PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
ADVANCED
THE BACKHAND
ROLL
By Ben Johns
Here’s an example of what I mean by
reaching in and volleying the dink:
You can see I’ve just hit a dink while
reaching into the kitchen and staying low.
Eventually, this will set up the ball that
I’m looking for and I’ll already be in the
correct position for it.
T
he backhand roll (some
call it the flick) is my
favorite shot in pickleball.
Much of my game plan at
the kitchen line is focused on hitting
the roll at just the right time so I can
either win the point right then or set
up the put-away shot. So, what is this
shot exactly?
The backhand roll is a quick,
surprising power shot with topspin.
The roll makes it difficult for your
opponent to hit an offensive shot and,
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if he/she lets it go, the topspin brings
it down into the court. The topspin
also allows you to attack the ball from
below the net.
I know many instructors tell you to
never attack the ball unless it’s above
the level of the net. Generally I agree
with that, but with a sufficient level of
skill, you can use the roll to catch your
opponents off-guard because you can
attack from below the level of the net
effectively.
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1. THE SETUP
When I use the backhand roll, all four
players are at the kitchen line in a
dinking rally. Although the backhand
roll is useful on both sides, I primarily
use it on the ad side, with my
backhand toward the edge of the court
and my forehand in the middle. The
setup is crucial to an effective roll—if
you don’t have the setup, nothing else