INSTRUCTION By PPR ’ s Vicki Foster
The Overhead Smash — Love It , Don ’ t Miss It
Do you dread playing lobbers because you
rarely know where your smashes are going ? Let ’ s break down this shot and make it easier for you to take advantage of the overhead .
1 . Choose a Target .
Pick a place on the court where you want to hit your overhead : crosscourt , down the line , in the middle , or even aiming at your opponent — at the feet , of course .
2 . Position Your Body in Relation to the Target . After identifying where you want to place the smash , turn sideways in a balanced position with your shoulders and feet perpendicular to your target . Once sideways , take your paddle behind your head so your dominantarm elbow is pointing to the back fence at shoulder height . The non-dominant shoulder and front foot should line up toward your target . Many players with weak overheads simply pull their paddle back and stay squared to the net , resulting in a slower push shot , powered only by their forearm . The sideways stance allows players to move backward in a more safe and efficient manner than backpedaling .
3 . Contact the Ball in Front of Your Body . Use your non-dominant hand to track the lob and keep your weight on the back foot . Keep your head up and eyes focused on the ball . Position your body behind the ball to allow weight transfer from back to front foot , resulting in more power from use of legs and hip rotation . The contact point should be high at full arm extension . At start of swing , allow the top edge of the paddle to lead the swing .
4 . Follow Through Toward Your Target .
At impact , pronate your hand so the face of the paddle strikes the ball in a down and outward trajectory . After contact , the paddle follow-through should continue in a fluid motion down and across the body toward the target .
Quick Fixes Does your smash go long or in the net ? If long , your contact point is too far behind your body . If it goes in the net , your contact point is too far in front of your body .
DRILL : Have your coach or drill partner feed lobs at least 2 feet behind the NVZ line . Intentionally begin your position two steps behind the contact point of the lob , turn sideways , move forward with your non-dominant ( or tracking ) hand held high . Keep your paddle in the dominant hand and make sure you catch the ball with your non-dominant hand in front of your body . Progress from catching the ball to hitting to a target that you have set approximately 3 feet from the baseline .
Are you missing overheads wide ? Your paddle follow-through is too far across your body .
DRILL : Set up a cone or target in the center of the court , which gives players the widest margin of error . Have your coach or drilling partner feed lobs . Slow down your swing and follow through your paddle toward your target and freeze . Make sure your contact point is in front of your body and you are transferring your weight from back foot to front foot , turning your torso and hips to generate power , and pronating your wrist on contact . Once you successfully hit your target area consistently , adjust your target to different areas of the court .
Vicki Foster is a teaching pro and player out of Scottsdale , Arizona . She has won multiple national gold medals in the 5.0 division and is both a PPR clinician and instructor with GAMMA ’ s Never Stop Playing pickleball camps .