Backhand Drop: Keep the Wrist Cocked and Lead With the Neck of the Paddle
Summary
Aylex Pickleball Academy’s Coach Eugene Mak works with Alex on the backhand drop. A lot of backspin on that wing is about keeping the arm in one piece, but the second cue is to keep the wrist a little more cocked — the more cocked it is, the more control you have.
The reason: you’re trying to lead with the neck of the paddle. When you lead with the neck, the paddle head is more linear to the ball by the time you contact through the shot. If the wrist isn’t cocked, the paddle head drops, you miss some of the hitting surface, the ball stays on the face longer, and the stroke can get flippy.
Key takeaways
- Keep the wrist cocked on the backhand drop — more cocked means more control
- Lead with the neck of the paddle so the head is linear to the ball at contact
- An uncocked wrist drops the paddle head, costs you surface area, and can make the shot flippy
Action items
- Shadow 10 backhand drops and freeze before contact: the wrist should be cocked so the neck leads and the head is lined up with the ball
- Hit 12 backhand drops focusing only on leading with the neck rather than letting the head drop