9 Effortless Tactics To Have Faster Hands
Summary
Pickleball Playbook’s Austin Hardy, a 5.0+ PPR-certified coach, shares nine tactics for faster hands at the kitchen line, plus two drills: crazy eights volleys (one player hits line, the other cross, then switch) and side-to-side moving volleys.
The nine tactics: choke up on the handle; hold your ready position slightly toward the backhand; keep your elbows relaxed by your sides; avoid a big backswing (keep the paddle in front of your shoulder); keep the follow-through short and out in front; use a mini split step every time your opponent hits; counter balls at your body with one hand; use two hands on backhand balls away from your body; and swing if you have time, reset if you don’t.
Key takeaways
- Choking up lowers swing weight for quicker reactions
- Favor the backhand slightly in your ready position, since most counters land there
- A big backswing or follow-through makes you late for the next ball
- Mini split step every time your opponent makes contact
- If you have time, swing; if you don’t, reset
Action items
- Do 5 minutes of crazy eights volleys each way with a partner
- Try choking up during your next hands battles
- Practice one-handed counters on balls at your body
- Check that your paddle never goes behind your shoulder