Leading With The Paddle

There’s this old video footage of myself playing in 2016 with the pickleball paddle hanging out beside my leg for most of the game.

I couldn’t look more casual in this video, which sort of check’s out because as a soccer player, my arms really did not engage the same way they do in pickleball.

But there’s very little reason for the paddle to be at the side of the body, it’s not like you make contact with the ball beside the body - right?

Whether you’re hitting a return serve or third shot from the baseline, working your way up through the transition zone, or placing dinks at the non-volley line (NVL), your paddle should be at the ready and in front of the body.

Leading with the paddle is a choice... let's dive in!

Photo credit: Backcourt Pickleball

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Leading with the paddle is a choice of paddle placement and body preparation; and often a piece of advice that a coach or instructor will impart to their students, pretty early on.

This is because shots are often more precise and controlled when contact is made in front of the body, rather than beside or behind. So, by ensuring you’re as prepared as possible to receive the opponent's shot, it then gives you the best chance at making a successful return.

Something to keep in mind is that some of your opponent's shots will be able to predict - especially as you play people who are at a lower skill level than you. But if you play people at a higher skill level or possibly with an unorthodox approach, where they are aiming might be less predictable.

More and more, players are working on disguising their shot selection to become less predictable and of course, everyone will come across those miss-hits off the edge of the paddle, and the ball takes off in a totally different direction than intended.

Still, the odds are higher when the paddle is in front and in the ready position.

Choosing Your Ready Position

In the first “Control the Kitchen” article I write about the ‘chicken wing’ shot and within the article I touch on the ready position. If you are a player who gets around - to various courts - then you’ll know that people have varied playing styles and within that, there are a few options when it comes to the ready position.

- 11 o’clock as a right-handed player (1 o’clock as a left-handed player): the tip of the paddle sits towards the 11 o’clock position and therefore leans slightly to the backhand - this ensures maximum range and coverage.

Photo credit: We Are Pickleball

- 9 o’clock as a right-handed player (3 o’clock as a left-handed player): many players naturally lean to this position, while it keeps the paddle on the backhand (which is a very effective choice) it can also lead to using the elbow; you actually want to focus on keeping the arm as one unit from shoulder to hand; unfortunately, overuse of this ‘ready position’ can lead to elbow discomfort.

Photo credit: Country Pickleball

- 12 o'clock (right and left-handed players): a very neutral decision that allows the player to move forehand or backhand in an efficient manner but with the paddle spine facing the net you do lose that immediate surface area that the first two positions offer.

- The JW: the paddle is down, hanging beside the hip or leg; this paddle positioning is really only effective when a player is substantially faster than their opponents and does not waste any time moving the paddle from beside the body to the front of the body - if you can’t picture what I’m talking about, jump on YouTube and find a doubles match featuring Johnson, you will quickly see where he chooses to keep his paddle when ready!

Easier Said Than Done

The idea of leading with the paddle might actually be easier said than done, especially if you’re a player looking to correct a bad habit. However, it’s worth your time to invest in making some changes so that you can consistently hit the ball in front of your body - and it will take your game to another level.

Since becoming aware of what I was doing back in the day, I have since seen how and where people make contact with the ball. It’s all over the place, man.

I’m talking wrist flicks behind the body, using the natural momentum of the body to swing through the ball aggressively but then ending up making contact too early or too late and of course - the infamous body shots.

Someone who doesn’t have their paddle out in front is often the victim of body shots to the elbow/arm, hips, and midsection.

Really, in any sport, one would want to make clean contact or execute a clean shot and this is all done by making contact with the ball or releasing the ball in front (baseball, pitchers do not release the ball behind themselves and in soccer, the successful shots are not done behind the foot, it’s always out in front).

Drill It

To help make this a natural decision for yourself, it will probably take spending some time drilling. By working with one other person and focusing on the half court (including practicing in skinny singles format) you can work your way from the baseline to the NVL with the paddle out in front the entire way up.

As the feeder, start with a lower pace and feed easier shots to your partner. After a few rounds you can start to increase pace, spin and strength.

Doing this over and over again will allow you to start to feel how much pressure it takes (or lack of) to hold the paddle handle; you might find that it doesn’t take a lot of pressure, just a firm wrist.

Of course, another form of feedback is to record yourself playing a game, where you’re not thinking about form, you want to see yourself playing at ease so you can pick up on your natural habits.

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