Let the Ball Calm Down
Summary
Kyle Koszuta explains why you should let the ball calm down before you hit it. After the bounce the ball starts rising, but gravity slows it straight away. At the peak it almost stops for a fraction of a second before it starts to fall, and that brief pause should be your friend.
He compares it to pushing a child on a swing: you don’t push while they’re still rushing toward you, you wait until they reach the top and are almost still. Hit the ball on the way up and you’re trying to control it while it still has its bounce energy and speed, which makes the timing much harder and leads to mishits. Let it rise, peak and start to drop, and you can see it better, time it better and guide it with control.
The simple rule is not to rush the ball while it’s rising. That depends on your feet: move early to create enough distance so the ball falls into your hitting range instead of jamming you and forcing an early contact. He adds that handling a rising ball is still an advanced skill worth having, because opponents will pressure you and your footwork won’t always be perfect. But most players simply rush at the ball and mishit more because of it.
Key takeaways
- After the bounce, the ball slows as it rises and nearly stops at its peak
- Hitting on the rise means fighting the ball’s bounce energy and speed
- Like pushing a swing, make contact when the ball is almost still
- Use your feet early to create space so the ball drops into your hitting range
- Handling rising balls is still an advanced skill for when you’re under pressure
Action items
- In a drilling session, deliberately wait for the ball to start falling before contact and compare your control
- Take an early step back or to the side so the ball doesn’t jam you
- Notice how many of your misses come from rushing at a ball that’s still rising