Covering The Court Efficiently – Pickleball Mini-Lesson with Sarah Ansboury

Covering The Court Efficiently

This week I want to talk to you about how to cover your court efficiently when you’re playing with your partner:

If I’m in my proper position and my paddle is out in front of me
Remember: It’s farther in front than you think
What creates the ability to turn from side to side is creating space in front of your body with your weight in your toes

Protect The Circles

I’m not just going to open my body, I am going to:

Turn and allow my weight to turn with it so that my hips are turning, and my paddle stays in front
When I push the ball I can turn and stay in the opposite direction as well

Remember: You have 10 feet of space to cover.

If you’re shuffling laterally when your toes are in a forward position it’s going to be more difficult to make contact out in front, but more importantly it causes you lose your kinetic chain. Your rotation and your kinetic chain comes up from your toes and finishes up in your hand.

Pickleball Kinetic Chain

Kinetic Chain – you may not be familiar with this term, but it is central to pickleball’s evolution. The kinetic chain is a system of links from which energy is generated. Each link transfers power to the next from the ground up. It includes leg drive, trunk rotation, upper arm elevation, forearm extension and hand flexion. Without body rotation and range of motion, we don’t have the power and control needed to perform.

Work on staying out in front, and if the ball moves, I’m turning my shoulders as a unit
If I have to step it’s a very easy comfortable step
It doesn’t mean that I have to hit and reset, and then hit and reset
If I’m hitting off of my left leg that’s the leg that I’m pushing off of

When I’m finishing, I’m pushing from there (left leg) and I can go and be ready for a backhand or I can now turn and finish in a forehand and it stays in front of me.

One of the key factors in turning from side to side for a forehand, or backhand is actually your non-dominant hand.

If your non-dominant hand is hanging out down low, it’s going to be a lot more difficult to rotate your body.
When you engage your entire body, your shoulders actually work together, and it keeps the paddle out in front of you while still maintaining a nice solid position.
That way you’re not getting caught into a defensive spot
Stay in offense and stay in a forward position

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Covering The Court Efficiently – Pickleball Mini-Lesson with Sarah Ansboury