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THE SCIENCE OF PICKLEBALL : HOW CLOSE SHOULD WE WATCH THE BALL ?
By Joe Dinoffer
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SCIENCE OF PICKLEBALL
Watch the ball hit the paddle ” is probably the most misunderstood instruction in pickleball , since it is literally impossible for the human eye to see this 2-millisecond or 1 / 500th-ofa-second event . According to most studies , the human eye cannot see events faster than 1 / 60th of a second . That is our human threshold , making it impossible to see the pickleball contact the paddle .
With that in mind , we also need to understand that most recreational pickleball players hit off-center the majority of the time ! To recognize what it feels like to hit off-center , just try to hit off-center on purpose a few times .
The good news is that we can train ourselves to keep our heads steady , since a moving head or moving eyes leading up to that moment of contact will often cause mishits .
Instead , try “ gaze control ,” or keeping your eyes steadily focused on the ball when it travels through the space three feet away from yourself all the way to the point of contact . Spanning that three-foot
area with a steady head and steady eyes is essential to play your best .
To help with your gaze control , try engaging your brain and eyes with ball recognition and decisionmaking drills . One simple example is to rally with a partner and see how early each of you can call out “ forehand ” or “ backhand ” and prepare your body and paddle as early and quickly as possible to predict which side the incoming ball will arrive . The ultimate goal should be to call it out before the ball crosses the net , while keeping a steady head ( being physically on balance helps with this ) to track the ball as closely as possible .
After reading this article , many players may continue to try to watch the ball hit the paddle , but others may want to change their focus to gaze control . Certainly we can all agree that the days are gone when all you needed to know was “ paddle back , bend your knees , and watch the ball .” •
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR , has written nine books , produced 22 DVDs , and has appeared on the Tennis Channel . His company , at
oncourtoffcourt . com , designs and manufactures training aids for pickleball , tennis , and yoga . He has also produced dozens of pickleball tips for YouTube . Joe shares that experience and passion in this regular column for Pickleball Magazine .
CREDIT : BOB ECKSTEIN