It is summertime and in many back yards, families are gathering to play cornhole. That’s a good thing because cornhole can help your pickleball game.
Other sports
Many of us have a background in one sport or another and there are often parallels we can draw from playing another sport. I also often hear people draw on other sports metaphors when coaching another player. For example, when a player has “lost their serve”, I sometimes hear other players suggest they mimic a bowling motion.
While in understand the comparison as it suggests swinging from the shoulder rather than the elbow or wrist, there are important differences:
- First, a bowling ball is much heavier;
- Second, you stop your weight from going forward when you release the ball; and
- Finally, players that hook a bowling ball may turn their wrist which causes inconsistency and accuracy problems when serving a pickleball.
Cornhole and pickleball
So I want you to think of a different reference … cornhole. Cornhole is a pretty popular game and I have even seen people playing during pickleball tournaments. The similarities between cornhole and pickleball are many. First, in cornhole you are hinging from your shoulder, you are guiding and releasing the bag extending to the target. Whether it be a pickleball serve, dink, groundstroke or third shot drop these items apply.
It is also a much softer toss than, for example, throwing a 12-pound bowling ball. It’s a slower motion and allows you to pose at the end of every shot. As I have recommended before, learning to pose or freeze for a second allows the ball to release toward the target I have in mind.
My First Cornhole experience
I played cornhole for the first time last summer. I was rough around the edges until a friend told me, “It is just like a pickleball
serve.” That was my a-ha moment. Suddenly I felt much more comfortable and I was able to hit my target time and time again.
So consider what other analogies you can bring to your pickleball play. It could be cornhole and pickleball or something totally different. Whatever makes you comfortable will improve your game.
