Grip of Death

In tennis, a player who is able to effectively and offensively take pace of the ball when volleying is said to have “soft hands.”  The legendary John McEnroe is, arguably speaking, in my opinion, the GOAT of soft-handed players. McEnroe was able to defuse heavy topspin hitting groundstroke players by coming to the net and taking all of the pace off the ball. Utilizing pinpoint accuracy with the placement of his volleys, he would put his opponents into a defensive position which would lead either to an error by them or an opportunity for him to hit an outright winner. Not surprisingly, this all sounds vaguely familiar to a strategically well-played pickleball point.

I often see new players to pickleball, unconsciously over-gripping their paddles. It’s an understandable scenario; the point is being played fast and furious, we are competitively pumped up and really into the heat of the action. During this time, we don’t realize that we are holding the paddle too tightly in our hand to effectively be able to execute shots in the no volley zone. To resolve these issues, players need to develop soft hands. Even though you may not possess the natural gift of touch that McEnroe was blessed with, paying attention to your grip pressure can effectively improve your ability to hit delicate, precisely placed shots in the no volley zone, as well as improve your skills in effectively executing soft drop third ball shots.

So how do we develop soft hands? Here are some pointers.

First, the paddle should feel like it’s floating in your hand. The main pressure points should be applied with your two middle fingers, utilizing the pinky and pointer fingers more for balance of the paddle in your hand, aka, the Texas Longhorn grip. Apply added grip pressure with the two center fingers at contact with the ball and then lighten the grip pressure for any follow through that may occur. 

Second, in addition to your grip pressure, make sure the muscles in your entire arm are also relaxed. In fact, your entire upper body should feel loose and relaxed.

Third, you want your wrist to be relaxed and slightly laid back, to open up the face of the paddle.

Finally, breathing is an important part of relaxing your muscles. You should not be holding your breath during the entire stroke, but exhale at contact and the follow through. Much like in pro tour tennis where players grunt and squeal when they strike the ball.

Combining all of these techniques will lower your percentages of unforced errors, help improve your ability to hit precisely placed dinks and win more points!

Wayne Clark is a professional tennis instructor with over 25 years experience coaching players on all levels of the game. Wayne is also qualified in pickleball instruction and is on staff as an instructor with The Naples Pickleball Center and Training Academy at East Naples Community Park. Contact Coach Wayne by email at coachwayneclark@aol.com, or by or by phone or text at 239-450-6161.