, as it is within this area that you want to make contact with the ball.  (If you need help, watch this video starting at the 1-minute mark.) When you hit a ball in your neutral zone, you should be able to see the entire face of your paddle.  I imagine the top tip of my paddle slight angled under the ball.  I focus on pushing the paddle forward, not upward.  The angle of the paddle will elevate the ball.  There is no need to add to it by breaking my wrist, scoping or swinging.  A simple push is all that is required.
What we always want to remember is that our body does most of the work for us and our paddle is simply the tool we use to keep the ball low.  Keeping the ball low requires the correct grip pressure, making contact in front of our body, and maintaining a comfortable/relaxed body position.

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Track the Ball with Your Paddle

I just released a YouTube video that covers the topic of tracking the ball with your paddle.  (You can watch the video below.)  I want to encourage you to use your paddle like a heat seeking missile.  To do this effectively you must:

• Learn to Maintain a Neutral Position:  I went into more detail on the neutral position on the RVPicklers site recently, but let me reiterate a few key points here:
  1. Feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart;
  2. Stay on the balls of your feet;
  3. Bend from you hips, keeping your chest and head up;
  4. Stay relaxed, shoulders down, long neck
  5. Hold paddle out in front of you.
• Hold Paddle out in Front of You:  I can’t emphasize this enough!  I see too many players holding the paddle too close to their chest.  I want the larger muscles in your shoulders to control your motion, not your elbows or wrist.  I want you to make contact with the ball in front of your body whenever possible.
• Angle Your body Toward the Ball:  Don’t stand parallel to the net and turn your head.  Instead, move your torso and shift your weight to ensure you are in the correct position to return the ball if it comes your way.

Benefits of Tracking the Ball with Your Paddle

Tracking the ball with your paddle has many benefits:

• If you do this on every point, you can better anticipate a pickleball opponent’s shot.
• It encourages you to keep your paddle up!
• It keeps you engaged in the point even when the ball is not being hit to you.
• It connects your brain and body, which is absolutely essential for athletic performance.
• This allows you to be more aggressive.  It puts you in the correct position to poach like a pro!

So there you have it.  Sometimes what seems like one simple change can benefit so many parts of your game.  I realize incorporating this into your game may be a bit more difficult.  But the first step is to recognize that tracking the ball with your paddle is the key to how you anticipate a pickleball opponent’s shot.
As you practice I want you to be very cognizant of tracking the ball.  Perhaps take a break every minute or two and ask yourself, “did I track the ball throughout that exchange?”  Ask your practice partner for feedback.  As we have discussed before, you need a plan each time your practice.  I’m confident that if you focus on tracking the ball with your paddle, you’ll never question where the ball is coming from again!

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Your Neutral Zone

I’ve written before about your neutral zone…i.e. the area in front of your body where you can comfortably make contact with the ball.  This area is determined by your height.  Taller people have a bigger zone.   I see some long reaching guys expecting their shorter partners to take the same kind of balls in the air they do.  However, that may be impossible for them.  Recognizing what your neutral zone is, i.e. how far you can comfortably retrieve a ball, must be considered when you are at the non-volley zone.  I feel pretty lucky when I play mixed and my partner is over 6 ft tall.   It is amazing the reach he has compared to me at 5′ 5″.  If you are playing with a new partner that is considerably taller than you, you might want to discuss this before you get on the court.

Pickleball Tip #1:  Act Taller

I tell students to pretend you are taller than you are.  We have a tendency to hunch over and make ourselves smaller than we are when we are at the non-volley-zone line.  We tuck our elbows in close and shrink.  When we do this we are limiting our range of motion even further.  I have seen a 6′ 5″ man look like he’s 5′ 5″ because he’s crawling up to the line and hunkering down.
Keep you head up and concentrate on keeping your shoulders down.  Maintain good posture.  Focus on keeping a long neck and you will feel taller. Even walking around the court I will focus on filling as much space as I can.  I want my opponents to have trouble seeing past me.  Also, remember that remaining in balance and using your center of gravity properly will improve movement and maximize your potential.

Pickleball Tip #2:  Toe the Line

Perhaps the biggest mistake I see among beginner and intermediate players is not standing at the non-volley zone.  They think they are, but in fact, they are 6-12″ behind the line.  One student commented that at 5’2″ she couldn’t aim at her opponents feet because she couldn’t see them.  Well, Linh is only 4’11” so I asked her to assist me in an experiment.  I had her stand in her neutral position within 1″ of the non-volley zone line.  I asked her if she could see my feet on the other side of the court.  She reported that the tape across the top of the net, obscured the non-volley zone line…but she could see the middle of my feet and heels.  So if you aren’t seeing your opponents feet, the first thing to check is your court position.

Pickleball Tip #3:  Recognize the Short Advantage

I find being short can also be an advantage at times.  First, when dinking.  A taller person must really get much lower to retrieve a dink.  While for a shorter player getting under the ball is easier and may even be able to attack a ball a taller player would only be able to dink.
Certainly, taller players have an advantage in reach and it may be difficult to get a ball over them, but I have found many have more difficulty when the ball is hit right at their body.  They just have too much body and arms to move to get out of the way or properly in position.  By trying to keep them off balance, you may gain the advantage.
I think it is important for everyone to recognize the advantages their size offers and to develop strategies that can help them maximize those strengths.  I hope these few pickleball tips will help you on your journey to mastery.

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