Stop Hitting Long: Point the Paddle-Face “Laser” Where You Want the Ball to Land

Summary

Universal Rackets explains that most long balls leave the paddle going slightly upward because the face is tipped a few degrees toward the sky. You don’t notice it, but the ball does: a few degrees at contact turns into several feet long at the baseline.

The cue: pretend a laser shines out the center of your paddle. Wherever you point that laser, the ball goes. Point it up and the ball sails long; point it down into the court and it stays in. That small face change at contact is night and day.

Key takeaways

• An open face (tipped toward the sky) is the hidden cause of most long balls
• A few degrees at contact becomes several feet long by the baseline
• Cue: point the “laser” out the center of the paddle where you want the ball to go

Action items

• On 20 groundstrokes, check at contact whether the face/laser is pointed down into the court or up
• Film your contact from the side and mark every long miss that left the face open