PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
Specialty Shot
(The ‘Mini Me’ Overhead)
BY STEVE PARANTO
I n this article I would like to share a specialty shot that
comes up every now and then and is often handled in
a very poor way. This shot is also very easy and all levels
of players can do it successfully if using this method. The
shot I am talking about is when a high bouncing ball lands
short inside of the kitchen. So, this is the ball that is in the air for a long time, almost like a lob but then lands in your
kitchen and also bounces higher than the net. If you handle
this shot correctly, you will not only have very few unforced
errors, but you will usually hit a winner!
WRONG WAY TO HANDLE THIS SHOT
• Waiting for the ball to land inside the kitchen before
you go into the kitche n.
• Hitting the ball like a normal groundstroke.
• Hitting the net with your follow-through.
• Attempting a drop shot and then dropping the ball
into the net. CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE THIS SHOT
• As soon as you know the ball is going to land in the
kitchen, move your feet and get into the kitchen. You
need early preparation on this shot!
• Bend your knees to hit this ball almost like a smash.
• Make sure you don’t follow through and strike the net!
Special thanks to Marty Butler, whom I’ve known since he
was in grade school as a student of mine, for modeling these
shots for me. •
MAY/JUNE 2017 |
MAGAZINE
29