Foundations · Skill 6 of 8

Forehand

The forehand drives, dinks, and third-shot drops all start from a compact unit turn and a low-to-high lift, not an arm-only swing.

Think about this while you play

Unit turn: shoulders and hips turn together, paddle stays compact
Paddle face below the ball, lift low to high
Contact out in front, firm wrist, finish toward target

Common mistakes and fixes

Hitting the net: closed paddle face or no drop below the ball on drops and dinksLow-to-High Brush: place a ball on the floor in front of you and swing up over it without touching it; pass with 10 straight wall hits clearly above the net line.

Wristy, flicky contact: dinks pop up and drives go long or shankDoorframe Block: press the paddle face firmly against a doorframe at your contact point using legs and core, 10 seconds, 5 times, keeping the wrist from bending.

Arm-only swing: hips stay still and drives lack paceHug Drill: hold the paddle across your chest and rotate your torso to hit an imaginary ball with core rotation only, 20 reps with a full turn.

In the app

For subscribers

The Target Rally drill, a 10-minute warm-up, and a challenge you can count in your next open play, so you know when you've got it.

Practice it, don't just read it

Pickleball Game Plan gives you one skill at a time with a drill, a warm-up and a challenge you can count, plus gym and match-day plans.

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