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PIckleball Skills: Real Secret to Fast Hands from a Pickleball Pro

Smart Pickleball with Leo Chen14:24

Transcription

Now, the catch is you don't know which ball I'm going to release. So, what we want to avoid is trying to guess.

And so, we want to slow down. And this is going to help us move more effectively at this line. So, take one step up so you're right on the line. So, see how there is a little bit of this even at the start there.

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All right, let's see the hands a little bit. Let's see how these are. Nice. Nice. Oh, sorry. So, right now it's You can let her uh run around. I was just saying like when she's peeling the ball, just tell her to stop. So right now it's way too fast of motions. Yeah.

So it's like slowing these down. Like when I'm hitting it, watch kind of the difference between these two shots. So if I hit this counter like that. See how it's a little out of control? Like I'm poking at it versus So that one I kind of poked like this. Yeah. versus a slower just kind of push through. So the second one is just more like that where it's really in control. Sorry.

And that's going to just allow us to be able to hit it a little bit more where we want it. We're not necessarily trying to win the hands battle on the first on the first one. We're trying to set it up just to make it a little easier on those next ones. Got it? Yeah. I think that's why I lose them after maybe two or three because then I go too fast and it pops up again. Yeah.

And so it's it's way harder to time as well. It's like when you're out here now, a lot of things are moving and you're hitting it at extension versus in here, we can use our body to control that a lot easier. Then this now our wrist is a little bit activated which will cause errors. Nice. with the first one after. [laughter] Yeah. Oh, and then it's keeping the elbows in. Yeah.

So, if we look fast here. So, see there, it's it's this versus the body. Oh, so like could it just go like that? Yeah. So if it's if it's if it's in here, we're still going to kind of like lean forward like use our shoulders or our body this but more Yeah. shoulders. Yeah. Shoulders, hips. Like the bigger the muscle, the easier it is. So when I'm going fast here, everything's just in this area just kind of moving. I can see that you're like tighter. Yeah. There's there's not a lot of extra movement here. So that one [clears throat] there, keep it keep it kind of in our zone here. Instead of letting the elbow get out like that, we keep it in here. Okay.

So if the ball's coming here like this, I should just keep this and do that. Yeah. You could maybe slide a little bit. You could turn to your forehand. Yeah. If if you if you're forced to keep the elbow in, you'll it'll start to just force you to make a better decision on it because you're getting away with it because you're like the elbow moves first. If the shoulders move first, whether you turn this way, then your body will have to slide or you'll just sit forehand. So, I should slide and keep this here and go like either way. It it doesn't matter, but you'll start to pick up what feels more natural to you on it based on the fact that we're not moving our elbow first. It'll force your, I guess, brain to kind of get the rest of your body in line there. Nice, nice, nice. Sorry. Nice. Nice. Nice. Nice. Nice. Nice. And that one there, the first ones were really good and then that last one got a little bit more out in front. Like as we're getting more and more into this, it's like you get more and more excited. I've been getting I've been getting taught to not overextend like that, you know, just try to keep like almost like uh you're playing shorts stop. You're catching the ball closer to your body, right? Yeah. So that's why I've been trying to do like this little just like short flick. Nice. Yeah. I mean, I even put like a band on someone. Oh, yeah. Like around their arms, like we out band. So then when you're going out like this, it just like snaps it back in here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Holding the ball. Like all those kind of help.

Oh, but see, so and then the other thing, keep that paddle tip above the wrist. Okay. So now we're up like this. Okay. So now everything's way quicker to that ball. Got it? So then if that's the case, then if the ball comes low, then I'm moving down. Yeah. You can you can let the paddle tip drop below the wrist on a low one. But when we're in our ready position like this, if our paddle tip isn't like this, when the ball comes up, we get that or we get like that. This one was that. You're getting a lot of shots like this versus like this. This is hard. So if it's Yeah. Here's a question. Who do you think has faster hands? Shorter people or taller people? I think shorter. It's more compact. you know, cuz their limbs are shorter. That's That was my initial thought. Yeah. Wow. No. And you're you're on the right track. So, their height compared to the net. Oh, yeah. So, if if I'm this tall, I have to move like this. Yeah. If I'm this tall, I have to move like this. So, it's more movement here. So that's why some of like the shorter like younger kids are really freaking good at their hands because everything Exactly. Everything is down. Yeah. And moving like this is way quicker than that. Yeah. So that last time Yeah. So it's kind of this weird phenomenon where like you can also manufacture that a little bit. So if you're really tall and you get super low that can help. Yeah. It's a little tougher on the movement, but kind of having at least the paddle tip up helps a little bit with that. That makes sense. Nice. Reachy. Yep. Exactly. Both those were reachy. Yeah. Sorry. Uh Better better on the You kept the elbow in on that one. I almost like wanted to catch it late and feel still be able to cover it. But so that Yeah. Keep instead of just fully committing to the backhand, we got to be able to rotate to that forehand as well, especially at this pace. Like that's where like I would both you guys I mean have fast enough hands where let's say we just like here's kind of a good drill for it. So I'm going to throw one of these balls at you and it's going to be like about this pace. So you have plenty of time, right? Yeah.

Now, the catch is you don't know which ball I'm going to release. So, what we want to avoid is trying to guess. And so, we want to slow down. And this is going to help us move more effectively at this line. So, take one step up. So, you're right on the line. So, see how there is a little bit of this even at the start there. We have go at that same pace. Watch how much time I can wait before I move. I can just pick whatever ball. Yeah. Yeah. Like see how slow that is? Like I don't have to move and it's just very like I'm just waiting and then the paddle tip goes once I know where it is. No, it's perfect. Like I'm just whatever happens, I'm not reacting until I know for certainty. And so that's what we want to get in the habit of. And so this could be a fun drill you guys do with each other where it's like going a little slower pace than that, but it's throwing one each way. Trying to mix it up a little. And can I see those? Doing the like a little cross out here to see. See how big the Yeah. Yeah. So it's don't don't move. I would rather this go past you than you hit move before you know. So I was still you No, you moved to the you move this way first. Yeah, exactly. So that's taking away time from you and you still got there. So wait even longer. Yes. There we go. Nice. Nice. And now just push through with the palm a little bit more. Nice. We guessed a little bit. Nice. Look how much time you have. Like are you in a rush at all on these? I noticed that at the PPA. It just seemed like even though the ball seems so fast, like all you pros are like [clears throat] seems like even a dink, aggressive dink, you can just wait before you return it. It's almost like you're just hiding the shot as long as you can. Yeah. the and I think we've maybe talked about this, but it's whoever keeps the ball on their side of the net longer is usually in control of the point on the double side. Got it? Cuz you're just waiting. You're able to manipulate that ball way more. You're holding it and then putting it away. On like a flick, you're like waiting and then going. It's not like I see it and I hit it. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. That's good. I don't know how else I would have learned that. Yeah, you tell me to slow down. Basically the same thing. You tell me to slow down. I don't like Oh, I just wait. But what if the ball's coming and I go wait and I go like that. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So it's like I think that drill in particular starts a cue in the mind with that where if you like cross like the arm. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And we could even and as you're working on that, you can ramp up the pace slow like slowly and then by the time like it you will get to the point where the pace that he was throwing those at the end. You're not reacting until you see it either. And so I would say keep it a little slower than that if you guys are working on that. Yeah. But that's going to start to cue in this stuff. Like just like it's really slow. Like I'm moving very little. It's just I see it, I turn. See it? Turn. Don't get faked out. Exactly. Nice. Good adjustment. Good adjustment. Good. Good. So, now you can have power waiting. Mhm. Nice. Nice. Keep the forward lean. Yes. Oh. Tough one. Yes. Last two were a little reachy, but way better overall. Nice. Nice. I don't mind it though. We'll take it in front. Nice. Nice. Nice. Nice. Nice. Nice. That was by far our fastest rally. Yeah. So far that was way better. And controlled I felt. Yeah. Like every shot we we we just it felt like we were just aiming for a target. Yeah. Right. And and that was the longest reacting that like at the beginning some of your guys shots were down, some were high. That was the longest and fastest where they were all kind of in this knee to chest range here. And so if you can hit like I would say a good goal is if you can go like 30 back to like back to back with each other that's going to be when you start to really are stepping up your hands at this and a good way to maybe warm up before a match to cue in instead of hitting out here versus here.