PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
ADVANCED
THE SLICE RETURN
By Irina Tereschenko
BY IRINA TERESCHENKO
The ability to change pace and spin of the ball is one of the essential characteristics of a well-rounded/all-court pickleball
player. Adding slice to your arsenal will allow you to effectively mix up the rhythm of the point and, hopefully, take away your
opponent's strike zone. Therefore, a slice approach/return of serve becomes one of the ways to put pressure on the passer,
forcing him or her to lift the ball up or use a slow dink—a good strategy against a power player or a tall player. The photo
progression is an example of how to maintain balance and control of the slice, while gaining forward momentum to the net.
LINE UP.
First reaction after the split step is
turning your shoulders in the direction
of the incoming ball and establishing
your weight on the outside leg. This
helps judge the distance to the ball
and not run into it. I use my non-
dominant hand to support the paddle
before the shot on the backhand. Grip
is continental on the dominant hand.
BACKHAND
STEP IN.
Next, I step in to start transferring
my weight forward and take a step
toward the ball, while maintaining a
low center of gravity. My paddle is
back, above my wrist and the palm is
facing the court on the forehand (back
of my hand is facing the court on my
backhand). This is a first checkpoint
in the swing—from here I can stay fluid
through the motion and my paddle is
lined up to put massive backspin on
the ball.
FOREHAND
CONTACT POINT.
Immediately prior to the contact point,
my paddle is slightly open and even
with the wrist. I am simply letting my
arm swing from high to low and away
from my body—the bottom edge of my
paddle controls the backspin. Avoid
flicking the wrist/changing the angle
of the paddle to maintain maximum
control of the shot.
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