Learn the Backhand Punch Slice Volley to put pressure on your opponents with pace and spin when they raise the ball a little high to you at the Kitchen Line.
A 2-Person Lesson
Still working with my very first student, Jim. We’re always trying to keep that ball low! Practice Practice Practice!
What serve(s) are you working on these days?
Keep improving your ability to serve the ball nearly exactly where you want it to go.
#pickleball
Time and Energy
There are no shortcuts with getting good in pickleball.
How DO you block chicken wing or shoulder shots to your dominant side?
The better you become at this game, the more you start minimizing unnecessary movement - with your feet, body, AND paddle.
At the same time, you also start moving your feet (and paddle) quicker to the ball,…often hitting the ball while moving forward to get up quicker and take more time away from your opponents to react.
Getting up to the line quickly is a priority. Improve your success rate of this if they return you short by rolling medium-paced topspins to your opponents feet. Approach the ball in good position, relax the grip and wrist a bit, then brush forward and up with a vertical paddle face while aiming at your opponents feet as they are still coming up too. Wait for the likely pop up for you to put away.
**Set these easy opportunities up with a threatening serve. This is a sure way to end a point quickly**
#pickleball #sublimepickleball #coaching #howto #topspinroll #videolesson #instructions #strategy @phish
Pickleball Training is Fun
Unlike other sports I’ve played, i enjoy every aspect of training to become a better player. The inherent fun-loving nature of pickleball seeps into both realms of playing and practicing. Here’s a new training ground off the beaten path in total infancy stage.
Pickleball is indeed a simple game, but it takes lots of intentionality and practice to surpass the universal learning plateau. #pickleball #softgame #selkirksport #sublimepickleball
4.0 Friday Drills Class working on drop shots and getting to the NVZ together in a competitive game with the coach.
Funny how much things change, and how much they stay the same. These are the same courts I used to skateboard in when I was a kid. The same courts I would light fireworks in and even where I had a couple fights way back in middle school.
Today things are much more mellow and I feel blessed to be able to joyfully reminisce here while teaching what I now love to do.
This is my “Late Risers” Friday morning drills group. Today we worked on dinking, speed ups, and soft blocks. Thanks Glenview Gang!
Brighten your mornings☀️ and improve your pickleball game by joining a Drills Class this me this winter at the Athletico Center in Northbrook!!!
We have four different skill levels:
Beginner 1 - Mondays (9-10:15am)
Beginner 2 - Thursdays (9-10:15am)
Intermediate 1 - Tuesdays (9-10:15am)
Intermediate 2 - Wednesdays (9-10:15am)
Advanced 1 - Fridays (TBD)
Maximum of 7 students per class
$30
Stay and play afterwards for Open Play
**now is the time to join before this place blows up with a max capacity of 10 courts!**
Message me for availability
Wondering where to play as it gets colder?
Might wanna check out the new pickleball programming at Athletico!
Begins Friday, October 17th.
Details in comments below.
Drilling the Drive/Drop Combination to get up to the Kitchen.
Friday Morning Drop Shot Drills
When you’re not sure where to go, aim middle.
As redundant as I may sound, Pickleball is a simple game yet very difficult to progress past certain plateaus in. To be a good player, not only do you have to learn to make the right decisions within split seconds, but you also must be able to successfully execute them under pressure.
Playing for just over one year, here is Eunha making good choices and successfully executing them at a high %. As you may notice from the very first play of the video, she continues to work and get better on the fundamentals as well - serving and returning deep, sprinting to the NVZ after returning serve, and choosing to volley instead of letting the ball bounce.
As her coach I recognize the effort and improvements she’s also making in her soft game - looser grip, slower swing speed, absorbing energy in her blocks…and the hardest element of all - patience. Coaching side by side during an actual game and providing a way for students to remember and actually see what they’re working on and need to improve upon through video is by far one of the best tools to accelerate progression.
Great job Eunha!
Music by Green Day
The Physics of Paddle Angle says:
“The ball will travel in whatever direction the paddle face is facing when it makes contact with the paddle.”
To Not Pop Up (pt. 2)
Your success with every kind of shot in pickleball will be determined by one (or all) of these fundamental factors -💯guaranteed
P. Positioning
E. Eye Contact (keep your eye on the ball)
A. Angle of Paddle
S. Soft Touch (Finesse)
Drills & Skills
To Not Pop Up (part one)
If you never popped up the ball, you wouldn’t be human. Everyone pops up. The goal is to pop up less the more we play this game. What it comes down most to is 1)Paddle Angle control and being able to play with 2) Finesse.