Vs Slice at the Kitchen: Take It Out of the Air — Don’t Panic-Back Up
Summary
Ben Johns (Pickleball360) fixes the panic response to slice at the kitchen.
Slice that bounces stays low and at your feet with backspin — a terrible place to neutralize or attack. Reach and take the ball out of the air instead of retreating. You’ll miss less, and many of those floaters become attackable so the slicer pays for the soft ball.
Key takeaways
- Don’t back up on kitchen slice — take it out of the air
- Bounce + backspin = ball at your feet, weight back, hard to attack
- Attackable air balls punish slice players who counted on your retreat
Action items
- Partner feeds soft slice dinks; your only rule is “air contact” for 20 reps
- If you feel the urge to step back, freeze and reach forward instead — track how many you still control
Great breakdown of the Ben Johns tip — the point about a bouncing slice staying low at your feet with backspin really clicked for me, and the 20-rep “air contact only” drill is such a simple way to practice taking it out of the air instead of backing up. We’re building something players here would love, a free game called Kings Court where you claim real courts in your city and defend your crown. Grab your home court free at http://www.mykingscourt.ca