Hint: It’s Not Your Arms.
Let’s clear this up right away—power doesn’t come from your hands or arms. Swinging harder doesn’t automatically mean you’re hitting faster, stronger, or better. In fact, that mindset often does more harm than good.
In pickleball, we separate power and control by the body:
Power comes from your lower body.
Control comes from your upper body—your hands and arms.
When we talk about generating power, we’re really talking about lower body engagement—your legs, hips, and core working together to transfer weight and drive the motion. That’s what fuels swing speed and acceleration.
Common Mistake: Muscling the Ball
One of the most common mistakes I see is players getting too close to the ball and trying to muscle their shot. This leads to tension, poor timing, and a breakdown in form. That’s why I always say:
Swing fast, not hard.
When you swing hard, your body fights back. You’ll feel resistance—tension in your arm, stiff hands, tight grip. But when you swing fast, using proper spacing and setup, your paddle accelerates naturally. That acceleration is what creates power.
It’s About Space and Setup
The entire purpose of your setup is to create space—room for your paddle to move freely and accelerate through the ball. That space lets your lower body lead, creating momentum from your bigger joints like the hips and shoulders, not your wrist or elbow.
So if you see someone take a big swing, don’t think you need to match it with a big backswing. On a pickleball court, a big backswing usually hurts more than it helps. We’re using small paddles, and efficient, compact motion is more effective.
Key Power Tips:
- Loosen your grip. If your knuckles are white or your arm feels tight, you’re swinging hard, not fast.
- Feel the flow. The paddle should swing freely, not feel forced.
- Check your feet. If you’re feeling resistance in your swing, it’s probably a lower body issue—start with your footwork.
- Load and explode. Preparation and spacing are everything. Think: Load the legs. Explode the legs.
That explosion drives the paddle, connects the kinetic chain, and creates effortless power.
So next time you’re on the court, remember—true power comes from the ground up. Engage the legs, free up the arms, and let your paddle do the work.
Want to build more effortless power in your game? Check out my video lessons inside the Sarah Ansboury Pickleball Academy.
