The Pickleball Student Of The Game Analysis Blog is for beginner-to-advanced players who want to reduce unforced errors, get to the next level, increase their appreciation for the game and connect with like minded individuals. NOTE: To access the series of web-based learning sessions, click on the "Assignment" label on the sidebar. To join our online community, click the membership form tab below.
Game/Stroke Analysis - Mike Owens
Chris Edler's Analysis
Mike Owens asked Jack Olmsted to look at the above video and comment on what Mike could do to improve his game. Jack suggested that I take a look at it and make comments too. What follows is a very detailed analysis that I did as I watched Mike in the above video, which I originally did as comments on the video's YouTube page, so my comments below are addressed to Mike. Although my comments are specific to Mike's play in this game, I see all of the things I commented on below in the game play of pretty much everyone I watch play Pickleball...
When you watch your video again, it's a big help to use some YouTube playback shortcuts:
1. The space bar toggles between play and pause.
2. The left arrow key jumps back 5 seconds in the video each time it's pressed (and the right arrow key jumps forward 5 seconds).
3. The period/right-angle-bracket key (./>) advances a paused video 1 frame each time it's pressed.
4. The comma/left-angle-bracket key (,/<) backs up a paused video 1 frame each time it's pressed.
After watching the first point it's clear that you are very agile and are fast getting to the ball, so I watched the whole video to see if I could see something worth commenting on.
What stands out is that your weight transfer during your forehands is inconsistent. Although you transferred your weight from your back foot to your front foot (which is the best way to do it) on every one of your 16 serves (which are forehands), only about 50% of the rest of your forehands had that weight transfer (great examples of good weight transfer are at 0:27 and 0:46) and during about 50% of them you instead transferred your weight from your front foot to your back foot (at 1:02, 1:05, 1:20, 2:35, 3:08, 3:45, 3:56, 6:43, 7:44, 7:46, and 8:36). This second best way is OK if it's the only way you can get the ball back, but it's a much weaker shot, so you should avoid it if you can. It's a weaker shot because stepping from the front foot to the back foot means you are moving away from the net, and the speed with which you do so is subtracted from the speed you hit the ball, resulting in a slower ball, giving your opponent more time to get to the ball and hit it. If your desire is to hit the ball slower, it's much better to just slow your swing down -- not back up while you're moving (it's easier to hit the ball while standing still rather than while you're moving). In reviewing the video, it appears that you're having to back up because your opponent is hitting the ball deep to you and you're not standing far enough back (e.g., behind the baseline) to return his shot without backing up. You're very fast on your feet, so I don't think you have to stand inside the baseline in order for you to run in if your opponent dinks the ball -- you should only stand inside the baseline if your particular opponent never hits the ball deep, or if it's a good gamble that a ball you hit to your opponent is likely to come back short.
Here's your proper weight transfer at 0:46, starting with a split-step:
Next, you started moving towards where the ball was going to be at ball contact:
Then, you set your back (away from the net) foot, which you'll step off of to hit the ball:
Next, you have stepped off your back foot, and just before ball contact you are about to land on your front foot, which is the foot you should balance on while making ball contact:
Finally, you can see that you're still balancing on your front as you follow-through:
This was a very-well-executed weight transfer (from your back foot to your front foot)...
Analyzing A Game Through Facebook Chat
TECH NOTE: Due to Facebook Messager formatting links do not work in this copied/pasted chat session. So, a link list has been created at the beginning of the session before the Facebook Messager formatting.
Chat Session Link List
- Facebook Forum Thread - Michael/Jack became FB friends and began chatting
- 44 Analyzed Videos - YouTube Playlist
- GoPro4 Silver Edition
- Michael's Singles Game (see above video)
- YouTube Editing Keys List
- Example Of Time Code List - I analyzed a doubles game from yesterday
- Lightdow Action Camera
- Example of Lightdow recording game mounted at the top of fence
- Simone Jardim Playlist - Example: Move feet, get into position ASAP to hit ball
- Link List Of Top Pickleball Players Playlists
- Port Townsend Pickleball Rec Game - Analyzing game from yesterday
Hi Michael, Are you interested in Pickleball Video analysis?
Yes, I am curious to what you provide with the video analysis and pricing points, because I am assuming it isn't free.
Jack
At the moment, it is free to the first 20 players
Well, that is nice to know. What type of advise would one expect? To kind of shed some, I've been told I am around a 4.0, and I primarily play doubles, but I have started playing singles, but really lack players to play against for singles.
Jack
Here are 44 videos that I have analyzed: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOD89c4nt4hQIpOeUY0sjVCarZMFU3sCv
Upload a video of you playing a game on YouTube. If you would like to be involved in the live stream session, then we would set and time/day and go through they game. Depending on the game, it would take about 30-45 minutes.
Is there a preferred angle for the recorded video?
Jack
Camera Posistion:
It depends on how wide the lens is on your camera or cell phone. If you don't have a wide angle lens, then probably off to one side and back for enough to get all four corners of the court.
We use a gopro4 silver edition at the moment.
Analyzing 4 Pickleball Serves
I'm going to use the above video that Jack Olmsted recorded to compare different types of Pickleball serves. I'll start with a typical beginner serve. The typical beginner prepares for the serve by facing the net -- this is called an "open" stance -- the hips and the shoulders are roughly parallel with the net (and the baseline), as shown in the first picture:
This stance has two major shortcomings. It reduces the amount of power you can hit the ball with, and if you want horizontal directional accuracy you have to avoid the natural across-the-body follow-through.You can put more power into the ball by using a "square" stance (also called a "neutral" stance). It's called a square stance because the hips and shoulders are at right angles to the net (a square is made up of lines that meet at right angles), rather than parallel to the baseline (for an open stance). The square stance has a back foot (the foot farthest from the net) that you push off of at the start of the serve, and that push gets transmitted to the ball, and a front foot (closest to the net) that you balance on at ball contact. After ball contact the back foot is brought up even with the front foot to put you into a neutral stance, which is the stance required for being in the "ready" position.
The square stance also enables horizontal directional accuracy by allowing you to have the natural across-the-body follow-through without disturbing the desired pendulum motion of the arm in the vicinity of ball contact. If you have an open stance instead, your follow-through has to continue in the direction that you want the ball to travel, because an across-the-body follow-through will tend to cause the ball to be pulled in the direction of the follow-through (because ball contact is typically out in front of the body, at which point the arm has started swinging across the body). The next picture shows the server at the end of the backswing:
Notice that this server has stepped forward while taking the paddle back. This results in an advanced version of a beginner's serve, because it produces a front foot and a back foot, which allows the server to produce more power. It's not a fully advanced serve though, because the open stance requires avoiding an across-the-body follow-through so that horizontal directional accuracy can be maintained. Another advanced aspect of this serve is the large backswing, which results in generating more power than when using a short backswing because the paddle head accelerates over a longer distance, yielding a greater paddle head speed at ball contact for the same swing force.
The next picture shows the server just before contact. She is still moving forward, which is good, because that forward movement is added to the ball speed. She is looking down at the ball, which is also essential, as she can then see the paddle hit the ball, and adjust the swing to make sure that the ball hits the center of the paddle:
Notice that the arm holding the paddle is bent significantly at the elbow (it's hard to see because of the blur, but you can see that her shirt sleeve of her hitting arm is roughly pointing down, which means that her arm must be significantly bent just before ball contact, which hasn't quite happened yet, as indicated by the ball not being a blur), resulting in a smaller arc for the paddle head travel, which results in less power.
The last picture shows the end of the follow-through. Notice that the follow-through is NOT across-the-body. This maintains horizontal directional accuracy, and is another indicator that this is an advanced beginner serve:
Two other advanced aspects of this serve are that the server isn't bending the wrist up during the serve (notice the wrist is straight at the end of the follow-through), which yields good vertical directional accuracy; and that the follow-through is long, which, along with the long backswing, provides a more uniform paddle head speed in the ball contact zone than a short swing. One other thing to notice is that the arm that tossed the ball has swung backwards, which twisted the shoulders horizontally. Since this moves the shoulder of the hitting arm forward during the swing, it adds a bit of racket head speed, giving the server a bit more power. Since this server has an open stance, the shoulder twist doesn't pull the shoulder out of the intended path of the ball much, so it's relatively harmless.
Basic and Advanced Doubles Strategies
Basic and Advanced Doubles Strategies - Pickleball Fundamentals (2015, 176 pages) by Mary Littlewood
Always face the ball on the other side of the net. Regardless of where you are on the court and where the ball is on the other side of the net, assume a position that is always facing the ball. In addition, always be prepared for the ball to be hit to you.
Know where you are on the court and where the boundary lines are. Many beginners will hit any ball coming to them regardless of the flight of the oncoming ball and where they are standing on the court. Every time you hit a ball that would have gone out of bounds, you’re extending the rally when, had you let the ball hit the ground first, you would have won the rally.
Always strive for placement and control rather than speed when you hit the ball. The more games that you play, the better you will be able to see where your opponents are on the court. As the ball is coming to you, note where your opponents are and in what direction they’re moving (if they’re moving). Then place the ball behind them or in an open space on their court.
Pickleball Fundamentals Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Warming Up and Stretching
Chapter 2 Ready Position, Grips, and Ball Control
Chapter 3 Forehand and Backhand Groundstrokes
Chapter 4 Serve and Return of Serve
Chapter 5 Volley
Chapter 6 Dink
Chapter 7 Overhead Smash
Chapter 8 Lob
Chapter 9 Drop Shot
Chapter 10 Shot Selection and the Mental Game
Chapter 11 Strategies for Doubles and Singles
Chapter 1 Warming Up and Stretching
Chapter 2 Ready Position, Grips, and Ball Control
Chapter 3 Forehand and Backhand Groundstrokes
Chapter 4 Serve and Return of Serve
Chapter 5 Volley
Chapter 6 Dink
Chapter 7 Overhead Smash
Chapter 8 Lob
Chapter 9 Drop Shot
Chapter 10 Shot Selection and the Mental Game
Chapter 11 Strategies for Doubles and Singles
Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships 2018
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| 2018 US Open Pickleball Championship Pickleball Forum Banner |
Forehand Return Of Serve Analysis
Jordan Briones, PrimeTime Pickleball, produced this excellent video analyzing Ben Johns forehand return of serve using stop motion and info graphics.
Assignment
Using Ben's stroke as a model, video yourself hitting a forehand. Analyze your video using Google Hangouts On Air to see how close you can get to replicate Ben's stroke mechanics. Post a link to the Hangouts On Air video in the comments.
Pickleball Clinics
- YouTube Playlist: Pickeball Clinics/Classes
- Pickleball Clinics, Rights and Wrongs by Sarah Ansboury
- USAPA Instructional Skills Clinic Outlines
April is “National Pickleball Month
SURPRISE, ARIZ. (March 9, 2018) — To help promote the fastest growing sport in America, the USAPA Pickleball Association (USAPA) along with sports industry companies and organizations have named April “National Pickleball Month.”
“Pickleball is just exploding with players and interest,” says USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof. “Creating National Pickleball Month for the month of April will help us to promote the sport nationwide to people of all ages, and help to get Americans moving, active and enjoying this fun sport.”
National Pickleball Month is designed to boost all areas of the sport, from bringing more people into the game, to helping pickleball “providers” promote programs and leagues, to making public parks and sports facilities aware of the interest in pickleball in their communities.
The official hash tag: #nationalpickleballmonth
“We see this as a ‘rallying point’ to promote the sport throughout the U.S. on the local level,” Maloof says. “The USAPA has built up a nationwide network of 1,700 dedicated ‘Pickleball Ambassadors,’ and designating April as National Pickleball Month will help them to further get the word out about all the great benefits pickleball can provide not just to individuals of all ages, but also to communities.”
“Pickleball is just exploding with players and interest,” says USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof. “Creating National Pickleball Month for the month of April will help us to promote the sport nationwide to people of all ages, and help to get Americans moving, active and enjoying this fun sport.”
National Pickleball Month is designed to boost all areas of the sport, from bringing more people into the game, to helping pickleball “providers” promote programs and leagues, to making public parks and sports facilities aware of the interest in pickleball in their communities.
The official hash tag: #nationalpickleballmonth
“We see this as a ‘rallying point’ to promote the sport throughout the U.S. on the local level,” Maloof says. “The USAPA has built up a nationwide network of 1,700 dedicated ‘Pickleball Ambassadors,’ and designating April as National Pickleball Month will help them to further get the word out about all the great benefits pickleball can provide not just to individuals of all ages, but also to communities.”
PICKLEBALL SELF-TEACHING ACTIVITY GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS
PICKLEBALL SELF-TEACHING ACTIVITY GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS
- Bounce ball on paddle (practice anywhere with any paddle, racket or ball)
- Hit ball on wall (any wall and any ball will do)
- Serve
- Return Of Serve (Get paddle back ASAP. Get Set. Have a game plan. Stroke the ball.)
- Hit Ball At The NVZ
- Play Games (record yourself on video, study your strokes and strategy with others)
- Drill/Lessons (record yourself on video, study your strokes with others)
- Watch The Pros Play
- Keep an online journal of your pickleball journey
- Teach/Show Newbies What You Know (Learning Pyramid)
Source: Beginner Resources
History Of Pickleball
- Google Search: Pickleball History (Images)
- Google Search: Pickleball History Canada
- YouTube Search: Pickleball History
- Vintage Pickleball Playlist
- Book: History of Pickleball: More Than 50 Years of Fun! (Facebook, Website)
- USAPA Newsletters (2008-2018)
Assignment
In the comments, write or post a video on the history of pickleball.
The Third Shot Drop
It takes a true student of the game to be open and willing to learn new tactics and change long-time habits -
Jordan Briones breaks down the 3rd shot drop.
Pickleball Channel: When not to use the 3rd shot drop.
Pickleball Channel: When not to use the 3rd shot drop.
How To Play Pickleball
Assignment #9
Example #1: A short video of how to play pickleball by Heather Pape
Example #1: A short video of how to play pickleball by Heather Pape
Don't Wait To Be An Expert To Share Pickleball Lessons Learned: Excellent Example
Pickleball 101 Topics
(Time Code List)
0:11 Materials Needed To Play Pickleball
0:24 Court Lines
0:43 The Kitchen Lines
1:00 Outline Of The Court
1:30 Serving
1:53 Rules To Serving
2:24 Serving Example
2:37 Rules For The Kitchen
3:20 Double Bounce Rule
3:46 Scoring
4:07 Example
4:24 Doubles Demo
4:39 Credits
Assignment
Make a YouTube video explaining an aspect of playing pickleball. Include a time code list in the YouTube description. Post the link to the video in comments.
A List Of Pickleball Digital Coaches, Instructors and Students Of The Game
Assignment #8
Pickleball Instruction YouTube Playlist (300+ videos, 15+ hours)
Pickleball Instruction YouTube Playlist (300+ videos, 15+ hours)
Coaches, Instructors and Students Of The Game Videos
- Jordan Briones, PrimeTime Pickleball
- Coach Mo
- PickleballGo - Drills for Players and Coaches
- Joe Baker, At the Line Pickleball: The Winning Doubles Pickleball Strategy
- Mark Friedenberg - Play Winning Pickleball™ Expert Video Lessons
- Norm Davis
- Deb Harrison
- Mark Renneson, Third Shot Sports
- Prem Carnot, Smart Pickleball: The Pickleball Guru's Guide
- Sarah Ansboury
- Pickleball Channel 411
- Brain Staub
- Jeff Shank
- Barrett Kincheloe. Pickleball Kitchen
- Claudia Fontana, Pickleball CPR
- CJ Johnson
- Coach David
- Jodi and Rob Elliott
- Marcin Rozpedski
- Keith Bing
- Christopher L Edler
- Toui Pomsouvan
- Tony Roig In2Pickle
- Helle Sparre
- Rocket Grubbs, Pickleball Training Tips
- Simone Jardim's Pickleball Instructional Videos
- PickleballTV
- Maggie Remynse Chou
- Pickleball Kitchen
Assignment: Choose an individual from the above list and use their production style as a model to produce a training video. Post the link to your video in the comments.
Parkinson's and Pickleball
Andy Leighton and his wife Helen discuss the positive effects on living with Parkinson's and playing Pickleball since 2011.
Pittsburgh pickleball tournament attracts more than 400 players while raising money for Parkinson Foundation
Pickleball player and Parkinson’s patient Andy Leighton can attest to the sport’s benefits.
“I love the closeness of it,” Leighton says. “You’re closer to your opponents than you are in tennis, and that fosters a social relationship that you won’t get in tennis or most other sports.”
Leighton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about six years ago. Off the court, his symptoms will flare and his body will shake. But once he has a pickleball paddle in his hand, everything changes.
“My wife took me to a tournament — entered us in a tournament — didn’t tell me a thing about the sport, and I’m a tennis player,” Leighton says. “When I tried to apply my tennis skills, you can only do so much of that, so I suffered a little bit. And then I caught on. Now I’m a monster.”
Pittsburgh City Paper (June 28, 2017) Read MoreFor more articles and videos regarding Pickleball and Parkinson's, check out this Port Townsend Pickleball search stream and the Gamma Pickleball Classic "Why Pickleball" page
Introduction to Pickleball with Coach Mo
Assignment #7
Pickleball Coach Clinics 2 - Percentage Pickleball
Pickleball Coach Clinics 2 - Percentage Pickleball
Coach Mo...A Lifelong Coach
Assignment: In the comments below, post a Q & A for a Student Of The Game Pickleball Quiz from the Percentage Pickleball video above and the Pickleball Strategy Guide
Pickleball Strategy Guide Table Of Contents
- Pickleball Definitions
- Pickleball Grip
- Pickleball Ready Position
- Pickleball Serving
- Pickleball Return of Serve
- Pickleball Volley
- Pickleball Lob
- Pickleball Overhead
- Pickleball Footwork
- Hitting Down the Sideline
- How to Practice Pickleball
- Poaching in Pickleball
- Reduce Unforced Errors
- Know Your Opponents
- Mental Errors
- Hitting Fast Balls
- Anticipate Out Balls
- Play the Wind
- Groundstroke Stances
- Pickleball Serving Techniques
- Pickleball Forehand Groundstroke
- Pickleball Backhand Groundstroke
- Pickleball Overhead Technique
- Pickleball Drop Volley Technique
- Extra Pickleball Strategies
- Pickleball Guide Review
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