Blocking Level 3: Absorb Pace Mid-Court — Don’t Push Hard Balls

Summary

Pickleball Kitchen’s Level 3 is mid-court pace absorption for 4.0+ bangers. Pushing forward on a hard ball just reloads their pace.

Refuse to shove the paddle into fastballs; soft balls need more push, missiles need less. Let the ball come into you and reset.

Key takeaways

• Hard in → less push; soft in → more push
• Absorb mid-court — don’t fight fire with fire
• Reset speed is a skill separate from blocking at the line

Action items

• Transition drill: partner rolls hard; you only soft-block with minimal forward push
• Compare exit speed on film — slower off your face is the win