ALW Backhand Poach: Off the Down-the-Line Third
Anna Leigh Waters breaks down one of her most advanced shots: the backhand poach.
Return With Forward Momentum — Don’t Fall Back
Universal Rackets on return mechanics: body and weight must go forward through the hit. Players err by contacting and falling backward, which floats the ball.
Cat and Mouse: Kitchen Dink Footwork Drill
Ed Ju’s cat-and-mouse drill keeps every ball inside the kitchen while you try to outmaneuver opponents with dinks and angles. Anywhere in the kitchen is fair game — the constraint forces touch, footwork, and anticipation.
Don’t Catch Directly in Front — Contact Beside the Body
All Things Pickleball (with Sammy) shows why catching the ball directly in front limits you — from that spot the paddle mostly goes up, so you can clear the net but you can’t create angles.
Essential Footwork Drills Off the Court
Ed Ju’s essentials are off-court footwork blocks that transfer to sprinting the kitchen, split steps, hip quickness, agility, and rotational power for drives.
Defend Offensive Lobs: Side-Shuffle, Don’t Backpedal
James Ignatowich (via The Pickleball Clinic) drills defense against offensive lobs. As soon as you read the lob, take a step back with your dominant leg and side-shuffle in anticipation of the overhead.
Point Breakdown: Outside Foot, Middle Neutralize, and Shade After the ATP
Ed Ju launches a shot-by-shot series by walking a full point.
Magnet Mindset: Recover to Center, Get Pulled to the Kitchen, Slide as a Team
In Selkirk TV’s magnet-mindset finale for tennis converts, Coach Matthew Haley replaces baseline comfort with two pulls.
Kitchen Footwork: Shift Weight Before You Take Extra Steps
Collin Johns (via Pickleball 360) reframes kitchen footwork as efficiency, not more steps. Plant outside the NVZ and arrive balanced early so you steal time from the opponent — a full step often costs more time than a simple weight shift.
You Don’t Have to Rush the Kitchen After Every Drop
Kyle Koszuta pushes back on the myth that you must reach the kitchen line as fast as possible after every drop. Blind sprinting gets you and your partner hit and frustrated.