A Few More Thoughts on “Follow the Ball With Your Paddle Tip”
Summary
Matt’s Pickleball follow-up to the ‘don’t follow the ball with your paddle tip’ tip. Clarifies that tracking the ball visually (and even adjusting paddle position) is fine — the problem is pointing the tip at the ball so you’re late and exposed on speed-ups. Keep the paddle in front in a true ready position.
Key takeaways
- Eyes track; paddle stays ready in front
- Tip-pointing telegraphs and delays coverage
- Ready position beats reactive pointing
- Nuance matters — don’t over-correct into a frozen paddle
Action items
- Partner speed-ups; freeze and check paddle face position
- Cue: ‘face forward, not tip-pointing’
- Film kitchen exchanges for tip-chasing
- Shadow ready position for 60 seconds between games