This Mistake is KILLING Your Game

Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Coaching Newsletter!

Today, we’re going to transform your kitchen game with one tip.

We can say that confidently because most pickleball players make this mistake without even realizing it.

It may not be the most fun thing to practice, but it’s a relatively quick fix, and will make a night and day difference.

Let’s get started.

Something that I find fascinating about coaching pickleball is that there are some specific mistakes that many players commit in nearly the same way.

One of the most universal errors at the intermediate level is something that I call the lean.

📖 The lean is when you are flat footed, and lean side to side to hit dinks and volleys that are away from your body, instead of moving to get in front of the ball.

Here's what I mean ⬇️

Notice how in the above clip, I hit 4 dinks with my body in the exact same court position. When I coach, I’ll sometimes count 8+ dinks that players hit without moving a step!

This is one of the most common causes of popped up dinks, missed volleys, and overall kitchen line errors.

If you don't move your body between shots, you will be hitting with a different contact point every time. I.e. you will be hitting each shot in a different position relative to your body.

There are a couple issues with having a different contact point every time:

1. It makes it very hard to execute our shots with consistency.
   
   When we practice, our goal is to get good repetitions. When we get good repetitions, the shot gets solidified in our muscle memory. When a shot is in our muscle memory, we can execute it under pressure in a game scenario. If we are hitting with a different contact point every time, the swing needs to be slightly different, and we won't reinforce the shot in our muscle memory.
   
   This will make it hard to consistently execute one shot in the same way.

2. It is very hard to maintain control when you are reaching.
   
   Leaning leads to reaching, and when you reach, the ball pops up. If you reach for the ball, it's likely that you will flick your wrist or swing too hard to overcompensate.
   
   I won't go into too much depth here, because we've all made errors as a result of reaching, no matter what level we play at!

Instead of leaning, you want to move your feet side to side to position yourself in front of the ball, every time. Think of it as if you're moving like a crab! 🦀

Here's the right way to move side to side at the kitchen ⬇️

When you move side to side, you won’t be reaching, so you’ll be far more comfortable when you hit, which will result in a better shot.

Try this, and I guarantee you'll keep more dinks in the kitchen, and in turn, win more points at the line.

See you on the courts!

- Matt Slowinski (Co-Founder, Pro Player & Coach)

Whether the ball is hit right to you or pulls you out wide, you should always take at least one step between dinks at the kitchen line. That way you can get your perfect positioning. Exhibit A 👇

Notice how everyone on the court used their feet to get behind the ball, whether it was hit to them, or away from them. On the closer shots, you may only see one or two adjustment steps, but on the farther ones you see several. Plus, an Erne finish is always fun! 💪

How to Find a Drilling Partner Who Never Misses

Tired of training partners that can’t keep the ball on the court? Or maybe you’re practicing with someone that can’t play for more than 2 hours at a time because they have “real life obligations.” Meet The Dink Master, the answer to your prayers. Think of it as your portable practice partner, and the best part is you can train just about ANY SHOT with it. Use code “clinic15” to get $15 OFF on The Dink Master!

Insights from World No. 3 Ranked Pro James Ignatowich

Getting your feet “behind” the ball on your dinks is something that gets increasingly important as you go up in level in pickleball.

Kitchen line dinking exchanges are often won by the player that is more aggressive, and targeted with their dinking. Being aggressive and intentional with dinking has just as much to do with your feet as it does with your hands. The player who is more active with their feet will get to their opponent’s dink earlier, and as a result, will have more time to execute an aggressive dink of their own.

One way to hammer this point home when drilling is to make sure that your FEET react BEFORE your hands / upper body on every single dink. We call this “feet first.” Remember; the earlier your feet move, the more time your hands have to execute your shot.

See you all for my next bulletin!

-James

Ok, let’s face it… footwork isn’t the most fun thing to practice 😬. But, if you mix in footwork drills, your game will thank you, and you will definitely notice a difference. Here’s a must-do drill to add to your routine that will get you moving right in no time. 👇

The Paddle You Use Matters More Than You Think

Attention! New JOOLA paddle! Experience the future of pickleball with the new Perseus MOD TA-15 pickleball paddle. It’s USAP Approved and similar to JOOLA’s Gen 3 model, rooted in its original design. Designed and tested with input from the sport’s top pros, the JOOLA MOD TA-15 is the perfect choice for competitive play at all levels. Embrace the advanced research, engineering, and technology that will help make you a game-changer on the court.

Well, that’s a wrap… so let’s recap what we learned this week:

• Leaning side to side at the kitchen line is one of the most common causes of missed dinks and volleys

• You should almost never hit two shots from the exact same position

• Move side to side at the kitchen line like a crab! 🦀

Thanks for reading! We hope you can put these tips to good use the next time you’re out on the courts!

Reply to this email with anything you want to see in our future newsletters 😄 

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic